born on July 7 (?) 1207 in Sàros-Patak, Hungary
died on November 17, 1231 in Marburg, Holy Roman Empire
German benefactor and saint
Biography
Unless she was washing the sick or anointing lepers, she was not as gentle as the images of her as a saint would have us believe. If she thought her own or other people's salvation was at stake, she could be demanding and harsh – towards herself, but also in her dealings with her Thuringian relatives by marriage, her servants and her subjects, and even with her closest confidants.
The fear of damnation was instilled in her from childhood by the medieval church and shaped her short life in a way that is shocking from today's perspective. At the age of four, the Hungarian princess was sent to Eisenach because she was promised to the eldest son of the Landgrave of Thuringia. After his death, his brother Ludwig courted her with genuine affection, and the two remained deeply devoted to each other until Ludwig's death. This happy marriage produced three children, but Elisabeth left their upbringing to others after she decided to dedicate her life entirely to the poor and sick.
Already during her marriage, she had a hospital built below Wartburg Castle, where she herself cared for the sick. Contrary to the legendary tale of the rose miracle, Ludwig was by no means opposed to this, but defended Elisabeth against the criticism of his relatives, whose aristocratic pride had been wounded. Poorly dressed and satisfied with meagre meals, she led an unbefitting life in their eyes. They also took offense at her “impossible interactions” with beggars – particularly as she essentially demanded that they follow her example for the sake of God. Consequently, after Ludwig’s death, she was forced out of Wartburg Castle.
She moved to Marburg for the last three years of her life, where she founded another hospital and devoted herself to the needy with the help of confidants who had accompanied her. As in Eisenach, her confessor was Konrad von Marburg – a merciless judge of all her thoughts and actions and a decisive influence. To “promote” her humility, he deprived her of the company of her friends. Because she distributed her widow's estate to beggars instead of administering it in accordance with church rules, he let her feel the full force of his wrath. However, the deep piety she possessed had impressed not only her suffering fellow human beings, but also him: he was the first to apply for her canonization, which took place just four years after she had died completely exhausted from a lung disease.
(Translated with DeepL.com; edited by Ramona Fararo, 2025.
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