Category Archives: German Royals

Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Sophie of the Netherlands, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. source: Wikipedia

Princess Sophie of the Netherlands was the wife of Grand Duke Karl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. She was born Princess Wilhelmine Marie Sophie Luise on April 8, 1824, at Lange Voorhout Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, the youngest child of King Willem II of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia.

Sophie (second from right) with her parents and siblings, painted by Jan Baptist van der Hulst, 1832. source: Wikipedia

Sophie had four elder siblings:

Karl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. source: Wikipedia

At the Kneuterdijk Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands, on October 8, 1842, Sophie married Karl Alexander. The two were first cousins as their mothers were both daughters of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. Sophie and Karl Alexander had four children:

In her new homeland, Sophie quickly threw herself into charity work. With her own significant wealth, she founded numerous schools and hospitals throughout the grand duchy. These included the first girls’ high school in Weimar, a training school for nurses, an institute for the blind and deaf, and numerous schools and shelters. She also – much more privately – supported countless churches and religious organizations.

The Goethe-Schiller Archive, Weimar. photo by Michael Sander – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6502671

In 1885, Sophie inherited the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, following the death of his youngest grandson, and she established the Goethe Society in Weimar. Four years later, she also inherited the works of Friedrich von Schiller from his descendants. She established the Goethe and Schiller Archive and had a large building constructed on the banks of the Ilm river to house and display the works.

Dowager Queen Emma and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, 1890. source: Wikipedia

When Sophie’s brother, King Willem III of the Netherlands, died in 1890, the Dutch throne passed to his young daughter, Queen Wilhelmina. As Wilhelmina was only ten years old and had no younger siblings, Grand Duchess Sophie was first in line to inherit the Dutch throne. She was very close to her niece Wilhelmina, and her sister-in-law, Queen Emma, and made regular visits to the Netherlands to see them. Both Wilhelmina and Emma viewed Sophie as one of their closest confidantes and advisors, and took comfort in knowing that the throne would pass to her should something happen to Wilhelmina. However, that sense of comfort did not extend to Sophie’s grandson, the future Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Following Sophie’s death, he became heir-presumptive until the birth of Wilhelmina’s daughter, Juliana in 1909.

Sophie and Karl Alexander on their 50th anniversary, 1892. source: Wikipedia

In a way, Sophie was also instrumental in the marriage of her niece. It was at Sophie and Karl Alexander’s 50th-anniversary celebrations in 1892 that Wilhelmina first met her future husband, Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His elder half-brother was married to Sophie’s daughter, Elisabeth. Wilhelmina and Heinrich went on to marry in 1901.

After the death of her son in 1894, Sophie’s health began to deteriorate. The Grand Duchess died in Weimar,  Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany, on March 23, 1897. She was buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar.

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 when the Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach and the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar merged. The Congress of Vienna elevated Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach to a Grand Duchy in 1815.  As the German Empire was crumbling at the end of World War I, Wilhelm Ernst, the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was forced to abdicate on November 9, 1918. He was stripped of his throne and his properties and forced into exile. With his family, he took up residence at Schloss Heinrichau, the family’s estate in Heinrichau, Silesia, now Henryków, Poland. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach is located in the German state of Thuringia.

********************

Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach; Credit Wikipedia

Grand Duke Karl Alexander was born in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany on June 24, 1818, the second son of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. He had three siblings:

Karl Alexander was taught at home by Swiss educator Frédéric Soret. A good student, he excelled in foreign languages, becoming fluent in several at a very young age. He then studied at the universities in Leipzig and Jena, receiving his law degree in 1841.

Sophie of the Netherlands. source: Wikipedia

On October 8, 1842, at the Kneuterdijk Palace in The Hague, Karl Alexander married Princess Sophie of the Netherlands. She was the daughter of King Willem II of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia. As their mothers were sisters, Karl Alexander and Sophie were first cousins.

They had four children:

Karl Alexander became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in 1853. He was a supporter of the arts and developed numerous friendships with some of the greatest writers, poets, and musicians of the day. These included Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Fanny Lewald, and Hans Christian Andersen. His friendship with Andersen ended in the late 1840s due to Karl Alexander’s support for Germany’s acquisition of Schleswig-Holstein from Denmark.

Karl Alexander worked to preserve the classic look of Weimar’s old town and founded the Grand Ducal School of Art in 1860 and the Weimar School of Music in 1876. He later established the Carl Alexander Library in Eisenach in 1889. His reign is often referred to as the Silver Age of Weimar.

Karl Alexander in later life. source: Wikipedia

Grand Duke Karl Alexander died in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany on January 5, 1901. He is buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar. As his son had predeceased him, he was succeeded by his grandson Wilhelm Ernst, the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach; source: Wikipedia

Maria Pavlovna of Russia was the wife of Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. She was born at Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on February 16, 1786, the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.

Paul I of Russia and his family. Maria is depicted in the center, playing the harp. source: Wikipedia

Maria had nine siblings:

Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. source: Wikipedia

After the marriages of her two elder sisters, the focus turned to finding a suitable husband for Marie. By 1800, there were already discussions about a marriage to the Saxe-Weimar heir, Karl Friedrich. The two met in July 1803 when he came to St. Petersburg, and after getting acquainted and spending time together, their engagement was announced.

Maria married Karl Friedrich, then the Hereditary Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 3, 1804. In May of the following year, they returned to Weimar, where they were greeted with great celebrations.

The couple had four children:

Grand Duchess Maria in later life. source: Wikipedia

Maria strongly supported and promoted the arts in Weimar, and her patronages included the noted composer Franz Liszt who was appointed to her court. She maintained lifelong correspondences with several prominent writers, poets, and musicians, including Vasily Zhukovsky, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Schiller. She also focused much of her efforts on social welfare, establishing hospitals and homes for the poor and unwell. She also helped to establish the Falk Institute in Weimar.

The Russian Orthodox Chapel (with the Weimarer Fürstengruft seen behind it). photo: by © R.Möhler – Originally posted to Panoramio as Russisch-Orthodoxe Kapelle, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5252819

Following her husband’s death in 1853, Maria retired from public life. Two years later, she returned to Russia for the last time, for the coronation of her nephew Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. The Dowager Grand Duchess died at Schloss Belvedere in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia, on June 23, 1859. A new Russian Orthodox Chapel was built adjoining the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar. In the early 1900s, the foundation wall between the two buildings was opened, creating a passageway.  Grand Duchess Maria’s tomb lies in this passageway, just next to her husband’s, each placed beneath their individual mausoleums.

Maria Pavlovna’s tomb is in the far back on the left, in the area where the foundation was excavated. Just in front of her tomb is the tomb of her husband. photo: Klassic Stiftung Weimar

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 when the Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach and the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar merged. The Congress of Vienna elevated Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach to a Grand Duchy in 1815.  As the German Empire was crumbling at the end of World War I, Wilhelm Ernst, the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was forced to abdicate on November 9, 1918. He was stripped of his throne and his properties and forced into exile. With his family, he took up residence at Schloss Heinrichau, the family’s estate in Heinrichau, Silesia, now Henryków, Poland. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach is located in the German state of Thuringia.

********************

Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach source: Wikipedia

Karl Friedrich was Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach from 1828 until 1853. He was born in Weimar in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany on February 2, 1783, the eldest son of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Luise Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt.

He had three siblings who lived past birth:

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. source: Wikipedia

After finishing his education, Karl Friedrich embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe. While visiting St. Petersburg in July 1803, Karl Friedrich met his future wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. She was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg. They married at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 3, 1804, and had four children:

As Grand Duke, Karl Friedrich instituted the first savings bank in the Grand Duchy and promoted many charitable and welfare organizations. He also promoted trade, joined the German Customs Union, and was instrumental in building the Thuringian Railway in collaboration with the Kingdom of Prussia and the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. During his reign, he was forced to issue a more liberal constitution and introduce many new reforms, including freedom of the press.

Grand Duke Karl Friedrich – source: Wikipedia

Grand Duke Karl Friedrich died at Schloss Belvedere in Weimar in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany on July 8, 1853. He is buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Wikipedia

Luise Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach through her marriage to Grand Duke Karl August. She was born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany on January 30, 1757, the daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Luise had seven siblings:

Karl August of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. source: Wikipedia

In the early 1770s, Luise’s mother took Luise and two of her sisters to St. Petersburg to be presented to the Russian Empress Catherine the Great as potential brides for her son and heir Paul. Luise’s sister Wilhelmine was chosen, but on the journey home, Luise’s future would be arranged thanks to a chance meeting with Anna Amalia of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, who was serving as Regent for her young son, Karl August. An engagement was soon arranged, and Luise and Karl August were married in Karlsruhe on October 3, 1775, just a month after he reached his majority. Luise became the Duchess of Saxe-Weimar and Duchess of Saxe-Eisenach upon her marriage, and the couple had four children:

The arranged marriage was purely dynastic and there was not much love between the two. Karl August had a long-term and very public affair with an actress and gave his wife little emotional support. Despite this, she was devoted to her husband’s position, as well as her new homeland. When French forces advanced on Weimar in 1806, Luise stood firm and remained there while most of the family fled or were off fighting in the war. She would take it upon herself to stand up to Napoleon himself and protect Weimar and its people from the fighting. Her efforts were successful, and Weimar remained mostly untouched. Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luise’s efforts ensured that the duchy did not have to cede any territory, and was instead elevated to a Grand Duchy. Those efforts also earned her the love and complete devotion of the people.

Luise stepped away from public duties after being widowed in 1828. The Dowager Grand Duchess died nearly two years later, on February 14, 1830, at the age of 73. She is buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 when the Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach and the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar merged. The Congress of Vienna elevated Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach to a Grand Duchy in 1815.  As the German Empire was crumbling at the end of World War I, Wilhelm Ernst, the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was forced to abdicate on November 9, 1918. He was stripped of his throne and his properties and forced into exile. With his family, he took up residence at Schloss Heinrichau, the family’s estate in Heinrichau, Silesia, now Henryków, Poland. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach is located in the German state of Thuringia.

********************

Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach source: Wikipedia

Karl August was the first Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, reigning from 1815 until 1828. He was born in Weimar, Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, now in Thuringia, Germany on September 3, 1757, the eldest son of Ernst August II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. He had one younger sibling:

When his father died in May 1758, Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Duke of Saxe-Eisenach at just nine months old. His mother served as regent and is recognized for having built up the resources and strength of the duchies during her son’s youth. Meanwhile, Karl August was educated privately by several tutors and then made a grand tour of Europe along with his younger brother. It was on this trip that he met the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who would become a close friend, confidante, and advisor.

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt. source: Wikipedia

Shortly after reaching his majority and taking control of the government of the two duchies, Karl August married Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on October 3, 1775. Luise was the daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. They had seven children:

Karl August’s surviving children – Bernhard, Karoline Luise, and Karl Friedrich. source: Wikipedia

One of his first official acts was appointing the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to his privy council. It is perhaps through Goethe’s influence and support that Karl August worked to promote education and the arts. He established the Weimar Princely Free Drawing School in 1776 and was instrumental in reforming the education system and promoting the University of Jena.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. source: Wikipedia

A firm supporter of a unified Germany, Karl August was one of the leading forces behind the establishment of the League of Princes in 1785. Two years later, he was offered the Hungarian crown but refused. He served with the Prussian Army as a major-general and led his regiment into several battles in 1792. After the disastrous Battle of Jena in 1806, Karl August was forced to join Napoleon’s Confederation of the Rhine, to avoid losing his territories.

In 1809, the two duchies were united and Karl August became Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Six years later, following the Congress of Vienna, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was elevated to a Grand Duchy with Karl August as its first Grand Duke. Much more liberal than many of his contemporaries, Karl August was the first German prince to grant a liberal constitution and to promote the freedom of the press.

Grand Duke Karl August died at Castle Graditz in Graditz, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Saxony, Germany on June 14, 1828, and is buried in the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; source: Wikipedia

Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, through her marriage to Grand Duke Ludwig III. She was born in Augsburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on August 30, 1813, the eldest daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Mathilde Karoline had eight siblings:

Grand Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine – Source: Wikipedia

On December 26, 1833, Mathilde Karoline married the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had no children. She became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1848.

Grand Duchess Mathilde Karoline died of cancer at the age of 48 in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, on May 25, 1862. Because she had remained Catholic after her marriage – the Grand Ducal family was Lutheran – Mathilde Karoline is buried at St. Ludwig’s Catholic Church (link in German) in Darmstadt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

********************

Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine – source: Wikipedia

Ludwig III was born in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany on June 9, 1806, the eldest son of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. He had four siblings:

Ludwig studied at Leipzig University as well as receiving military training.

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria. source: Wikipedia

On December 26, 1833, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria now in the German state of Bavaria, Ludwig married Princess Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria, the eldest daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. They had no children.

Ludwig became Grand Duke on March 5, 1848, when his father abdicated during the March Revolution.

Anna Magdalena Appel. source: Wikipedia

In June 1868, six years after the death of his first wife, Ludwig married a second time to Anna Magdalena Appel. The marriage was morganatic, so she did not become Grand Duchess. Instead, she was created Baroness of Hochstätten. After his second marriage, Ludwig III retired from public life, and his eventual successor his nephew, the future Ludwig IV, largely took over the tasks and business of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ludwig III and his second wife lived very quietly at Schloss Braunshardt in Weiterstadt for the remainder of his life.

Grand Duke Ludwig III died in Seeheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on June 13, 1877. He was initially buried in the Landgrave’s Crypt in the Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. In 1910, his coffin was transferred to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt,  He was succeeded by his nephew, Ludwig IV. The Baroness of Hochstätten moved to Wiesbaden where she lived until her death in December 1917. She is buried in the Old Cemetery in Darmstadt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; source: Wikipedia

Wilhelmine of Baden was the second Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, as the wife of Grand Duke Ludwig II. She was born in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on September 21, 1788, the youngest child of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Wilhelmine had seven siblings:

Ludwig II. source: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Wilhelmine married her first cousin, the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had five children:

In 1810, Wilhelmine had a large garden – called the Rosenhöhe (link in German) – built on a hill in Darmstadt. Soon, she added several buildings, including a summer residence and a tea house. When her daughter Elisabeth died in 1826, Wilhelmine decided to have a mausoleum built in the park instead of using the traditional grand-ducal tomb in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche. It is because of this that the Rosenhöhe has become the traditional burial site for the Grand Ducal Family.

Schloss Heiligenberg. photo: by Heidas – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3645053

Wilhelmine’s marriage was never happy, and she separated from her husband after the birth of their first three children. In the 1820s, Wilhelmine purchased Schloss Heiligenberg in Jugenheim and expanded and designed the grounds just as she had done at Rosenhöhe. It was here where she met her chamberlain, Baron August von Searclens de Grancy, and began a longtime affair. While her husband recognized their younger children as his own, it is believed that they were actually fathered by de Grancy.

Despite her separation, Wilhelmine became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1830. With the increased means now at her disposal, she set about expanding Heiligenberg and avoiding the court in Darmstadt as much as possible.

Grand Duchess Wilhelmine died in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on January 27, 1836, after contracting typhoid fever. She is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

********************

Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig II was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from April 6, 1830 until his abdication in 1848. He was born in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany on December 26, 1777, the eldest son of Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Grand Duke Ludwig I) and Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt. He had five siblings:

  • Princess Luise (1779-1811) – married Ludwig of Anhalt-Köthen, had issue
  • Prince Georg (1780-1856) – married Caroline Török de Szendrö, had issue
  • Prince Friedrich (1788-1867) – unmarried
  • Prince Emil (1790-1856) – unmarried
  • Prince Gustav (1791-1806) – unmarried

Ludwig became Hereditary Grand Duke in 1806 when the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine was established. He served in the First Chamber of the Hessian Parliament and was a member of the Council of State from 1823-1830. He also represented the Grand Duchy at the Congress of Erfurt in 1808 and the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815.

Wilhelmine of Baden. source: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Ludwig married his first cousin, Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. She was the daughter of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Ludwig and Wilhelmine had five children:

Ludwig became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in March 1830 and continued his father’s policies. Soon after his accession, he demanded that the state assume his personal debts. This led to a growing dislike for Ludwig amongst the Hessian people. He also stood strongly against calls for a more liberal government. Following the beginning of the March Revolution, Grand Duke Ludwig II abdicated on March 5, 1848, in favor of his eldest son.

Grand Duke Ludwig II died three months later, on June 16, 1848. He is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty