Catherine was born on May 2, 1729, in Settin Pomerania. Her birth name was Sophia Augusta. Her father was Christan Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. The family of Anhalt-Zebst was one of the poorest and most obscure of all the German princely families. Her father did not become the reining Prince of Zerbst until Catherine was thirteen years old. In 1743, when Catherine was fifteen her mother had found her a husband. She was to marry Grand Duke Peter of …showed first 75 words of 1315 total…

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