Barbara of Brandenburg was born on 30 May 1464 as the daughter of Albrecht III, Elector of Brandenburg and Anna of Saxony. Barbara was just one of nineteen children from her father’s two marriages. Barbara was born in the Hohenzollern residence of Ansbach as the tenth of the nineteen children of Margrave Albrecht III Achilles; she was the fourth child born from his second marriage to Anna, daughter of the Wettin elector Frederick II of Saxony. At the time of her birth, her father ruled the Franconian margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach and also inherited the neighbouring Principality of Kulmbach upon the death of his elder brother Margrave John the Alchemist. In 1471 he succeeded his brother Frederick Irontooth as Elector of Brandenburg.
In Berlin on 11 October 1472, eight-year-old Barbara was married to the Piast duke Henry XI of Głogów, around thirty years her senior. The marriage contract stipulated that, in case of the duke's death without issue, his Duchy of Głogów was to be passed to his wife, with reversion to her Hohenzollern family. Four years later, on 22 February 1476, Henry IX died suddenly, possibly poisoned by Brandenburg agents. This death left Barbara Duchess of Głogów with Crossen and Kożuchów, but a long succession war erupted: The Silesian duchy had been a Bohemian fief since 1331, therefore not only Henry IX's closest male relative, his cousin Jan II the Mad, former Duke of Żagań, claimed the whole inheritance, but also King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and the Bohemian anti-king Matthias Corvinus. Immediately after the death of Duke Henry IX, Barbara's father Elector Albrecht Achilles had the Duchy of Głogów occupied by Brandenburg troops under the command of his son John Cicero.
This left 12-year-old Barbara as the Duchess regnant of Glogów, but her husband’s cousin, who should have been his heir, was not amused. Barbara had a powerful ally in the form of King Vladislaus II of Bohemia who quite liked to add Glogów to his domains and they were married nine months later. Vladislaus was eight years older than her.
Barbara was unable to travel to Bohemia to be crowned Queen due to the succession struggles and Vladislaus soon tired of his marriage. Her father was enraged but went as far as to offer Barbara’s younger sister in her place if Barbara did not please him anymore. Vladislaus refused this and was unable to get out of the marriage. They remained married but never saw each other again. Vladislaus must have forgotten about Barbara as he soon married Beatrice of Naples in pursuit of the Hungarian Crown. If he was looking for heirs, he was soon to be sorry. Beatrice of Naples did not produce any children and he was stuck in a bigamous situation.
Meanwhile, Barbara had grown up and she took was looking for a divorce for Vladislaus. In fact, she was in love. However, it was not to be. The man she was in love with was a simple knight by the name of Conrad of Heideck and her family did not approve in the least. Barbara was imprisoned in Plassenburg Castle. Five years later Vladislaus finally got his wish when the pope dissolved both his marriages. Beatrice of Naples retired to Naples where she died eight years later. Vladislaus remarried to Anne of Foix-Candale, who gave him his heir.
And Barbara you say? Well, she probably continued to be imprisoned at Plassenburg Castle. She died in Ansbach, the place of her birth, on 4 September 1515, so she was probably released sometime, but we cannot know for certain when. She is buried in the Heilsbronn Abbey, with many other members of her family.
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