Countess Palatine Barbara of Zweibrücken-Neuburg

Countess Palatine Barbara
Countess Palatine Barbara
Countess of Oettingen-Oettingen
	Countess Palatine Barbara of Zweibrücken-Neuburg, oil painting, 1575
Born	27 July 1559; Neuburg
Died	5 March 1618 (aged 58); Oettingen
Buried	Castle Church of St. Michael in Harburg
Noble family	House of Wittelsbach (by birth) ; House of Oettingen-Oettingen ; (by marriage)
Spouse(s)	Gottfried of Oettingen-Oettingen
Issue	Jakobina of Oettingen-Oettingen
Father	Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Mother	Anna of Hesse

Countess Palatine Barbara of Zweibrücken-Neuburg (27 July 1559 – 5 March 1618) was a Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken by birth and by marriage Countess of Oettingen-Oettingen.

Life

Barbara was born in Neuburg, a daughter of Duke and Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken (1526–1569) from his marriage to Anna (1529–1591), the daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.^{[citation needed]}

On 7 November 1591, she married Count Gottfried of Oettingen-Oettingen (1554–1622) in Oettingen.^{[citation needed]} She was his second wife.^{[citation needed]} She brought a dowry of 14,000guilder into the marriage.^[1] In 1594, Barbara gave birth to a daughter named Jakobina, but she died later that year.^{[citation needed]}

Countess Barbara of Oettingen studied alchemy intensively and is considered one of the most important women in the history of the field.^{[citation needed]} She employed several alchemists and corresponded extensively on this subject with her nephew, Augustus, Count Palatine of Sulzbach.^{[citation needed]} Barbara also performed numerous experiments for Emperor Rudolf II in his residence in Prague, until she was expelled from the court.^[2]

Barbara died in Oettingen in 1618 was buried beside her husband in the Castle Church of St. Michael in Harburg.^{[citation needed]} Their tomb is decorated figure of the Countess at the side of her husband and his first wife.^{[citation needed]}