View source for Clara of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

{{Infobox royalty
| name = Clara of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
| image = 
| caption = 
| house = [[House of Guelph]]
| father = [[Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]
| mother = Maria of Württemberg
| spouse = [[Philip II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen]]
| birth_date = {{birth_date|1532|11|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Wolfenbüttel]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1595|11|23|1532|11|16|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Herzberg Castle]]
| burial_place = Aegidius Church in [[Osterode am Harz|Osterode]]
}}
'''Clara of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel''' (16 November 1532 in [[Wolfenbüttel]] &ndash; 23 November 1595 at [[Herzberg Castle]]), was a princess of [[Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] by birth.  She was [[abbess]] of the secular [[Gandersheim Abbey]] and later Duchess of [[Brunswick-Grubenhagen]] by marriage.

== Life ==
Clara was the youngest daughter of the Duke [[Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Henry II of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (1489–1568) from his first marriage with Maria (1496–1541), daughter of the Earl [[Henry, Count of Württemberg|Henry of Württemberg]].

=== Abbess of Gandersheim ===
At the urging of her father, Clara was elected [[abbess]] of [[Gandersheim Abbey]] after the death of her sister [[Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1521-1539)|Maria]].  Since Clara was only 6 years old at the time, officials acting for her father administered the abbey in her name.  It is unknown if the Pope ever confirmed Clara as abbess.  In any case, she never took up the position.

In 1542, troops of the [[Schmalkaldic League]] occupied Gandersheim and forced the Abbey to convert to [[Lutheranism]].  The Chapter, however, practiced passive resistance and remained [[Catholic]].  In 1543, the abbey suffered from [[iconoclasm]].  In 1547, Clara's father declared her resignation from the office of abbess, returning to the lay state.

=== Duchess of Brunswick-Grubenhagen ===
Clara married on 1 July 1560 in [[Wolfenbüttel]] with her cousin Duke [[Philip II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen|Philip II of Brunswick-Grubenhagen]] (1533–1596).<ref>Pierre Hélyot: ''P. Hippolyt Helyots ausführliche Geschichte aller geistlichen und weltlichen Kloster-und Ritterorden führ beyderley Geschlecht'', vol. 6, Arkstee and Merkus, 1755, p. 519</ref>  As dowry, her father gave her {{gaps|20|000|guilders}} and half the jurisdiction and castle of Westerhof.<ref>Wilhelm Havemann: ''Geschichte der Lande Braunschweig und Lüneburg'', vol. 2, Dieterich, 1855, p. 377</ref>  The marriage remained childless.  After their marriage, the couple moved to [[Katlenburg Castle]] and converted it to a [[Renaissance]] château. Clara was responsible for the installation of numerous pharmacies and distilleries.  She also designed the interior of the newly built church in Rotenkirchen.

When Clara's brother [[Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Julius]] inherited Wolfenbüttel in 1568, he also took possession of Westerhof.  Clara sued him before the [[Aulic Council]], but in 1580, Philip confirmed Juilius's ownership.  Clara then sued Julius over the inheritance of her sister Margaret.  The Aulic Council created an imperial commission to look into the matter.  Julius, however, rejected the commission and filed a complaint at the [[Diet of Augsburg]] of 1582 about the illegal practices of his sister.

Clara and her court moved from Katlenburg Castle to [[Herzberg Castle]].  She died in 1595, after a long illness.  The court preacher and superintendent Andreas Georg Leopold delivered her [[funeral sermon]], which was also published in printed form.<ref>Georg Max: ''Geschichte des Fürstenthums Grubenhagen'',Schmorl & Seefeld, 1863 S. 269</ref>  Clara was buried in the Aegidius Church in [[Osterode am Harz]].

== References ==
* Hans Goetting: ''Das Bistum Hildesheim'', Walter de Gruyter, 1973, p.&nbsp;121 ff
* Johann Samuel Ersch: ''Allgemeine encyclopädie der wissenschaften und künste'', J. f. Gleditsch, 1847, part 3, vol. 23, p.&nbsp;43 ff

== External links ==
* https://archive.today/20130102054202/http://www.calsky.com/lexikon/de/txt/s/st/stift_gandersheim.php
* http://thepeerage.com/p766.htm#i7658

== Footnotes ==
<references/>

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, Clara of}}
[[Category:Secular abbesses]]
[[Category:German abbesses]]
[[Category:Middle House of Brunswick|Clara]]
[[Category:1532 births]]
[[Category:1595 deaths]]
[[Category:Duchesses of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]
[[Category:Abbesses of Gandersheim]]
[[Category:Daughters of dukes]]