Augusta Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Quick Facts
Biography
Augusta Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (16 December 1666 in Wolfenbüttel – 11 July 1751 at Augustenburg Castle in Arnstadt) was a daughter of the Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and his wife Juliane of Holstein-Norburg.
Life
Auguste Dorothea married on 7 August 1684 in Wolfenbüttel to Count Anton Günther II of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. He was elevated to Imperial Prince in 1697. The couple resided in Arnstadt; the marriage remained childless.
Auguste Dorothea survived her husband by 35 years. She spent her long widowhood at Augustenburg Castle in Arnstadt, building her famous dolls collection Mon Plaisir. These dolls were never intended as toys; they represent society in the style of a baroque Cabinet of curiosities. Augustenburg castle no longer exists; her doll collection has been moved to the New Palace in Arnstadt.