November 17 - Elizabeth of Hungary, daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary, was born in Pressburg, Hungary on July 7, 1207. Engaged at four years of age and married at fourteen to Landgrave Louis IV of Thuringia, she became aware of the movement founded in Italy by Francis of Assisi, to which she adhered from the depths of her soul.

Elizabeth of Hungary lived from 1211 to 1228 in Wartburg Castle with her husband, Landgrave Ludwig IV of Thuringia and their children and her mother-in-law, the dowager Landgrave Sophie of Bavaria. The couple were very close together and had three children.

German Franciscans introduced the young Landgravine to the spirit of Francis of Assisi and she decided to give up a life of luxury and frivolity to serve the poor. Her piety led her to be judged extravagant and even unworthy by the court and especially by her mother-in-law, Landgravine Sophie. Thus entering a church, the young sovereign lays her crown at the foot of the cross; her mother-in-law criticizes her and publicly points out to her that her attitude is unworthy of a princess. Elisabeth retorts that she cannot wear a golden crown when her God wears a crown of thorns.

Her husband died of the plague in 1227. She is only 20 years old but refuses to remarry. Her in-laws chase her away with their three children. Her uncle, a bishop, calms the family down. The three children will be raised by the ducal family. From now on, she dedicates all her life and money to the poor for whom she builds a hospital. Elizabeth puts on the habit of the Franciscan Third Order recently founded by St. Francis of Assisi. She takes Conrad de Marbourg as her spiritual director. He treats her with cruelty and even cruelty, to which she responds with exemplary gentleness. She died at the age of 24 in Marbourg.