Herzogin Anna Amalia
Anna Amalia, Herzogin (Wolfenbüttel, 1739-1807, Weimar), a Brunswick princess, was married to Duke Ernst August Konstantin of Saxe-Weimar in 1756. On his death in 1758, she was left with two infant sons and acted as regent for the elder, Karl August, until 1775. A woman with lively intellectual interests, she ruled responsibly and humanely and sought to educate her elder son in the principles of good government. To this end she appointed C. M. Wieland, whose political novel Der goldene Spiegel had impressed her, as tutor to Karl August in 1772. After her withdrawal from affairs in 1775 she maintained her literary and musical interests. A well-known water-colour by G. M. Kraus depicts her evening circle c.1795, including Goethe, Herder, and H. Meyer. (See also Weimar.)
