Philippine Welser

Philippine Welser was born in Augsburg in 1527 into a wealthy bourgeois family. Her father, Franz, also known as Friedrich, belonged to the prominent Welser family of merchants and financiers, which was part of Augsburg’s patriciate. Her mother was Anna Adler. Philippine was also the niece of Bartholomeus V Welser. From her youth, she was known not only for her beauty but also for her interest in business and the natural sciences—interests that shaped her later life. Her life took an unusual turn when she met the Habsburg archduke Ferdinand II. Ferdinand was the younger son of Emperor Ferdinand I and Anna Jagiellon, princess of Bohemia and Hungary. As Archduke of Austria and, later, ruler of Tyrol, he belonged to a ruling family whose marriages generally served to secure political alliances. Philippine, by contrast, came from a bourgeois background. Her relationship with Ferdinand therefore posed a particular challenge to the dynastic expectations of the time. The exact date of their first meeting is not reliably documented. A romantic account popular in the nineteenth century placed it during the Imperial Diet of Augsburg in 1548, but there is no convincing evidence for this. It is certain that Ferdinand had contact with the Welser family by May 1556 at the latest. At that time, Catherine von Loxan, one of Philippine’s aunts, received permission to trade in livestock. She became friends with Ferdinand, who visited her at Breznice Castle. The castle was an important social center, and it was probably there that Ferdinand’s meeting with Philippine was arranged in the autumn of 1556. The archduke fell in love with the educated woman from Augsburg. In January 1557, Philippine and Ferdinand married in secret. Philippine initially lived for some time at Breznice, where she gave birth to her first son. Her aunt had a Renaissance library established for her, and its painted cabinets have survived to the present day. It is regarded as the oldest preserved palace library in the Bohemian lands. By 1559 at the latest, Emperor Ferdinand I had learned of his son’s marriage. The union was not dissolved, but it was legally restricted through a special agreement. The marriage was to remain secret, and the children were excluded from the Habsburg line of succession. They were nevertheless permitted to acquire noble titles later and to bear the Habsburg coat of arms. Philippine and her children were also to receive financial support. In this way, the emperor expressed his disapproval of the unequal marriage while at the same time granting the couple his forgiveness and protection. To comply with these conditions, the children were publicly treated as foundlings. They were placed at the entrance to the castle and then taken in by Philippine, even though they were in fact her own children. Only close friends knew their true parentage. The twins Philipp and Maria, born at Bürglitz in 1562, were also adopted. Both died in childhood. Their grandfather, who had never been able to see them, later had their bodies exhumed and reburied at night in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. The secrecy surrounding the marriage ended from 1576 onward. The eldest son, Andreas, was intended to become a cardinal, which required proof of legitimate birth. The pope released Ferdinand from his earlier oath, and the archduke then provided the necessary justification for his son’s origins. Philippine and Ferdinand’s marriage was considered happy. They had two surviving sons, Andreas and Karl, as well as the twins Philipp and Maria, who died young. Andreas later became bishop of Constance and Brixen, a cardinal, and governor of the Netherlands. Karl received the title of Margrave of Burgau and became an imperial general in Hungary. One of the couple’s important residences was Ambras Castle near Innsbruck. After Ferdinand became ruler of Tyrol in 1564, he had the medieval fortress transformed into a magnificent Renaissance palace for his wife. He also housed his extensive collections there, including weapons, armor, portraits, natural objects, precious items, and curiosities. Parts of the complex now form the Schloss Ambras Innsbruck museum. At Ambras, Philippine devoted herself particularly to healing. She gathered medicinal herbs and compiled a pharmaceutical book containing more than 200 recipes. Her manuscript is preserved in the Austrian National Library. The court physician Georg Handsch incorporated substantial portions of it into one of his medical works. Philippine is also credited with a cookbook containing dishes from her time. Although her authorship is not entirely certain, she likely made additions herself or had them made. A richly illustrated Book of Hours associated with her has also survived. Philippine was additionally committed to charitable work and to supporting the local population. Numerous written petitions addressed to her bear witness to this involvement. Ferdinand transferred several estates to her and gave her many gifts. She held the titles of Margravine of Burgau, Landgravine of Mellenburg, and Countess of Hohenberg. From 1570 onward, Philippine suffered from serious health problems. She died at Ambras Castle on 24 April 1580. Ferdinand had a white marble tomb built for her in the Hofkirche in Innsbruck. He also provided for her servants for the rest of their lives and continued to support people whom Philippine had previously helped. In 1582, he married again, this time Anna Katharina Gonzaga of Mantua, one of Philippine’s nieces. Philippine Welser nevertheless remained remembered as an extraordinary woman who, despite her bourgeois origins, entered the Habsburg world and established herself there as a patron of learning, medicine, charity, and courtly culture.