A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Gallttzin, Amalia, Princess

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4120451A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography — Gallttzin, Amalia, Princess

GALLTTZIN, AMALIA, PRINCESS,

A lady distinguished for talents, and a strong propensity to mysticism, was the daughter of Count Schmettan, and lived during part of her youth at the court of Prince Ferdinand, brother of Frederic the Great of Prussia. She married Prince Gallitzin, of Russia; and, as much of his time was passed in travelling, she chose Munster, in the centre of Germany, for her permanent residence. Here she assembled around her many of the most distinguished men of Germany, of whom Hamann and Hemsterhuis were her most intimate friends. She was an ardent Catholic, and extremely zealous in making proselytes; her children were educated according to Rousseau's system. The princess is the Diotama to whom Hemsterhuis, under the name of Dioklas, addressed his work on Atheism. She died in 1806, near Munster. Her only son was a missionary in America.