Königsmarck, Maria Aurora, Gräfin von (Stade nr. Hamburg, 1662-1728, Quedlinburg), a descendant of the Swedish line of an old noble family of the Old March (Altmark) of Brandenburg, was a woman of exceptional beauty and intelligence. She attracted the attention of August II, der Starke, who made her his mistress in 1694. Their illegitimate son, born in 1696, became the French commander, the Maréchal de Saxe (see Saxe, Maurice de). Aurora's liaison with August was of short duration, and in 1700 she became lady provost (Pröbstin) of the Protestant convent for noblewomen at Quedlinburg, where she is buried. She is the subject of several novels, including Frau Maria (1929-31) by Enrica von Handel-Mazetti.

The Oxford Companion to German Literature. Copyright © 1976, 1986, 1997, 2005 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.