ABSTRACT

The consortship to be discussed here began on June 7, 1665, when Aemilia Juliana, Countess of Barby and Mühlingen, married Albert Anton, Count of SchwarzburgRudolstadt. The wedding celebration was a grand affair. The hundreds of invited guests, including representatives from most of the ruling families of central and northern Germany, were housed, fed, and entertained in the Heidecksburg palace in Rudolstadt. Various documents regarding the marriage settlements and wedding plans, along with the history of Aemilia Juliana’s dowry, survive in archives in Rudolstadt, Wolfenbüttel, and Wernigerode, and they provide insights into the financial and legal background of the union. The factual information they contain can be supplemented by perusal of the many celebratory texts printed in commemoration of the occasion, including the scripts of two full-length plays that were performed for the newly wedded couple and their guests. These literary offerings provide, through metaphor and analogy, a more nuanced perspective on issues surrounding the marriage. Some sketch the historical and dynastic background of the match, while others offer instruction to the bride on her new position. They variously emphasize the dynastic role the new consort is to play as future mother of an heir, the representational responsibilities she will have at court, or the leadership she will be able to exert as Mother of the Country. The plays, in particular, problematize the involvement of prospective brides in decisions resulting in state marriages and explore the legal limitations these women faced. An examination of these polemical texts designed to entertain and impress the wedding guests or to honor the bride, in juxtaposition with an exploration of the archived documents, will serve in this study to identify the criteria for selection of a marriage partner in a state marriage and to provide an initial definition of the consort’s role at court and in the principality.