Elizabeth Lucretia | |
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| Duchess of Cieszyn | |
 Elisa(beth) Lucre(tia) D(ei) G(ratia) in Sile(sia) Tesch(inensis) ... Ducis(sa). Stylized duchess' portrait on a gold 5ducat (1650) | |
| Born | (1599-06-01)1 June 1599 |
| Died | 19 May 1653(1653-05-19) (aged 53) |
| Noble family | Piast |
| Spouse(s) | Gundakar, Prince of Liechtenstein |
| Issue | Maria Anna of Liechtenstein Ferdinand Johann of Liechtenstein Albert of Liechtenstein |
| Father | Adam Wenceslaus, Duke of Cieszyn |
| Mother | Elisabeth Kettler |
Elizabeth Lucretia of Cieszyn (German:Elisabeth Lukretia von Teschen;Polish:Elżbieta Lukrecja Cieszyńska;Czech:Alžběta Lukrécie Těšínská; 1 June 1599 – 19 May 1653), was a reigning Duchess ofCieszyn (Teschen, Těšín) from 1625 until her death. Born as the third child and second daughter ofAdam Wenceslaus, Duke of Cieszyn (by his wife Princess ElisabethKetteler of Courland, daughter ofGotthard Kettler,Duke of Courland), she was the last ruler of Cieszyn from the Polish-originSilesian Piast dynasty.
After her death, theDuchy of Cieszyn reverted to theBohemian Crown as a completedfiefdom and was onward ruled directly by the Bohemian kings, then members of theHouse of Habsburg. Subsequently,Habsburg dynasty bore the title until thefall of the Empire and the liquidation of theDuchy of Cieszyn in 1918.
Originally raised in theLutheran faith, in 1610 she converted to theCatholicism, together with her whole family.
On 13 July 1617 her father, Adam Wenceslaus, died and was succeeded by his only surviving son,Frederick William. On 23 April 1618 Elizabeth Lucretia was married against her will with the also ex-LutheranGundakar of Liechtenstein, a widower almost twenty years her senior.[1][2] Gundakar was a younger brother ofKarl I, Duke ofOpava (Troppau) andKrnov (Jägerndorf), one of the members of the Regency council who ruled the Duchy of Cieszyn during Frederick William's absence; however, this arrangement was short-lived, and thede facto rule was held by Elizabeth Lucretia, even after Frederick William returned to Cieszyn and assumed the effective government in 1624, because the Duke almost immediately after his return made a trip with theEmperor to theDutch Republic. During this journey, Frederick William became suddenly ill and died on 19 August 1625 inCologne, unmarried and without legitimate issue.
Initially, EmperorFerdinand II tried to join Cieszyn to his domains, using his rights asKing of Bohemia; but the end, he accepted Elizabeth Lucretia as reigning Duchess, by right of the Privilege granted by KingVladislaus II of Bohemia toDuke Casimir II of Cieszyn in 1498, under which was secured the female succession over Cieszyn until the fourth generation.[1][3]
During her reign, Cieszyn passed through one of the most difficult periods in his history. It was theThirty Years' War, during which Cieszyn was regularly plundered by foreign forces (during 1626–27 byDanish troops ofErnst von Mansfeld, during 1642–43 and 1645–47 bySwedish troops under the commands of Colonel Rochowa and GeneralKönigsmarck, respectively), both in terms of infrastructure and finances. In additionplague andhunger also affected the Duchy and many citizens died. Eventually, this led to Cieszyn being economically and demographically destroyed for the next 100 years. Elizabeth Lucretia's life was seriously threatened on several occasions: for example, in 1642, when she had to find refuge inJablunkov and in 1645, when she escaped toKęty, after the Swedish forces took the capital (which capitulated only in 1646). Only thePeace of Westphalia on 24 October 1648 finally established the peace in her domains.
The marriage of the Duchess withGundakar of Liechtenstein proved to be unsuccessful, despite the fact that they had three children together. In 1626 they were formally separated, and remained in this way until her death.
Elizabeth Lucretia died on 19 May 1653, and was buried in the Ducal crypt in theDominican church inCieszyn.
Elizabeth andGundakar had three children:[4][5][6][7]
Elizabeth Lucretia, Duchess of Cieszyn Born: 1 June 1559 Died: 19 May 1653 | ||
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| Preceded by | Duchess of Cieszyn 1625–1653 | Reversion to the Crown of Bohemia |
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