Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:3,4)
Elizabeth of Hungary (or sometimes Elizabeth of Thuringia, 1207-1231) is remembered as the 
“Patroness of the Poor”. Born into wealth and luxury, Elizabeth spent most of her life giving it all away.
Elizabeth was betrothed to Ludwig (also known as Lewis or Luis) of Hungary when she was just four years old in 1211 AD. As was the custom in those days she went to live with her future husband’s family where the children were raised as “brother” and “sister” in court. Elizabeth and Ludwig grew very affectionate towards each other. Both were pious and pure even as children. The young prince and princess pledged fidelity to each other and both maintained it until their deaths.
Her father had sent Elizabeth to Hungary with attendants and an annual income, but whatever money she had at her disposal went to the poor. For this reason she was despised by everyone else in the household – everyone that is except Ludwig. He loved her for her virtues. Elizabeth was able to put up with the persecution from spiteful courtiers because Ludwig would always console her privately. He also proved his constancy by bringing her gifts from wherever he traveled. The mostly irreligious courtiers would try hard to separate them because they didn’t like Elizabeth’s pious influence on the heir to the throne. They would have preferred someone as profligate as themselves. But Ludwig loved God and the people in his country and he would do what was right.
Elizabeth and Ludwig were wed in 1221. Their marriage was very happy. Ludwig was a good ruler, magnanimous, cheerful, wise, gentle, and with one passion – justice. He encouraged Elizabeth in the distribution of food during famines.
Once when Ludwig was away, Elizabeth used up all of the money in the treasury to feed the destitute in their country. Upon Ludwig’s return his stewards ran to meet him, accusing Elizabeth of bankrupting the kingdom. Ludwig’s reply showed where his heart was, “I wish you to let my good little Elizabeth give away as much as she likes; you must help and not thwart her; alms will never ruin us.” Later that day, as he was reunited with his beloved Elizabeth he asked her about the famine and how the poor were doing. She replied, “I gave to God what belonged to him, and God has kept for us what was yours and mine.” Others may have criticized Elizabeth, but Ludwig just loved her all the more.
Elizabeth and Ludwig had three children: Hermann II (1222-41), Sophia (1224-84), and Gertrude (1227-97). Hermann died young. Sophia married Henry II, Duke of Brabant. She was the ancestress of many of the branches of the house of Hesse. Gertrude eventually became the abbess of the convent of Altenberg.
Before she was even twenty years old, Elizabeth had built two hospitals in Eisenach and personally attended the sick with tenderness and love. She cared for many lepers when no one else would go near them. She also cared for many orphans in one of the hospitals. The little children would run to meet her when she came and sit around her. She would caress them, no matter how ragged or dirty, and give them toys.
The Wartburg castle was built on a steep hill. The roads were difficult for weak or infirm to climb. Therefore Elizabeth built a hospital at the base of the hill. She would walk down to care for the poor herself. Besides the patients at the hospital, it is said that Elizabeth cared for over 900 poor persons daily.
Elizabeth cared for prisoners as well. She visited them frequently and prayed with them. Sometimes she even purchased their freedom.
One year when famine touched the land Elizabeth gathered all the poor together and gave them work helping with the harvest. She bought them decent clothes and new shoes so their feet wouldn’t hurt in the stubbly fields. She sold her own beautiful clothes to raise the money for these things.
When Elizabeth was barely twenty years old her beloved Ludwig died. He had gone on a crusade with Emperor Frederick II and died at Otranto from an illness. Elizabeth was devastated. Ludwig was everything to her. She mourned deeply, but rose to the task of caring for their children even though her cruel in-laws tried to take away her inheritance. They expelled her and the children from their home.
Elizabeth’s own relatives came to hear of her calamity and took care of her. Eventually she was reinstated. The bishop in the area felt that she was too young to live alone and kept trying to find a husband for her. Even Emperor Frederick II wished for her hand, but Elizabeth kept refusing for she had promised Ludwig that there would never be another man in her life.
While Elizabeth was staying at a castle in Bottenstein, the remains of her husband were finally brought home by his faithful followers. It is said that she asked for the casket to be opened so she could look on Ludwig one last time. She kissed him and then saw to it that he was buried in the family vault of the landgraves of Thuringia in the monastery of Reinhartsbrunn.
Elizabeth received her dower money – 2000 marks – but immediately gave 500 marks to the poor. Her brother-in-law, Henry, began to oversee the government as regent to her oldest son, Hermann. Henry gave Elizabeth the town of Marburg and its revenues. In the summer of 1228 Elizabeth built a Franciscan hospital in Marburg.
Elizabeth renounced the world and went to live at a Franciscan house in Eisenach. Elizabeth became the first tertiary in Germany. A tertiary is like a nun, but does not take all of the vows. Elizabeth of course lived a life of chastity and obedience, but kept her great wealth to help the poor. She tried to fill the third vow of poverty by living like a poor person even though she was very wealthy. She stayed in a very small house and wore plain clothes. She never purchased any luxuries. She labored at spinning wool to earn extra income to give to the poor. It was said that no one would have ever known that she was a princess.
Elizabeth literally wore herself out working among the poor. She died of exhaustion in 1231. She was only twenty-four years old. She was buried in the chapel attached to the hospice that she had founded. Many lepers, blind, lame, and poor came to her funeral.
The hospital that Elizabeth built at Wartburg no longer exists, but the little fountain that was attached to it is still there. At this fountain Elizabeth was known to have washed the clothes of the poor with her own hands. It is still called “the Fountain of Elizabeth”.
If we would only learn to love others as Elizabeth and Ludwig did we could make the world a happier place. What a sad day when the government took over and created the impersonal welfare system. Let us love one another as Jesus commanded us.
