Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp

Early life[edit]

Joanna Elisabeth was born as the daughter of Christian August, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (1673–1726), Prince of Eutin and Prince-Bishop of Lübeck and his wife, Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach (1682–1755). She was a member of the influential House of (Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp), but only from a minor branch.^[1] Since her father was not rich, but had a total of eleven children, he sent Joanna to the court of her godmother, Elisabeth Sophie Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Norburg (1683–1767), who had no children of her own.^[1] Joanna was thus brought up in one of the most luxurious courts of Northern Germany,^[1] together with the three daughters of Elisabeth Sophie Marie's husband, Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1662–1731).


In 1727, the fifteen-year-old Joanna was married to the thirty-seven-year old Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst (1690–1747), who was an heir to the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst and a general in the Prussian Army under Frederick William I of Prussia. After the wedding, the couple lived in the small city of Stettin, Pomerania (later known as Szczecin, Poland), where the husband's regiment was stationed.