Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach

Sophia Albertine, Countess of Erbach-Erbach (30 July 1683, in Erbach – 4 September 1742, in Eisfeld), was Countess of Erbach-Erbach by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen. From 1724 to 1728, she was Regent of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

Birth and early life
Sophia Albertine was born on 30 July 1683 in Erbach, Odenwald, Germany as the youngest daughter of General Count George Louis I of Erbach-Erbach (1643–1693) and his wife Countess Amalia Katharina of Waldeck-Eisenberg (1640–1697). Her father, along with his surviving younger brothers George IV and George Albert II inherited the Erbach lands after the death of their elder half-brother George Ernest, Count of Erbach-Wildenstein in 1669, and ruled until 1672, when was made the formal division of their possessions: Sophia's father received the districts of Erbach, Freienstein and Wildenstein. At the death of Sophia's uncle George IV in 1678, having no surviving issue forced another division in the Erbach patrimony; this time George Louis received the districts of Michelstadt and Breuberg until his own death in 1693.

Sophia had 15 siblings, three of whom reached adulthood. They were:


 * Henriette (27 September 1665 – 28 September 1665).
 * Henriette Juliane (15 October 1666 – 27 February 1684).
 * Philipp Louis, Count of Erbach-Erbach (10 June 1669 – 17 June 1720).
 * Charles Albert of Erbach-Erbach (16 June 1670 – k.a. Dapfing a.d.Donau, 18 August 1704).
 * George Albert (born and died 1 July 1671).
 * Amalie Katharina (13 May 1672 – 18 June 1676).
 * Frederick Charles (19 April 1673 – 20 April 1673).
 * An unnamed son (born and died 16 September 1674).
 * Wilhelmine Sophie (16 February 1675 – 20 August 1675).
 * Magdalena Charlotte (6 February 1676 – 3 December 1676).
 * Wilhelm Louis (21 March 1677 – 19 February 1678).
 * Amalie Katharina (born and died 18 February 1678).
 * Fredericka Charlotte (19 April 1679 – 21 April 1679).
 * Frederick Charles, Count of Erbach-Limpurg (21 May 1680 – 20 February 1731).
 * Ernest (23 September 1681 – 2 March 1684).

Marriage and issue
She married on 4 February 1704 in Erbach to Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, the eldest son of Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and Countess Sophie Henriette of Waldeck. The couple had 14 children, eleven of whom died before reaching adulthood. They were:
 * 1) Ernest Louis Hollandinus (b. Hildburghausen, 24 November 1704 – d. Hildburghausen, 26 November 1704).
 * 2) Sophie Amalie Elisabeth (b. Hildburghausen, 5 October 1705 – d. Hildburghausen, 28 February 1708).
 * 3) Ernest Louis (b. Hildburghausen, 6 February 1707 – d. Hildburghausen, 17 April 1707).
 * 4) Ernest Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (b. Hildburghausen, 17 December 1707 – d. Hildburghausen, 13 August 1745).
 * 5) Frederick August (b. Hildburghausen, 8 May 1709 – d. Hildburghausen, 4 March 1710).
 * 6) Louis Frederick (b. Hildburghausen, 11 September 1710 – d. Nimwegen, 10 June 1759), married on 4 May 1749 to Christine Luise von Holstein-Plön. This marriage was childless.
 * 7) Stillborn daughter (Hildburghausen, 2 August 1711).
 * 8) Stillborn daughter (Hildburghausen, 24 August 1712).
 * 9) Elisabeth Albertine (b. Hildburghausen, 3 August 1713 – d. Neustrelitz, 29 June 1761), married on 5 May 1735 to Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Herr of Mirow.
 * 10) Emanuel Frederick Charles (b. Hildburghausen, 26 March 1715 – d. Hildburghausen, 29 June 1718).
 * 11) Elisabeth Sophie (b. Hildburghausen, 13 September 1717 – d. Hildburghausen, 14 October 1717).
 * 12) Stillborn daughter (Hildburghausen, 17 March 1719).
 * 13) George Frederick William (b. Hildburghausen, 15 July 1720 – d. Hildburghausen, 10 April 1721).
 * 14) Stillborn son (Hildburghausen, 15 December 1721).

Sophia Albertine was responsible for the education of their children because her husband was largely devoted to the life of a soldier outside the country.

Later life and death
After her husband's death in 1724 Sophia Albertine acted as regent for her minor son, Ernest Frederick II of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She managed to reduce the national debt by savings and cuttings. A large part of the court was dismissed and the costly Guard was dissolved. She reduced the number of taxes from 16 to 8. In an attempt to obtain cash, she sold off the valuable ducal library.

Her husband had sold the District of Schalkau to the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen in 1723, in order to raise money. She regarded this sale as illegal. Influenced by Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen, who was in Hildeburghausen at the time, Sophia Albertine declared war on Saxe-Meiningen and had Schalkau occupied militarily on 11 July 1724.

After a fire in the town of Hildeburghausen in 1725, she played a major role in support of those affected. The main hall in the Hildburghausen Palace was equipped with an inlaid floor with a design in a star shape, in the center of which were the Duchess's initials "SA".

After her son took over government in 1728, she retired to her Wittum seat of Eisfeld, where she died on 4 September 1742 of unspecified causes. She was buried in the District of Hildburghausen, Thüringen, Germany.