Overview
Marie Hedwig Auguste of Sulzbach (; born: 15 April 1650 in Sulzbach; died: 23 November 1681 in Hamburg) was a Countess Palatine of Sulzbach by birth and by marriage, Archduchess of Austria and by her second marriage, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg.
Early life
Hedwig was a daughter of the Duke and Count Palatine Christian August of Sulzbach (1622–1708) from his marriage to Countess Amalie of Nassau-Siegen (1613–1669), daughter of Count John VII of Nassau-Siegen.
First marriage
She was married on 3 June 1665 per cura in the court chapel of Sulzbach to Archduke Sigismund Francis of Austria-Tyrol (1630–1665), who after his brother's unexpected death had resigned from his ecclesiastical positions in order to marry. The marriage was never consummated: while travelling to meet his bride, the Archduke fell seriously ill and died in Innsbruck twelve days after the marriage.
Second marriage
Hedwig's second marriage, in Sulzbach on 9 April 1668, was with Duke Julius Francis of Saxe-Lauenburg (1641–1689). Her father had a memorial stone erected in the Sulzbach parish church to commemorate the event. Hedwig had been assured an annual income of at her first marriage; Julius Francis made a deal with the imperial court, in which Hedwig would receive a lump sum instead.
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