Maria Josepha of Habsburg (1696-1757)

Nobility, Archduchess of Austria, Electress of Saxony, Queen of Poland. She was born in Vienna as the first child of Emperor Joseph I and his wife Amalia Wilhelmina and was named Maria Josepha Benedikta Antonia Theresia Xaveria Philippine. She married Friedrich August of Saxony on August 20th, 1719 in Vienna. The mothers-in-law of the couple were against this marriage but were unable to prevent it. They had an very quiet and harmonic marriage, which was a great contrast to their parents marriages. She gave birth to 14 children, of which only three did not reach adulthood. Because her father-in-law didn't include her husband in the affairs of the state the couple was able to raise their children without influence from outside and formed a very loving family. They seldom separated from each other and she only traveled a few times without him, but always had at last one of her children with her. As she especially venerated Saint Francis Xavier, all her children got the middle name Xaver or Xaveria. The name became a traditional name in the family and six saxon kings had this middle name. Friedrich August succeeded his father in February 1733 in Saxony and she became the first catholic saxon electress since the reformation. When Prussia invaded Saxony in 1756, and started the Seven-Years-War, Friedrich had to flee from Dresden and they never saw each other again. He fled to the Fortress Königstein and later went from there to Cracow where he stayed until the end of the war. Maria Josepha remained in Dresden where she fought her own little war with the prussian command and opposed them wherever possible. Her conduct brought her the respect and love of her people.

Bio by: Lutetia