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Tenure 22 October 1761 – 21 October 1771 Noble family House of Arenberg (by birth)
House of Zähringen (by marriage) Father Léopold Philippe, Duke of Arenberg Mother Maria Lodovica Francesca Pignatelli Born 26 October 1714
Brussels, Belgium ( 1714-10-26 ) Buried Stiftskirche, Baden-Baden Died 13 April 1793, Strasbourg, France Spouse Augustus George, Margrave of Baden-Baden (m. 1735) Place of burial Stiftskirche, Baden-Baden, Germany Parents Léopold Philippe d'Arenberg Grandparents Philippe Charles d'Arenberg, Maria Clara Angelica van Egmond Similar Augustus George - Margrave, Léopold Philippe d'Arenberg, Charles Marie Raymond, Louis William - Margrave, Duchess Sibylle of Saxe‑Lauenburg | ||
Princess Marie Victoire of Arenberg (Marie Victoire Pauline; 26 October 1714 – 13 April 1793) was a member of the House of Arenberg and later the Margravine of Baden-Baden as consort of Augustus George of Baden-Baden. She is credited for her charitable nature setting up various religious orders in her adopted Baden-Baden where she was known as Maria Viktoria.
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Biography
Marie Victoire was born in Brussels the eldest daughter of Léopold Philippe, Duke of Arenberg. Her mother was Maria Lodovica Francesca Pignatelli, a grand daughter of Ottone Enrico del Carretto was an Imperial Army commander like her own father. As a member of the House of Arenberg, she was allowed the style of Serene Highness reflecting the Arenbergs status as Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.
She was one of six children, her only surviving brother being Charles Marie Raymond, Duke of Arenberg, another distinguished member of the imperial army. She was a childhood friend of the future Empress Maria Theresa.
She was a cousin of Maria Henriette de La Tour d'Auvergne, wife of Count Palatine John Christian and mother of the last Wittelsbach Elector of Bavaria.
Marie Victoire received a strict Roman Catholic education and in later life, spent much of her larger personal fortune on charitable foundations related to the Catholic Church. She was also active in the care of children and Catholic education of young women. She also had a good education in music and the arts.
On 7 December 1735 she married Margrave Augustus George of Baden-Baden, youngest son of Louis William of Baden-Baden and Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg. Originally destined for the church, he left his ecclesiastical career in 1735. He was the brother of the ruling Margarve Louis George of Baden-Baden.
The marriage remained childless. At the death of her brother in law Louis George in 1761, her husband succeeded as margrave making Marie Victoire, known as Maria Viktoria in Germany, the most important female at the court of Baden-Baden displacing Louis Georges widow Maria Anna Josepha of Bavaria, sister of Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria.
While Margravine, she set up an Augustinian choir for the women of Rastatt, the main seat of the rulers of Baden-Baden. Her husband died in 1771 leaving no heirs of his own and thus Baden-Baden went to Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden, leaving the defunct Maria Viktoria without a home.
She moved from Rastatt and took up residence in Ottersweier where she set up a convent. In the convent school girls learned all the skills which they would need as future mothers and teachers. In 1767 she bequeathed most of her property of a foundation to preserve the school beyond their death.
She died in Strasbourg aged 78. She was buried at the Stiftskirche in Baden-Baden beside her husband.