Augusta Dorothea Of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Augusta Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was born on 2 October 1749 and died on 10 March 1810. She was a member of the House of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, a noble family originating from the Duchy of Brunswick. Her parents were Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and Princess Philippine Charlotte of Prussia.

In 1776, Augusta Dorothea became a deaconess at Quedlinburg Abbey. Two years later, she succeeded her maternal aunt, Therese of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, as Princess Abbess of Gandersheim Abbey. Despite her position as Princess Abbess, she resided primarily at the Brunswick court.

Her family connections include her sister-in-law, Princess Augusta of Great Britain, and her sister Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who was Crown Princess of Prussia. In the 1770s, Princess Augusta of Great Britain publicly condemned Augusta Dorothea and her sister Elisabeth Christine for their personal relationships, which were considered controversial at the time.

In 1799, Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, a contemporary of Augusta Dorothea, described her as "full of wit and energy and very amusing," during her visit to Brunswick.

Gandersheim Abbey was secularized in 1802, during the secularization of ecclesiastical territories in Germany, and was annexed by the Duchy of Brunswick. Nevertheless, Augusta Dorothea retained her title of Princess Abbess. Following the occupation of Brunswick by French forces in 1806, Augusta Dorothea fled the region. Napoleon I permitted her to retain her title and residence rights in Gandersheim despite the political changes. Upon her death in 1810, the position of Princess Abbess of Gandersheim was left vacant, and the principality was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia.

Throughout her tenure, Augusta Dorothea was the last sovereign Princess-Abbess of Gandersheim. The references documenting her life include works by Martin Hoernes and Hedwig Röckelein, C. Römer, and Kurt Kronenberg, which discuss the history and significance of Gandersheim Abbey and related noble lineages.