Maria Josepha Hermengilde Esterházy

Princess Maria
Princess Esterházy of Galántha
Princess Maria Esterházy, portrait by Angelica Kauffmann
Princess Esterházy of Galántha
Tenure	15 September 1783 – 15 November 1833
Born	(1768-04-13)13 April 1768 Vienna, Holy Roman Empire
Died	8 August 1845(1845-08-08) (aged 77) Hütteldorf, Penzing, Vienna
Spouse	Nikolaus II, Prince Esterházy
Issue	Paul III Anton, Prince Esterházy Princess Leopoldine Esterházy
Names German: Maria Josepha Hermengilde Liechtenstein
House	Liechtenstein
Father	Franz Joseph I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Mother	Leopoldine von Sternberg

Princess Maria Josepha Hermengilde Esterházy de Galantha (née von Liechtenstein, 13 April, 1768 — 8 August, 1845) was the daughter of Franz Josef I of Liechtenstein. On 15 September 1783 she married Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy de Galantha, who in 1794 became the Prince of Esterházy. In 1785 she bore a son, Paul Anton and in 1788 a daughter, Leopoldine.

Like her husband Maria was a patron of artists, and especially of Joseph Haydn, who from 1796 to 1802 was commissioned to write a yearly Mass to be performed on her nameday (8 September, the Nativity of the BVM^[1]). Thus originated the Heiligmesse (1796), Paukenmesse (1797), Nelsonmesse (1798), Theresienmesse (1799), Schöpfungsmesse (1801) and Harmoniemesse (1802). For her 1807 nameday Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Mass in C major, op. 86. Johann Nepomuk Hummel wrote five Masses for her nameday: Mass in E-flat major, Op. 80 (1804), Mass in D minor, WoO. 13 (1805), Mass in C major, WoO. 12 (1806), Mass in B-flat major, Op. 77 (1808) & Mass in D major, Op. 111 (1810) One final Mass was written by Jan Ladislav Dussek, Missa Solomnelle in G major, C. 256 (1811).

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• Maria Josepha Hermengilde Fürstin Esterházy