#Maria Leopoldine von Österreich

[roehenstart]

The Family of Franz I of Austria. By Bernhard von Guérard.

The painting depicts Emperor Franz I. (1768-1835) with his third wife Maria Ludovica (1787-1816), who married in 1808 and their eight children: to the right, at the back seven-year-old Marie Luise (1791-1847), later Empress of the French, with her sister the seven-year-old Karolina Ferdinanda (1801-1832), later Queen of Saxony, and her brother the fifteen-year-old heir to the throne, Ferdinand (1793-1875), later Emperor Ferdinand I. To the left in the picture is seated the four-year-old Maria Anna (1804-1858), holding out her hand to her brother Franz Karl (1802-1878), who is two years older than her, and will be the father of Emperor Franz Joseph. At the back, the two girls embracing are Maria Klementina (1798-1881) at the age of ten and Leopoldine (1797-1826), later Empress of Brazil, who is a year older. On the lap of the Empress is the three-year-old Johann Nepomuk (1805-1809).

[josefavomjaaga]

Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este

 @microcosme11​ had asked me about this lady of the Bavarian court:

Her name is Maria Leopoldine von Österreich-Este, and she played a huge role in making sure that Max Joseph, Eugène‘s future father-in-law, inherited the title of Elector of Bavaria. As a matter of fact, it‘s a highly educating tale of how to become elector in Munich in the first place.

Unfortunately, it will need a lot of explanation, as this takes us deeply into the rivalries and century-old feuds between the different German principalities that Napoleon Bonaparte would soon know to exploit so well. Let‘s just say, Habsburg (Austria) and Wittelsbach (Bavaria) had not seen eye to eye for quite some time when the Bavarian branch of House Wittelsbach, the one holding the position of Bavarian elector, was about to go extinct.

Many branches of the family went extinct around that time, in fact, and not only of this family. Be it that centuries of inbreeding finally took their toll, be it a general unwillingness to do more than the bare minimum to ensure the family had an appropriate heir (»No, no, no. We‘ve done our duty, we‘ve had one son. It‘s not our fault he died. We‘re not doing that again!«) or even to marry an appropriate but not necessarily attractive partner with whom you could have children able to inherit – the number of males in those princely families got rather low during the 18th century.

In 1777 – twelve years before the French Revolution, just for context – Maximilian Joseph III, the last elector from the old Bavarian branch of the Wittelsbach family, died without a son. There were of course more branches of the family, most importantly the branch that held the electorate of the Palatinate, and then some less important, not ruling branches, like the Zweibrücken-Birkenfelds. Now, technically, if a German prince died without an heir, things would get all medieval: the liege – the Bavarian electorate, in this case - would fall back to the liege lord. The emperor.

The Habsburg emperor in Vienna! No f-ing way!

... said not only the Bavarians but also the kings of France and Prussia, who had no interest in Austria gaining that much territory. In order to prevent it from happening, the different Wittelsbach branches in a multitude of »house contracts« had declared several years before that the family branches would all inherit from each other if one went extinct. The Austrians might have protested against that arrangement but they had just done something quite similar in order to ensure that the last emperor‘s daughter Maria Theresia could inherit, so they were in a bad position to argue. Which doesn‘t mean they didn‘t. But after some more bad blood, even a »War of the Bavarian Succession« that is a funny story in itself, things settled down, and a guy named Karl Theodor (Charles Theodore) became elector of both Bavaria and the Palatinate.

There was a huge down-side to this advancement, from his perspective: he had to move to Bavaria. Uncivilised, almost medieval, hilly-billy Bavaria. He hated that place, and for good reasons. He was a very cultivated person, and this was a very uncultivated place (according to some, it still is *coughcough*). The Bavarians, as to them, liked this new guy in Munich about as much as he liked them. And another problem was already looming on the horizon: Karl Theodor had plenty of children – but only one son with his wife, and this son happened to die a day after he was born. Apparently this was one of those cases where the spouses thought once had been enough and refused to give it another try. And Karl Theodor could not even marry somebody else because – catholic. No divorce. And his unloved wife was in good health. To sum up: No immediate heir in this family either.

Which brings us to the Zweibrücken family branch. At the time when Karl Theodor moved to Munich, this branch of the Wittelsbach family consisted of two brothers: Karl August and Maximilian Joseph (yes, that‘s our Max, future king of Bavaria). Their father, Friedrich Michael, had died young as a military officer in French service, so they had grown up at the court of their uncle, Friedrich Michael‘s older brother Christian. Christian – just saying – had simply refused to marry a partner of equal birth and instead conducted a morganatic marriage with a French actress. A very happy one, by the way. The burden to ensure the family would continue thus had fallen to Friedrich Michael, who had married a sister of Karl Theodor‘s wife, had made her four kids (two sons, two daughters) and bedded pretty much every willing lady of the French court before accusing his wife of adultery, locking her up in some monastery (Max Joseph probably saw his mother last when he was three years old), and then getting himself killed in some war or other.

By 1778, both Friedrich Michael and Christian were dead, and as Christian‘s many children could not inherit his titles, Karl August had become Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (Deux-Ponts in French). Due to his »uncle« Karl Theodor‘s lack of a legitimate son, he and his younger brother Max Joseph also were the next heirs to the combined Bavarian and Palatine electorate.

(Karl August, older brother to future king Max Joseph)

Meanwhile in Munich, Karl Theodor really got annoyed with this gruesome country he had been forced to move into. However, for the first time in a long while this was a Bavarian elector who had good relations with the Habsburgs. After some negotiations between Munich and Vienna Karl Theodor and emperor Joseph II came up with a plan that would make everybody happy: Karl Theodor would exchange the Bavarian territory (or some portion of it) for the Austrian Netherlands. Austria would finally add Bavaria to its territory, and Karl Theodor could move to a nicer place.

This caused an uproar among the Bavarian population. Becoming Austrians? Never! - The Bavarian estates sent delegation after delegation to the Zweibrücken nephews with desperate pleas for help (they also paid these nephews‘ debts). Karl August and Max Joseph immediately protested against the plan, and it turned out that according to the fineprint in those house contracts mentioned above Karl Theodor could not make the deal with Vienna without his nephews‘ consent. Bummer.

France and Prussia also put a word in, and France did even more: When Karl August‘s only son (yet another only child) died in 1784, with little chance for a legitimate replacement, the French king personally made sure that Max Joseph, the younger brother, a great womanizer and obstinate bachelor, would get married to an appropriate lady who could give birth to many legitimate heirs of the Bavarian electorate (oh, and Louis also paid Max Joseph‘s debts. That‘s a recurring theme in the story). Max Joseph, after lots of wailing and resisting, was finally dragged in front of the altar in 1785 and, to his great surprise, found that he loved marriage life, family and children. Not necessarily enough to give up on his womanizing ways. But this whole family thing, having kids and stuff? That was also kinda fun.

(Max Joseph’s first wife Auguste Wilhelmine and their two oldest children, crown prince Ludwig and - yes, that’s little Auguste)

Let‘s fast forward a little: The French Revolution breaks out. Max Joseph, so far one of the many foreign princes in French service, looses everything and, with a wife and five children, becomes a refugee. For some time, so does his brother. Then over the next years, many people die: Max‘s first wife (he will quickly remarry), one of his daughters - and his brother Karl August. Making Max Joseph the heir apparent to the electorate of the Palatinate and of Bavaria.

Except that, in 1794, one more person died: Elector Karl Theodor‘s wife. The Austrians acted quickly and offered the mourning widower (who had 70 years of age) an archduchess as new bride in order to produce an heir with, just so Bavaria would not fall into the clutches of this former French colonel Max Joseph von Zweibrücken who was very unlikely to make any similar deals with the Habsburgs.

And now we finally can introduce the lady this is all about:

Maria Leopoldine was the daughter of Ferdinand Karl von Österreich-Este, who in turn was one of the many children of Maria Theresia (i.e. a brother to the emperors Joseph and Leopold and queens Marie Antoinette and Maria Carolina of Naples) and ruled in Milan. (A year after Maria Leopoldine had married, her family would be kicked out of their home by one Napoleon Bonaparte and his army of Italy). She was 19 years old when she was ordered to marry 70-year-old elector Karl Theodor, and a young lady with lots of self-esteem. Allegedly, when she first saw the bridegroom‘s portrait, she exclaimed: »Thank god he‘s already that old!« - Obviously, it was love on first sight.

The marriage life of the happy newly-weds turned out to be just as full of harmony and roses as could be expected: Maria Leopoldine locked her bedroom door. Well, at least for her husband. Not so much for anybody else. And to make matters worse, her new »nephew« Max Joseph showed up in Munich, as he did from time to time. Just to remind Karl Theodor who was his heir probably, but this time ostensibly to pay his homage to the new aunt Maria Leopoldine. According to a story crown prince Ludwig was told much later, Max Joseph was quite thorough about this task and, unlike his uncle, did make it into Maria Leopoldine‘s bedroom. Did I mention Max never quite gave up on his womanizing ways?

In any case, Maria Lepoldine had made up her mind: She very much preferred the nephew over her husband, thank you for asking. If there was anything she could do to ensure the Austrians (that is, her own Habsburg family!) would not receive Bavaria, she would do it.

Turns out, she could do a lot.

Fast forward to 1799. Karl Theodor suffers from a stroke while playing cards. It‘s not his first, but this one is serious. The old elector still breathes, but the doctors are agreed there‘s nothing they can do. It‘s just a matter of time now.

Time that the Austrian ambassadors in Munich want to use. Contracts for an exchange or sale of Bavarian territory to Austria have long been drawn up, all they need is the elector‘s signature! Surely now, in his last hours, Karl Theodor will not hesitate any longer? They enter the Munich Residence, talk or bribe their way into the private rooms of the elector’s family, into the elector‘s rooms, to his bedroom - and then there‘s somebody on the doorstep. Maria Leopoldine.

And. She. Will. Not. Move. - Forget Gandalf against the Balrog of Moria. Maria Leopoldine against the Habsburg ambassador was the real thing. In the end, the Austrians, most likely after lots of cursing and footstomping, had to leave. In case they hoped they would be luckier at another occasion, they were disappointed: For the first time during their marriage, Maria Leopoldine focused solely on her husband and gave him all her attention, until he breathed his last.

At which point she had all gates of Munich locked. All Austrian couriers on their way to inform Vienna were turned back. The only dispatch that did go out was one to Max Joseph, in which Maria Leopoldine declared herself Max‘s devoted subject and invited him to come to Munich and take over power as soon as possible.

Which Max did. Not necessarily as quickly and forcefully as Maria Leopoldine had acted. But it sufficed.

There was one more point in which Maria Leopoldine helped Max a lot. After her husband‘s death, state officials in the presence of the Austrian ambassador had an interview with her, inquiring if Maria Leopoldine happened to be pregnant. Because a son by Karl Theodor, even posthumously born, would have inherited before Max Joseph. She answered »No«.

Now, as chance would have it, some months later, she went on a lengthy journey that we are very badly informed about, and only returned a year later, after most likely having given birth to a child somewhere on the way. A child whose father surely had not been Karl Theodor. But the Austrians probably would not have cared.

Maria Leopoldine stayed in Munich, much beloved by Max Joseph, and became the enfant terrible of his court, had lovers in abundance, excelled at investing her money, at some point bought a farm where she, if need be, personally helped with the hay-making, and even married morganatically (possibly so she had an official father for her children). She was a close friend of Eugène but not so much of his wife. Maybe she never quite forgave Auguste that her arranged marriage had turned out so well when her own had been such a disaster.

(Maria Leopoldine in later years, with her two sons)

[princessvictoriamelita]

Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria (1831-1903). 1890s.

She was born in Ofen (Buda), Hungary, the daughter of Palatine Joseph of Hungary (1776–1847) and his third wife Princess Maria Dorothea of Württemberg.

In 1847 she married Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria-Este, Prince of Modena (1821-1849), who died shortly after the birth of their daughter Maria Theresia, who later became the last Bavarian queen. Her husband also came from the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was a great-grandson of Empress Maria Theresa via Ferdinand Karl von Österreich-Este (1754-1806).

In 1854 Elisabeth entered into a second marriage with her first cousin Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria (1818–1874). The marriage arose under pressure from Archduchess Sophie. The latter noticed that the young emperor Franz Joseph had an eye on Elisabeth. Due to the attempted assassination attempt on her son, the archduchess did not want the Hungarian daughter-in-law and the constant unrest in parts of Hungary. Elisabeth and Karl Ferdinand's marriage was a happy one. Six children emerged from it, four of which survived infancy.

Widowed again in 1874 at the age of 43, Elisabeth received zealous support from her brother-in-law Albrecht when raising her children. This appointed her son Friedrich as the main heir. Elisabeth was the patron of several social institutions. She was very fond of music. Johannes Brahms was invited around 1882 to play rehearsals of his piano quintet in their palace.

She was a maternal grandmother of King Alfonso XIII of Spain.

Through her mother, she was a first cousin of Marie, Queen of Hanover, King William II of Württemberg, Princess Leopoldine of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia.

Elisabeth's youngest sister was Marie Henriette, Queen consort of the Belgians.

"Do you like her? Me neither". In this unpromising way, King Alfonso XII addressed his trusted man Pepe Osorio after meeting his future wife Archduchess Maria Christina for the first time. And then he blurted out, "You must have noticed that the one who's the bomb is my mother-in-law." They had come to the French town of Arcachon on August 22, 1879 to see in person if his fiancée repelled him or could bear the marriage. Judging by his words, Archduchess Maria Christina did not arouse much enthusiasm in him - she was not his type; Alfonso liked brunettes, round-faced and voluptuos, and Maria Christina was blond and slender - but the young woman seemed pleasant enough to continue with the state wedding project".

Photograph by F. Schiller.

[immanuelfruhmann]

The Confeitaria Colombo is a great place with long tradition. Established in 1894 this elegant Grand Café in the heart of Rio, in Rio’s city center and old town, has splendid decor on the ceiling and on the wall, combined with art from the old days and lots of antiquities referring to the widely beloved Leopoldina, the Habsburg princess and later Empress of Brazil (also known as Maria Leopoldine of Austria born in 1797 in Vienna and died in 1826 in Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro).

This grandeur full of gold, silver and glamor, makes this place so special giving your stay in Rio very much of a grandezza note of elegance and style. The desserts are marvelous for the looks and for the taste. By the way I had a brigadeiro, this very special Brazilian dessert full of chocolate and covered in chocolate, but there are so many fancy pastries here at the Confeitaria Colombo to choose from.

But see for yourself:

The silver in the showcase

The bar

Tha salon has two floors

The goodies in the showcase

The goodies in the showcase

The salon

The symbol of the Confeitaria Colombo

Historical pictures

The facade of this Grand Café in the pedestrian street

Empress Leopoldina from the Austrian-Hungarian line

Empress Leopoldina

The line of the wall reminds of the old days

This famous Brigadeiro full of chocolate

Another Brazilian cutie

The logo

The salon

Plenty of tarts and puddings in the showcase

The famous Brigadeiros

And here is the famous slideshow:

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The Bottom Line: The Confeitaria Colombo, located in the Rua Gonçalves Dias, 32 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20050-030, is a Grand Café with long tradition and such an elegant place in the center of old town of Rio with delicious pastries and tarts.  

From Rio with Love! Dr. Dr. Immanuel Fruhmann

Confeitaria Colombo – An Elegant Grand Café in the Old Town of Rio The Confeitaria Colombo is a great place with long tradition. Established in 1894 this elegant Grand Café in the heart of Rio, in Rio's city center and old town, has splendid decor on the ceiling and on the wall, combined with art from the old days and lots of antiquities referring to the widely beloved Leopoldina, the Habsburg princess and later Empress of Brazil (also known as Maria Leopoldine of Austria born in 1797 in Vienna and died in 1826 in Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro).