Karolina of Legnica-Brieg

Karolina of Legnica-Brieg-Wohlau (, ; 2 December 1652 in Brzeg – 24 December 1707 in Wrocław), was a Silesian noble, duchess of Legnica, Brzeg and Wołów and the last member of the Silesian Piasts dynasty. She was the eldest daughter of Christian, Duke of Brieg and Louise of Anhalt-Dessau (daughter of John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau). After the death of her father, she married secretly without the knowledge of her mother on 14 July 1672 to Duke Frederick von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg (b. 1651 – d. 1724) and also became the duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg. Life Youth Karolina was born in Brzeg as the first child of her parents. They gave her an unusual first name, which had never been given to another member of the Piast dynasty (and never was after her death). She was baptized on 1 January 1653. Her godfather was a senior member of the family, Duke George Rudolf of Liegnitz, but he was seriously ill at the time of her birth. He died thirteen days later on 14 January, so he was replaced during the ceremony by her paternal uncle, Louis IV of Legnica. During her early years, Karolina, as an only child, witnessed the rule of her father. In 1653 after the death of Duke George Rudolf, her uncles George III and Louis IV, and her father Christian, together inherited Legnica and Brzeg, for one year as co-rulers, until they decided to divide their domains in 1654. In the division, Christian received the poorest parts of the Duchy, Wołów and Oława. However, in 1664, after the death of his only surviving brother, George III, Karolina's father united the whole Duchy of Legnica-Brzeg under his rule.