page_title: Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt / Life
caption_attribution_description: English: Castle Schloss Elisabethenburg in Meiningen - the baroque „Hessensaal“ - it's a tower-cafe today. Deutsch: Der barocke „Hessensaal“ im Schloss Elisabethenburg in Meiningen, er beherbergt heute ein eindrucksvolles Turmcafe.
context_page_description: Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt was a landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen.
context_section_description: She was the youngest daughter of landgrave George II of Hesse-Darmstadt (1605-1661) and his wife Sophia Eleonore (1609-1671), the daughter of Elector John George I of Saxony.
  On 20 November 1671 at Friedenstein Castle in Gotha, she married Bernhard I, who at the time ruled Saxe-Gotha jointly with his brothers, and later became the first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. In 1676, the couple took up residence in Ichtershausen. Bernhard built a castle here, which he named Marienburg, after Marie Hadwig.
  In 1680, Bernhard I and his brothers divided Saxe-Gotha and Bernhard became the first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. His newly created duchy consisted of the former principality of Henneberg. The coat of arms of Henneberg showed a black hen. At the time, this was seen as a symbol of magic and witchcraft. Shortly before the scheduled move from their residence in Ichtershausen to Meiningen, Marie Hedwig stated that she would never enter the land of the black hen. She died later that year, after giving birth to her seventh child. She was only 32 years old, and died 9 weeks before the scheduled move to Meiningen. She was buried in the crypt of the city church in Meiningen.
  Bernhard I decorated the Hesse hall in Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen in a baroque style in her memory, and hung portraits of the two dynasties in this hall.
caption: The Hesse hall in Elisabethenburg Palace
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