Noble family Podebrady Mother Ursula of Brandenburg | Name Margaret Munsterberg | |
Spouse(s) Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Father Henry the Elder of Munsterberg Born 25 August 1473
Breslau ( 1473-08-25 ) Died 28 June 1530(1530-06-28) (aged 56)
Dessau | ||
Margaret of Münsterberg (25 August 1473, Breslau – 28 June 1530, Dessau) was a Silesian princess of the house of Münsterberg by birth and Duchess of Anhalt by marriage to Prince Ernest I of Anhalt-Dessau (1474–1516). After her husband's death she ruled the principality as a regent for her underage sons.
Contents
Life
Margaret was the fourth child of the Duke Henry the Elder of Münsterberg (1448–1498) and his wife Ursula of Brandenburg (1450–1508). She received a strictly religious education from her parents. In 1494, she married Prince Ernest I of Anhalt from the line of Anhalt-Zerbst. After the other lines of the Anhalt family died out, Ernest could reunite the Principality of Anhalt for the first time since 1252. They took up their residence in Dessau.
Ernest died in 1516 and margaret took up the regency of the principality for her underage sons John IV and George III. Her regency was characterized by thrift and deep religiosity. She strictly opposed the Reformation, which started spreading from neighbouring Wittenberg in 1517. She found an ally in her first cousin Albert, who was Archbishop of Magdeburg. In 1525, Margaret launched the League of Dessau, an alliance of Catholic princes opposed to the Reformation. Her oldest son, John IV, who had been co-regent since 1522 and her second son George, who later became co-ruler as George III, had already built up contacts with Martin Luther, but they did not lead their Principality into the Reformation until 1534 (with George III as the driving force), well after Margaret's death.
Margarethe of Münsterberg managed to regain some manors located east of Wörlitz, that had been pedged to neighbouring Electorate of Saxony. For this reason, the Folwark Münsterberg in Griesen was named after her.