BERNAUER

bernauer, agnes (d. 1435), daughter of an augsburg baker, was secretly married about 1432 to albert (1401-1460), son of ernest, duke of bavaria-munich. ignorant of the fact that this union was a lawful one, ernest urged his son to marry, and reproached him with his connexion with agnes. albert then declared she was his lawful wife; and subsequently, during his absence, she was seized by order of duke ernest and condemned to death for witchcraft. on the 12th of october 1435 she was drowned in the danube near straubing, in which town her remains were afterwards buried by albert. this story lived long in the memory of the people, and its chief interest lies in its literary associations. it has afforded material for several dramas, and adolf bottger, friedrich hebbel and otto ludwig have each written one entitled _agnes bernauer_.