A horrible discovery has been made in the crypt of Schönfelder Castle. The coffin of an illegitimate daughter of Augustus II of Poland and his mistress Anna Constantia of Brockdorff, named Augusta Anna Constantia contains scratches on the inside. How could she have been buried alive?
Augusta was just 17 years old in 1725 when she married Heinrich Friedrich, Count of Friesen, who was 10 years older. They had two sons before she suddenly fell ill with smallpox. She died, or so they thought, on 3 February 1728 from the disease. In the evening after the funeral, the tomb was closed before the altar and soon scratching noises were heard. Supposedly the fear of God kept them from opening the coffin. A fatal mistake.
The coffin was opened a little while later and the young woman was found dead with wide eyes and dishevelled hair. The lid of the coffin was full of bloody scratches as she had tried to open it.
Great job Moniek,love reading your articles about amazing women in history.
I can’t think of anything worse than what happened to Augusta Anna ; I wonder why the coffin was not opened when the scratching was heard but then later when all was quiet ?