John Christian of Brieg - Marriages and Issue

Marriages and Issue

In Berlin on 12 December 1610 John Christian married firstly with Dorothea Sybille (b. Berlin, 29 October 1590 - d. Brzeg, 19 March 1625), daughter of John George, Elector of Brandenburg by his third wife, Elisabeth of Anhalt, full-sister of John Christian's mother Anna Maria; in consequence, both spouses are first cousins. As a dowry, John Christian received 30,000 talers. On 30 December, the newlyweds came to Legnica, where they lived for a year. On 6 December 1611 the couple moved to Brzeg, where Dorothea Sybille remained until her death, thirteen years later. On 14 May 1625 her body was placed in the Church of St. Hedwig in Brzeg. They had thirteen children:

1. George III (b. Brzeg, 4 September 1611 - d. Brzeg, 4 July 1664).
2. Joachim (b. 20 December 1612 - d. 9 February 1613).
3. Henry (b. 3 February 1614 - d. 4 February 1614).
4. Ernest (b. 3 February 1614 - d. 4 February 1614), twin of Henry.
5. Anna Elisabeth (b. 23 March 1615 - d. 28 March 1616)
6. Louis IV (b. Brzeg, 19 April 1616 - d. Legnica, 24 November 1663).
7. Rudolf (b. 6 April 1617 - d. 8 February 1633).
8. Christian (b. Oława, 9 April 1618 - d. Oława, 28 February 1672).
9. August (b. 18 March 1619 - 12 March 1620).
10. Sibylle Margareta (b. Brzeg, 20 June 1620 - d. Gdańsk, 26 June 1657), married on 23 October 1637 to Count Gerhard VII of Dönhoff.
11. Dorothea (b. 16 August 1622 - d. 26 August 1622).
12. Agnes (b. 16 August 1622 - d. 3 September 1622), twin of Dorothea.
13. Sophia Magdalena (b. Brzeg, 14 June 1624 - d. Oława, 28 April 1660), married on 2 December 1642 to Charles Frederick I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels, Duke of Ziębice–Oleśnica.

In Brzeg on 13 September 1626 John Christian married secondly with Anna Hedwig (b. 13 January 1611 - d. Ostróda, 16 July 1639), daughter of the Marshal Frederick of Sitzsch. The young bride (she had fifteen years) was a relative of John VI of Sitzsch, who during 1600–1608 held the dignity of Bishop of Wrocław and Imperial Governor of Silesia. However, the union was morganatic under the standards of the House of Piast, and for this the marriage was temporary a secret. A successfully arrangement on 24 June 1626 secured financially the eventual offspring of the union, but they were excluded from the succession of the Duchy of Legnica-Brzeg. Eighteen months later, on 7 December 1627, Emperor Ferdinand II gave an Imperial Diploma raised Anna Hedwig to the rank of Baroness (German: Freiherrin), and two months later, on 18 February 1628, by a similar act in Regensburg the Emperor issued for the oldest son of John Christian and Anna Hedwig, August, the title of Baron of Legnica (German: Freiherr von Liegnitz), and the same title was secured for the future children of the couple. Anna Hedwig died in Ostróda six months before her husband, aged twenty-eight. She was buried there on 5 October. They had seven children:

1. Baron August of Legnica (b. Brzeg, 21 August 1627 - d. Siebenhufen, 14 May 1679), created Count in 1664.
2. Baroness Dorothea Sybille of Legnica (b. 17 July 1628 - d. 18 June 1629).
3. A son (b. and d. 30 June 1629).
4. Baron Ernest of Legnica (b. 27 November 1630 - d. 16 March 1631).
5. Baron Sigismund of Legnica (b. Brzeg, 31 January 1632 - d. 14 July 1664), married on 1 October 1659 to Baroness Eva Eleonore of Bibran-Modlau (b. December 1644 - d. 6 July 1671). The union was childless.
6. Baroness Johanna Elisabeth of Legnica (b. Toruń, 8 June 1634 - d. Swiatnik, 30 October 1673), married on 3 November 1651 to Baron Zdenko Howora Berka von Dub und Leipa.
7. Baroness Anna Christina of Legnica (b. Ostróda, 18 October 1636 - d. Brzeg, 5 September 1642).