Elisabeth of the Palatinate

• Name — Princess Elisabeth • Title — Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey • Succession — Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey • Reign — 29 March 1667 – 11 February 1680 • Predecessor — Elisabeth Louise Juliane of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken • Successor — Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau • House — Palatinate-Simmern • Father — Frederick V, Elector Palatine • Mother — Elizabeth Stuart • Occupation — Philosopher • Born — 26 December 1618 • Birthplace — Heidelberg, Electorate of the Palatinate, Holy Roman Empire • Died — 11 February 1680 • Place of death — Imperial Abbey of Herford, Holy Roman Empire • Burial Place — Herford Abbey • Religion — Calvinist

• Illustration — Elisabeth at age 12. Elisabeth Simmern van Pallandt was born on December 26, 1618, in Heidelberg. She was the third of thirteen children and eldest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, and Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James VI of Scotland and I of England and sister of Charles I. Much of Elisabeth's early life outside of her familial relations is unknown. After a short, unsuccessful reign in Bohemia, Elisabeth's parents were forced into exile in the Netherlands in 1620. Elisabeth stayed with her grandmother Louise Juliana of Nassau in Heidelberg before moving to the Netherlands at the age of nine. Elisabeth had a wide ranging education, studying philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, jurisprudence, history, modern and classical languages. Her siblings nicknamed her "La Grecque" ("The Greek") based on her skill with the ancient language. Elisabeth also studied the fine arts including painting, music and dancing. She may have been tutored by Constantijn Huygens. In 1633, Elisabeth received a proposal of marriage from Władysław IV Vasa, King of Poland. The marriage would have been beneficial to the Palatine fortunes, but the king was a Catholic, and Elisabeth refused to convert from her Protestant faith in order to facilitate the marriage. In her later years, she would boast she had refused a crown because of her devotion to her religion. Edward Reynolds dedicated his Treatise on the passions and the faculties of the soule of man (1640) to Elisabeth. Although the exact context of the dedication is unknown, the dedication suggests that Elisabeth had seen a draft of the work. In 1642, Elisabeth read Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy. In 1646, Elisabeth's brother Philip killed a man in a duel. Elisabeth was sent to stay with family in Germany where she tried to interest professors in Descartes' work. In 1660, Elisabeth entered the Lutheran convent at Herford, and in 1667 she became abbess of the convent. While the convent was Lutheran, Elisabeth was a Calvinist. Although the previous abbess (Elisabeth's cousin) had also been a Calvinist, this difference in faith created some initial distrust. As abbess, she presided over the convent and also governed the surrounding community of 7,000 people. While Elisabeth was abbess, the convent became a refuge from religious persecution for people and she welcomed more marginal religious sects, including the Labadists. When Robert Barclay's father David was imprisoned, Elisabeth intervened and helped to get him released. Elisabeth died on February 12, 1680. She was buried in the Abbey Church of Herford.

• Illustration — Elisabeth the hunter. Throughout her adult years, Elisabeth corresponded with many renowned intellectuals of her time. By 1639, Elisabeth was corresponding with Anna Maria van Schurman, a learned woman, called the Dutch Minerva. In an early letter van Schurman offered Elisabeth guidance on what subjects to study, arguing for the usefulness of history. Elisabeth's correspondence with Descartes began in 1643 and continued until his death in early 1650. At her request, Descartes became her teacher in philosophy and morals, and in 1644 he dedicated to her his Principia. Descartes greatly respected Elisabeth's intellect and valued his correspondence with her. Many of Descartes's letters to Elisabeth were published in the volumes of his correspondence edited by Claude Clerselier, but Elisabeth refused the request to publish her side of the exchange. Elisabeth's side of the correspondence was first published in 1879 by Louis-Alexandre Foucher de Careil, after he was alerted to its existence by an antiquarian bookseller, Frederick Müller, who had found a packet of letters in Rosendael. Elisabeth also corresponded with a number of prominent Quakers, including Robert Barclay and William Penn. There are letters written both by and to her concerning political and financial matters in the English Calendar of State Papers.

Siblings • Henry Frederick, Hereditary Prince of the Palatinate (1614–1629); drowned • Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine (1617–1680); married Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel, had issue including Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, Duchess of Orleans; Marie Luise von Degenfeld, had issue; Elisabeth Hollander von Bernau, had issue • Elisabeth of the Palatinate (1618–1680), the subject of this article, was the third child. • Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine (1619–1682); had two illegitimate children • Maurice of the Palatinate (1620–1652) • Louise Hollandine of the Palatinate (18 April 1622 – 11 February 1709) • Louis (21 August 1624 – 24 December 1624) • Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern (1625–1663); married Anna Gonzaga, had issue • Henriette Marie of the Palatinate (7 July 1626 – 18 September 1651); married Sigismund Rákóczi, brother of the Prince of Transylvania, on 16 June 1651 • John Philip Frederick of the Palatinate Frederick (26 September 1627 – 16 February 1650); also reported to have been born on 15 September 1629 • Charlotte of the Palatinate (19 December 1628 – 14 January 1631) • Sophia, Electress of Hanover (14 October 1630 – 8 June 1714); married Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover, had issue, including King George I of Great Britain. Many other royal families are Sophia's descendants. Sophia came close to ascending to the British throne, but died two months before Queen Anne. • Gustavus Adolphus of the Palatinate (14 January 1632 – 1641)

Elisabeth of Bohemia has been a key subject in the feminist history of philosophy. She has garnered attention as a prominent female thinker and for her practical role in the development of 17th century female scholars. Feminist scholars study her correspondences and life to understand the limitations placed on 17th century female thinkers. Some scholars cite Elisabeth as an example of how philosophical conceptions of women as philosophers excluded them from the philosophical canon. For feminist scholars, her correspondence with Descartes presents an example of the value of including women in the canon. Some argue that Elisabeth's correspondence with Descartes helps feminist scholars re-conceptualize how women are to be included in the philosophical canon. Feminist scholars are concerned with how Elisabeth's gender informed her philosophy. Many believe that Elisabeth was keenly aware of the limitations of her sex. One scholar states that Elisabeth's health and femininity informed her interest about the immaterial soul's influence on the material body. Elisabeth's influence also extends to the development of other 17th century female thinkers. She utilized her exile court in The Hague to create a network of female scholars. Her network was a space where women could engage in philosophical inquiry through correspondence. Including Elisabeth, the network consisted of Anna Maria van Schurman, Marie de Gournay, and Lady Ranelagh.

The authorities additionally record the heading Elisabeth von der Pfalz. Her recorded language was German. Her recorded confession was Reformed Christianity. She was the child of Frederick V of the Palatinate and Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia.