Baroness Hedwig of Sierstorpff-Driburg

Baroness Hedwig of Sierstorpff-Driburg (German: Freiin Sophia Bernardina Luise Friederika Hedwig von Sierstorpf-Driburg; 22 November 1848 – 10 January 1900) was the maternal grandmother of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.

Early life and family[]

Hedwig was born at Münster, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire (now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), third child and first daughter of Count Ernst of Sierstorpff-Driburg (1813–1855), and his wife, Baroness Karoline of Vincke (1822–1870). She was the heiress of an old Westphalian noble family, especially around Bad Driburg and owned various estates.

Her grandfather , made through the Driburg medicinal springs a spa and was active in the perfume industry. The descendants of Hedwig still manage the spa town of Bad Driburg, now a collection of hotels and clinics with more than 1000 employees.

Marriage[]

Hedwig married on 24 September 1872 at Bad Driburg to Aschwin von Cramm (1846–1909), son of Adolf von Cramm, and his wife, Hedwig von Cramm.

They had four daughters:

• Hedwig (10 January 1874 – 21 January 1907), married in 1896 to Count Wilhelm von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff, had issue. Their son and daughter-in-law Count Rabe & Countess Margarethe von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff were guests at the 1937 wedding of Juliana of the Netherlands to their cousin Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld and their young children Count Caspar and Countess Svea were bridal attendants.^[1]
• Wanda (9 August 1879 – 1960), married in 1900 to Max von Krieger, had issue.
• Erika (1880–1915), married to Caspar von der Marwitz, had issue.
• Armgard (18 December 1883 – 27 April 1971), married in 1905 to Count Bodo von Oeynhausen, divorced in 1908, no issue; Married secondly in 1909 to Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, had issue.

In 1881, her husband added her last name (Sierstorpff) to his own.

Ancestry[]

Notes and sources[]

• Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Reference: 1964 548