Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria

Maria Anna Josepha of Austria (20 December 1654 – 4 April 1689)^[1] was an Austrian archduchess who became Electoral Princess of the Palatinate as the wife of Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine.

Maria Anna Josepha
Electoral Princess of the Palatinate
Portrait, c. 1678
Born	20 December 1654 Free Imperial City of Regensburg, Holy Roman Empire
Died	4 April 1689(1689-04-04) (aged 34) Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire
Burial	Imperial Crypt
Spouse	Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine ​ ​ (m. 1678)​
House	Habsburg
Father	Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Mother	Eleonora Gonzaga

Life

Early life

Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha was born on 30 December 1654 as the third child and daughter of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608–1657) and his third wife, Eleonora Gonzaga (1630–1686). She also had had seven half-siblings from the previous two marriages of her father, only four of whom were still alive at the time of her birth. Her eldest full sibling, Archduchess Theresa Maria Josepha (1652–1653) died at the age of one and a half years, and her only younger sibling, Archduke Ferdinand Joseph Alois (1657–1658) also died in infancy.

Electoral Princess of the Palatinate

On 25 October 1678, twenty-four-years-old Maria Anna married twenty-years-old Electoral Prince Johann Wilhelm (John William) (1658–1716) from the House of Wittelsbach in Wiener Neustadt. He was the eldest son and heir of Philip William, Elector Palatine (1615–1690), and the brother-in-law of Maria Anna's eldest brother, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1640–1705). The wedding ceremony was performed by Archbishop Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch.^[2] The couple settled in Düsseldorf and led an elaborate household there.^[3] In 1679, her father-in-law gifted them the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.^[4] Upon Philip William's death, Johann Wilhelm became Elector Palatine and Duke of Neuburg.

Issue

During her marriage, Maria Anna gave birth to two children, but neither survived infancy:^[5][6]

• Son (born and died 6 February 1683).
• Son (born and died 5 February 1686).

Death

Maria Anna died of tuberculosis during a visit to Vienna. She was buried there in the Imperial Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church, the principal place of burial for members of the House of Habsburg.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria

16. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor[7] 8. Charles II of Austria[8] 17. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary[7] 4. Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor[9] 18. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria[10] (= 20) 9. Maria Anna of Bavaria[8] (≠ 5) 19. Anna of Austria[10] (= 21) 2. Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor 20. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria[11] (= 18) 10. William V, Duke of Bavaria[12] 21. Anna of Austria[11] (= 19) 5. Maria Anna of Bavaria[9] (≠ 9) 22. Francis I, Duke of Lorraine[13] 11. Renata of Lorraine[12] 23. Christina of Denmark[13] 1. Maria Anna Josepha of Austria 24. Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers[14] 12. Charles I, Duke of Mantua[14] 25. Henriette of Cleves[14] 6. Charles II Gonzaga[15] 26. Charles, Duke of Mayenne[14] 13. Catherine of Mayenne[14] 27. Henriette of Savoy, Marquise de Villars[14] 3. Eleanor Gonzaga 28. Vincenzo I Gonzaga[14] 14. Francesco IV Gonzaga[16] 29. Eleonora de' Medici[14] 7. Maria Gonzaga[15] 30. Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy[14] 15. Margaret of Savoy[16] 31. Catherine Michaela of Spain[14]