Anna Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode

{{Short description|German noblewoman}}

{{ infobox noble

| name = Anna Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode

| image = Arolsen Klebeband 01 303.jpg

| caption =

| title = Princess of Anhalt-Köthen

| noble family = Stolberg

| father = Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode

| mother = Anna Elisabeth of Stolberg

| spouse = Emmanuel, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen

| birth_date = {{birth date|1651|3|26|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ilsenburg

| death_date = {{death date and age|1690|1|27|1651|3|26|df=yes}}

| death_place = Köthen

| burial_place = St. Jacob church in Köthen

}}

Anna Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode (26 March 1651 - 27 January 1690), was a German regent; Princess of Anhalt-Köthen by marriage to Emmanuel, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, and regent of Anhalt-Köthen during the minority of her son from 1671 until 1690.

Life

Born in Ilsenburg, she was the second child of Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode and Anna Elisabeth of Stolberg.{{cite web |last=Marek |first=Miroslav |url=http://genealogy.euweb.cz/stolberg/stolberg2.html#HEW |title=Genealogy of the House of Stolberg |publisher=genealogy.euweb.cz |accessdate=19 March 2015}}{{Self-published source|date=November 2016}}{{Better source needed|date=November 2016}}

In Ilsenburg on 23 March 1670, Anna Eleonore married Emmanuel, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen. The marriage lasted only eight months, until Emmanuel's death on 8 November.

=Regency=

Three months pregnant at the time of her husband's death, Anna Eleonore was named regent of the Principality of Anhalt-Köthen until the birth of her child: if it was a boy, he immediately became the new Prince and she kept the regency, but if she gave birth to a girl, the other Anhalt principalities would divided Köthen between them.

On 20 May 1671, Anna Eleonore gave birth a son, Emmanuel Lebrecht who became in the new Prince. Anna Eleonore remained a regent until her death.

Anna Eleonore died in Köthen aged 38. She was buried next to her husband at St. Jakob, Köthen.{{CN|date=December 2024}} Because her son was still underage, John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau succeeded her in the regency until 1692, when Emmanuel Lebrecht finally attained his majority and began his independent government.

References