Louise of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau, 10 February 1631 - d. Oława, 25 April 1680), was a German princess member of the House of Ascania in the branch of Anhalt-Dessau and by marriage Duchess of Legnica-Brzeg-Wołów-Oława.

She was the fifth child but third daughter of John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.

[edit] Life

Louise married with Christian, Duke of Brieg-Oława on 24 November 1648 in her homeland, Dessau. At that time, her husband was only the co-ruler of his older brothers George III and Louis IV. Only four years later, in 1652, Louise gave birth her first child, a daughter called Karolina.

After receiving the inheritance of their uncle George Rudolf of Legnica in 1653, George III, Louis IV and Christian decided to made the division of their domains one year later (1654): Christian obtain the small and poor Duchies of Wołów and Oława. Louise and her husband settled their residence in Oława, where she gave birth in 1657 a second daughter, Louise, who died on 6 February 1660 aged thirty-two months. Seven months later, on 29 September, the Ducal couple's third child, the long-awaited son and heir, George William, was born. Louise had her fourth and last child in 1664, a second son called Christian Louis, who lived only one month.

The eventual inheritance of all the Legnica lands over Christian seemed imminent, because none of his older brothers had surviving male issue. The deaths of Louis IV (1663) and George III (1664), finally leave Christian as the sole ruler of all the family lands.

Duke Christian died on 28 February 1672. His only surviving son, George William, succeeded him in Legnica-Brzeg, but because he was a minor, the regency was held by his mother Louise, who was the regnant Duchess of Wołów-Oława as her Oprawa wdowia, in accordance with her husband's will.

The Duchess-Regent, who was a tolerant and generous person, financially assisted the Catholics, winning with this the hate of the Protestant people of the Duchy. They decided to accelerate the formal proclamation as adult of the young Duke George William. Despite her protests, Emperor Leopold I declared George Wilhelm an adult and ruler of his Duchy (14 March 1675). One of the first acts of the Duke was stripped his mother of Wołów, part of her Oprawa wdowia. However, George William's reign was short; he died eight months later, on 21 November, victim of smallpox. Without issue, with him the House of Piast became extinct in the male line.

Louise could retain her Oprawa wdowia and retired to Oława, where she spend her last years in the construction of the Baroque Silesian Piast mausoleum at the church of St. John the Baptist in Legnica, also called Piasteum, where she translated the remains of her husband, son and some of their ancestors. She died in 1680 and was buried next to her husband. Her states were merged by the Holy Roman Empire.

[edit] References

• Complete Genealogy of the House of Ascania: Anhalt-Dessau
• Chronological Dates in Stoyan
• This article was translated from his original in Polish Wikipedia

Preceded by Christian	Duke of Oława Oprawa wdowia 1672–1680	Succeeded by States anexed to the Holy Roman Empire
	Duke of Wołów Oprawa wdowia 1672–1680