Hildegard Luise von Bayern

Hildegard Luise Charlotte Therese Friederike of Bavaria was born on June 10, 1825, in Würzburg. A member of the House of Wittelsbach, she was the seventh of nine children of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and his wife, Therese Charlotte Luise, a princess of Saxe-Hildburghausen who later became Queen of Bavaria. Her siblings included the future King Maximilian II of Bavaria, the future King Otto I of Greece, the future Bavarian regent Luitpold, and several other princes and princesses. Her first name was originally written “Hildegarde,” but after her marriage the form “Hildegard” became customary and was also used in official documents. On May 1, 1844, the nineteen-year-old princess married Archduke Albrecht Friedrich of Austria-Teschen in Munich. He was the son of Archduke Karl, the first Duke of Teschen and a successful military commander in the 1809 Battle of Aspern. Shortly after the wedding, the future Emperor Franz Joseph described Hildegard as attractive, kind, and graceful, while also noting her resemblance to his mother, Archduchess Sophie. Through her marriage, Hildegard became an Austrian archduchess and Duchess of Teschen. The couple had three children. Their eldest daughter, Archduchess Maria Theresa Anna, was born in 1845 and later married Philipp of Württemberg. Their only son, Archduke Karl Albrecht Ludwig, was born in 1847 but died before reaching his first birthday. Their second daughter, Archduchess Mathilde Maria Adelgunde Alexandra, was born in 1849. Complications following her birth meant that Hildegard could have no more children despite prolonged medical treatment and stays at health resorts. Mathilde died in 1867 at the age of eighteen from severe burns. During a celebration at Hetzendorf Palace, her clothing caught fire while she was trying to hide a burning cigarette from her father. After the death of his father in 1847, Hildegard’s husband inherited the title of Duke of Teschen and extensive estates. This made him one of the wealthiest men in the empire. His inheritance included valuable properties in Pressburg and Vienna, among them the Viennese Archducal Palace and the family’s important art collection, later known as the Albertina. Hildegard and Albrecht moved into the palace. In 1845, Albrecht was appointed military commander-in-chief in Lower and Upper Austria and Salzburg. In 1851, he became governor of Hungary, and in 1863 he was promoted to field marshal. Hildegard took part in court and charitable life. She was a member of the Order of the Starry Cross and the Bavarian Order of Theresa, and served as patron of several charitable organizations. She was also a close confidante of her niece, Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Through her, Bavarian origins in the House of Wittelsbach were combined with a prominent position within the Austrian Habsburg monarchy. In 1864, Hildegard traveled to the funeral of her brother, King Maximilian II of Bavaria. During the journey she caught a cold and developed pleurisy. She died in Vienna on April 2, 1864. Her niece, Empress Elisabeth, was present at her deathbed. Hildegard was buried in the Imperial Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church in Vienna. After her death, her widower Albrecht was left without a male heir. In 1874, following the death of his brother, Archduke Karl Ferdinand, he adopted his brother’s sons. Albrecht died on February 18, 1895, at the age of seventy-eight, in Arco in South Tyrol. His eldest nephew, Archduke Friedrich, inherited the title of the third Duke of Teschen and the ducal estates.