Anna Louise Föhse

Anna Louise Föhse (22 March 1677 in Dessau – 5 February 1745) was the daughter of Rudolf Föhse (1646–1693), the court pharmacist in Dessau, and his wife, Agnes Ohme (died 1707)

Anna Louise Föhse was the childhood sweetheart and later morganatic wife of Prince Leopold I of Anhalt-Dessau. Despite great resistance on the part of her own father and of her mother-in-law Henriette Catherine, the daughter of Frederick Henry of Orange-Nassau, she married him in 1698 at age 22. After paying 92000Taler to the imperial treasury, she was raised to Imperial Princess by Emperor Leopold I three years later, giving her a higher rank than him.

In the same year 1698, he took up government. Anna Louise and Leopold had ten children together; Leopold also fathered two illegitimate children in 1733 and 1735.

Relations between Anna Louise and her mother-in-law later improved. She also had a good relationship with the Prussian royal family. Her career was the subject of the tabloid press of the day, and of several plays.

1. William Gustav (1699-1737)
2. Leopold II Maximilian (1700-1751), Leopold's successor and a Prussian Field Marshal
3. Dietrich (1702-1769), also a Prussian field marshal
4. Frederick Henry (1705-1781)
5. Henriette Marie Louise (1707-1707)
6. Louise (1709-1732), married Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
7. Maurice (1712-1760), also a Prussian field marshal
8. Anna Wilhelmine (1715-1780)
9. Leopoldine Marie (1716-1782) - married to Frederick Henry of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1709-1788)
10. Henriette Amalie (1720-1793)