St Elizabeth of Hungary/Queen of the People
Both Noblewoman and Saint, She Became a Third Order Franciscan
Oct 10, 2008
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia; St. Elizabeth was born probably at Pressburg, in the Kingdom of Hungary on 7 July 1207 and lived until 17 November 1231. She spent most of her short life in Germany. She was the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and Gertrude of Andechs-Merania. At age 4, she was brought to the court of the Rulers of Thuringia in Central Germany to become a future bride. This marriage was pre-arranged in order to reinforce political alliances.
Marriage to Ludwig IV of Thuringia
Happily, Elizabeth was married to Ludwig IV of Thuringia at the age of 14, but sadly widowed at 20. During her short life she relinquished her wealth to the poor, built hospitals, and became a symbol of Christian charity in Germany. She became well known for her good works elsewhere after her death at the age of 24.
In 1223, Franciscan monks arrived in Thuringia, and the teenage Elisabeth learned about and began to live the ideals of Francis of Assisi. Contrary to popular folk lore, Ludwig was not upset by his wife's charitable efforts. He believed that the distribution of his wealth to the poor would bring eternal reward. Although he was never canonized by the Church, he became venerated in Thuringia as a saint.
Over a period of time a priest and later inquisitor Konrad von Marburg gained considerable power over Elisabeth, when he was appointed as her confessor. He continued to play an important part in the events of Elizabeth’s life.
Sadness Comes to Queen Elizabeth
In the spring of 1226, floods, famine, and plague wrought havoc in Thuringia. Ludwig left to represent Frederick II at the Reichstag, in Cremona. When Elisabeth assumed control of state affairs in his absence, she distributed alms in all parts of their territory. At times she even gave away state robes and ornaments to those in need. Outside the Wartburg Castle, she built a 28-bed hospital which she visited daily.
On 11 September 1227 Ludwig died of the plague when he was en route to join the Sixth Crusade in Italy. When his remains were returned to Elizabeth in 1228, she became distraught and is reported to have said, ""The world with all its joys is now dead to me." [Knight.K, New Advent. 2008]
Elizabeth became vulnerable once Heinrich Raspe of Thuringia assumed the regency. He could do this because because Elisabeth's eldest child was a minor. Even though Konrad had been appointed as Elizabeth’s defensor by Pope Gregory IX, a bitter dispute over the way she disposed of her dowrey eventuated in Elisabeth leaving the court at Wartburg. She moved to Marburg in Hesse.
Following her husband's death, Elizabeth made solemn vows similar to those of a nun. They included celibacy, and obedience to Konrad as her confessor and spiritual adviser. Konrad's treatment of Elizabeth was extremely harsh. She is reported to have been beaten and to have been forced to send away her three children. When her pledge to celibacy proved a hindrance to her family's political ambitions, she was, it seems, held hostage at Pottenstein, Bavaria. This was in the castle of her uncle, Bishop Ekbert of Bamberg. By doing this her family hoped to force her to consider remarrying.
Joining the Order of St Francis
Once these attempts proved to be unsuccessful, she became affiliated with the Third Order of St. Francis, a lay Franciscan group. It is not known whether she became an official Tertiary. She built a hospital at Marburg for the poor and the sick with the money from her dowry.
Elizabeth Becomes a Saint
In 1231, Elizabeth died in Marburg at only 24 years of age. It is not known why. The papal charter on display in the Schatzkammer of the Deutschordenskirche in Vienna, Austria shows that she was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1235. At Pentecost (28 May) of the year 1235, during the ceremony of canonization she was called the "greatest woman of the German Middle Ages".
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