Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach

Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach
Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach
Born	(1696-05-16)16 May 1696 Sulzbach
Died	16 July 1776(1776-07-16) (aged 80) Essen
Buried	Steele (now part of Essen)
Noble family	House of Wittelsbach
Father	Theodore Eustace, Count Palatine of Sulzbach
Mother	Landgravine Maria Eleonore of Hesse-Rotenburg

Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach (16 May 1696 in Sulzbach – 16 July 1776 in Essen) was the Princess-abbess of Essen Abbey and Thorn Abbey. She led Essen Abbey from 1726 to 1776, the longest of any Essen abbess. Her tenure was marked by disputes between the Abbey and the city, which were caused by her counselors.

She founded the Princess Francisca Christina Foundation, which still maintains the orphanage she founded in Essen-Steele. Her father was Theodore Eustace, Count Palatine of Sulzbach and her mother was Landgravine Maria Eleonore of Hesse-Rotenburg.