Elisabeth of Lorraine-Vaudémont

Elisabeth of Lorraine-Vaudémont
Elisabeth of Lorraine-Vaudémont
Born	c. 1395 Lorraine
Died	(1456-01-17)17 January 1456 Saarbrücken
Buried	Collegiate Church in Sankt Arnual
Noble family	House of Lorraine
Spouse(s)	Philipp I, Count of Nassau-Weilburg
Father	Frederick I, Count of Vaudémont
Mother	Margaret of Joinville

Elizabeth of Lorraine-Vaudémont, Countess of Nassau-Saarbrücken (also known as Isabella of Lotharingen; c. 1395 in Lorraine – 17 January 1456 in Saarbrücken) was a pioneer of the novel in Early New High German language. Around 1437, she translated and edited four French romances (chansons de geste) by Odo Arpin of Bourges, Sibille, Loher & Maller and Hug Chapler.

Elizabeth was the daughter of Frederick of Lorraine (1368-1415) and Margaret of Joinville (c. 1354 – 1418). In 1412, she became the second wife of Count Philip I of Nassau-Weilburg-Saarbrücken (1368-1429). After his death in 1429 to 1438 she took over the regency for her infant son, Philip II (1418-1492) of the Nassau-Saarbrücken territory, the areas along the middle Saar, along the Blies, in eastern Lorraine, in today's Donnersbergkreis, around the city of Kirchheimbolanden, in the Taunus area, along the Lahn as well as Commercy in Lorraine on the Meuse. She managed to keep her possesseions together and to avoid disputes with her many neighbours. During her rule, Saarbrücken was developed into a residence town. She resided at Saarbrücken Castle on the Castle Rock with its steep slope towards the Saar. Until then, the territory had had no centralized administration, and its rulers had travelled constantly between their scattered possessions, in order to maintain their claim to power by being physically present some of the time in each and every possession ("rule by travelling around").