Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Encyclopedia
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (Meiningen
, 2 April 1826 – Wildungen, 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
, reigning from 1866 to 1914.
. His birth was met with great relief by his father's subjects, as the succession to the duchy was in jeopardy due to a lack of male heirs in the family. Georg would remain an only child for seventeen years, until the birth of his sister Princess Augusta
in 1843.
Georg spent his first few years under the supervision of his parents and grandmother the Dowager Duchess Luise Eleonore
. It was the latter who instilled upon Georg the patriotic virtues of his heritage, as well as the sense of duty needed to rule a duchy.
In 1862, his only sister married Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg, a younger son of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. They would be the parents of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
.
. Unlike his father, Georg had remained loyal to the Prussians during the war and was rewarded as Lieutenant General of the Prussian army. Also unlike his parents, the young duke was familiar enough with Prussian politics to regard their attitudes as impractical. During the Franco-Prussian War
, Georg led two regiments of soldiers from Meiningen and had the honor of capturing the first French flags at the Battle of Froeschweiler. Notably, he fought in nearly every battle during the war. Georg was a member of Wilhelm I's staff when he entered Paris and would remain a close friend of the Emperor until his death.
on 18 May 1850 to the Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia
. She was the eldest daughter of Prince Albert of Prussia and Princess Marianne of the Netherlands
, and was a granddaughter of both Frederick William III of Prussia
and William I of the Netherlands
.
They had four children:
The couple had a short engagement, as it was a love match. Among the wedding gifts was an opulent old villa on Lake Como from her mother Marianne
. It was renamed the Villa Carlotta in the bride's honor. They spent the next five years in Berlin and Potsdam but returned to Meiningen for the birth of their children.
On 27 January 1855, their second son Georg died. Charlotte would follow him three months later, dying in childbirth and leaving Georg inconsolable. He succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in 1866, eleven years after Charlotte's death.
while he was on his way to Italy; they became engaged almost at once. She was a niece of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, being a daughter of Victoria's half-sister Princess Feodora of Leiningen
and her husband Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. On 23 October 1858, they married at Langenburg
.
Georg and Feodora had three sons:
Their marriage was unhappy however. Georg had never become reconciled to Charlotte's death and Feodora was not temperamentally suited for the life she was expected to lead. She had no intellectual or artistic attainments; even worse, she had no interest in developing any. Despite this fact, Georg attempted to educate her, as he was a great lover of the arts, especially theater. Her mother approved, stating it was "very sensible of him indeed to arrange for his bride to be much occupied with lessons, to take drawing lessons, and to hear lectures on history". Georg soon realized however that she would never be as witty and clever as Charlotte. After the death of their third son, Feodora stayed away from Meiningen for as much as decently possible. In 1866, he succeeded as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, making her Duchess consort of Saxe-Meiningen.
Feodora contracted scarlet fever
in January 1872, and died the following month. Despite the many differences between them, Georg had remained fond of her; when she became sick, he was genuinely distraught and sent telegrams to her parents twice daily.
on 18 March 1873 to Ellen Franz
, a former actress. She was given her own style, being known as Helene, Baroness von Holdburg shortly before their wedding and after their marriage.
This marriage was morganatic, and greatly angered Kaiser Wilhelm. Georg in turn became increasingly angry and defensive at anyone who failed to recognize his wife and treat her as an equal. Most Germans supported Georg's decision to marry, but Wilhelm felt particularly upset because Georg's first wife had been a kinswoman of his. Wilhelm was not the only one who objected to the marriage; Georg's father ex-Duke Bernhard was equally angry and threatened to appeal directly to the people with the mistaken view that they would support his opinion. Officials and ministers of the Saxe-Meiningen court also objected to the match. Many resigned their offices and their wives openly insulted Ellen. The army also refused to salute her, further angering Duke Georg. He sent an emissary to Berlin with a complaint to Wilhelm, who responded by ordering that all officers must in the future salute Ellen as Baroness von Heldburg. She was never styled as Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen like his second wife.
The couple had no children. Well-loved by the people, she and Duke Georg created and developed the progressive Meiningen Theater
.
, Georg devoted himself to theatre. He was one of the greatest intellectuals among the higher nobility during the Second German Empire. He is particularly known for developing the Meiningen Ensemble
using his court theatre. Using his knowledge of art history and his drawing skills, he designed highly detailed, historically accurate scenery, costumes, and properties. In addition, he choreographed large crowd scenes that stunned audiences across Europe. He and his ensemble toured Europe extensively, and had a profound effect on theatre production across the continent. There is no doubt that Realism saw the development of the director as a separate entity, someone with an eye to oversee, someone responsible for the overall conception, interpretation, style and detail of the theatrical performance. The Meiningen Ensemble from its roots in the late 1830's under the directorships of Georg II (Duke of Sax-Meiningen) and Ludwig Chronegk, proceeded to develop a theatre company bereft of theatre-managers and the star system. A system centred on realistic acting and staging and well-developed 'unified' productions. The Ensemble which began as a court theatre but started touring in 1874, used detailed research of people, locations, costumes and set, along with highly choreographed and individually detailed crowd scenes, to create productions which were aesthically unified and realistic in their presentations.
In an article for the Deutsche Buhne, the Duke outlined his principles for directing a play, the most important were the creation of a Stage Picture (the pictorial effect created by the synthesis of the actors with the set and props), historical exactitude in the mise en scene, an acting style which used Precise Gestural and Vocal Imitation, the use of Period or Authentic Clothing and Costumes and the use of Group Orchestration by precise planning and direction of all group and crowd scenes
The initial aim of the Meiningen Ensemble was to create, within the context of an ensemble, historical exactitude of the mise en scene. The Meiningen company sought to create the illusion of natural space within the confines of the proscenium arch. Duke Georg was concerned mainly with creating a naturalistic illusory atmosphere where the actor could establish or re-create authenticity in performance. Chronegk and the Duke prepared sketches and diagrams showing actors how to walk and move in period clothing to achieve a naturalistic feel to stage characterization. The Meiningen productions influenced playwrights like Henrik Ibsen, actors like Henry Irving and directors like Antoine and Stanislavsky.
The conventions of realism for the Meiningen seemed to create the means by which a theatre artist creates the illusion of everyday life. They saw that art should copy science by depicting life 'as it is' without direct comment, interpretation and the structural edifice of the well made play. The Duke believed that a life-like reality was achieved on stage through a careful study of the play and showing this in stage movement, composition and stage business. His major contribution to the stage was not just his use of realistic settings and costumes but in the way he tried to use and integrate performers as part of the mise en scene. The use of costume did not merely reflect historical accuracy but attempted to help actors perform in a style and mode which integrated with other elements. He demanded that all the actors were at most rehearsals and he carefully worked out the actions of even everyone in crowd scenes. Individual members of crowds and main actors alike were expected to provide specific research and character analysis related to the events depicted on stage.He was known for his great vision and memory and he often worked without a prompt book or script, working from his head and using a runner to ferry his ideas to his assistant Chronegk. For his work in the theatre, he is known as the first modern director.
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
, 2 April 1826 – Wildungen, 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Saxe-Meiningen
The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
, reigning from 1866 to 1914.
Family and early life
Georg was the only son of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his wife Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-KasselPrincess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel
Princess Marie Frederica Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel was a daughter of William II, Elector of Hesse and Princess Augusta of Prussia...
. His birth was met with great relief by his father's subjects, as the succession to the duchy was in jeopardy due to a lack of male heirs in the family. Georg would remain an only child for seventeen years, until the birth of his sister Princess Augusta
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Augusta Louise Adelaide Caroline Ida of Saxe-Meiningen was the daughter of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his wife Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel. She was the mother of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.-Family and early life:Augusta was the only daughter of the Duke and...
in 1843.
Georg spent his first few years under the supervision of his parents and grandmother the Dowager Duchess Luise Eleonore
Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Princess Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was a German noblewoman. She was duchess and Regent of Saxe-Meiningen.-Family:...
. It was the latter who instilled upon Georg the patriotic virtues of his heritage, as well as the sense of duty needed to rule a duchy.
In 1862, his only sister married Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg, a younger son of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. They would be the parents of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...
.
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, when he was forced to abdicate on 20 September 1866 in favor of his son following the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian WarAustro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
. Unlike his father, Georg had remained loyal to the Prussians during the war and was rewarded as Lieutenant General of the Prussian army. Also unlike his parents, the young duke was familiar enough with Prussian politics to regard their attitudes as impractical. During the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, Georg led two regiments of soldiers from Meiningen and had the honor of capturing the first French flags at the Battle of Froeschweiler. Notably, he fought in nearly every battle during the war. Georg was a member of Wilhelm I's staff when he entered Paris and would remain a close friend of the Emperor until his death.
First
Georg was married firstly in CharlottenburgCharlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
on 18 May 1850 to the Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia
Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia
Princess Frederica Louise Wilhelmina Marianne Charlotte of Prussia was the eldest daughter of Prince Albert of Prussia and his wife Princess Marianne of the Netherlands...
. She was the eldest daughter of Prince Albert of Prussia and Princess Marianne of the Netherlands
Princess Marianne of the Netherlands
Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau , was a member of the House of Orange-Nassau, by birth Princess of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and by marriage Princess of the Kingdom of Prussia.-Family:Born in Berlin, she was the youngest child and second daughter of King...
, and was a granddaughter of both Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
and William I of the Netherlands
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
.
They had four children:
- Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (b. Meiningen, 1 April 1851 - d. Meiningen, 16 January 1928).
- Prince Georg Albrecht (b. Meiningen, 12 April 1852 - d. Meiningen, 27 January 1855).
- Princess Marie ElisabethPrincess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-MeiningenPrincess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen was the only daughter of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen by his first wife Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia. She was notable as a musician and composer...
(b. Potsdam, 23 September 1853 - d. Munich, 22 February 1923). - a son (b. Meiningen, 29 March 1855 - d. Meiningen, 30 March 1855).
The couple had a short engagement, as it was a love match. Among the wedding gifts was an opulent old villa on Lake Como from her mother Marianne
Princess Marianne of the Netherlands
Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau , was a member of the House of Orange-Nassau, by birth Princess of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and by marriage Princess of the Kingdom of Prussia.-Family:Born in Berlin, she was the youngest child and second daughter of King...
. It was renamed the Villa Carlotta in the bride's honor. They spent the next five years in Berlin and Potsdam but returned to Meiningen for the birth of their children.
On 27 January 1855, their second son Georg died. Charlotte would follow him three months later, dying in childbirth and leaving Georg inconsolable. He succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in 1866, eleven years after Charlotte's death.
Second
Despite his recent widowhood, Georg went on a search for a new wife, if only to provide a mother for his two young children. Georg met his second cousin Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-LangenburgPrincess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Princess Feodora Victoria Adelaide of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was a daughter of Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Feodora of Leiningen. By her marriage to Georg of Saxe-Meiningen, she would become Duchess consort of Saxe-Meiningen upon his succession in 1866.-Family:Feodora was the...
while he was on his way to Italy; they became engaged almost at once. She was a niece of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, being a daughter of Victoria's half-sister Princess Feodora of Leiningen
Princess Feodora of Leiningen
Princess Feodora of Leiningen was the only daughter of Emich Carl, Prince of Leiningen and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld . Feodora and her older brother Carl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen were maternal half-siblings of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom...
and her husband Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. On 23 October 1858, they married at Langenburg
Langenburg
Langenburg is a town in the district of Schwäbisch Hall, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on a hill above the river Jagst, 18 km northeast of Schwäbisch Hall...
.
Georg and Feodora had three sons:
- Prince Ernst Bernhard Victor GeorgErnst Bernhard of Saxe-MeiningenErnst, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen was the head of the house of Saxe-Meiningen from 1928 until his death.-Biography:He was born in Meiningen the eldest son of the heir apparent to the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, Prince Georg and his second wife Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. His father...
(b. Meiningen, 27 September 1859 - d. Schloß Altenstein, 29 December 1941). - Prince Frederick Johann Bernhard Hermann Heinrich MoritzFrederick Johann of Saxe-MeiningenPrince Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen, Duke of Saxony was a German soldier and member of the Ducal House of Saxe-Meiningen.-Birth and university :...
(b. Meiningen, 12 October 1861 - killed in battle, Tarcienne, France, 23 August 1914). - Prince Viktor (b. Meiningen, 14 May 1865 - d. Meiningen, 17 May 1865).
Their marriage was unhappy however. Georg had never become reconciled to Charlotte's death and Feodora was not temperamentally suited for the life she was expected to lead. She had no intellectual or artistic attainments; even worse, she had no interest in developing any. Despite this fact, Georg attempted to educate her, as he was a great lover of the arts, especially theater. Her mother approved, stating it was "very sensible of him indeed to arrange for his bride to be much occupied with lessons, to take drawing lessons, and to hear lectures on history". Georg soon realized however that she would never be as witty and clever as Charlotte. After the death of their third son, Feodora stayed away from Meiningen for as much as decently possible. In 1866, he succeeded as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, making her Duchess consort of Saxe-Meiningen.
Feodora contracted scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
in January 1872, and died the following month. Despite the many differences between them, Georg had remained fond of her; when she became sick, he was genuinely distraught and sent telegrams to her parents twice daily.
Third
He was married thirdly and unequally in LiebensteinLiebenstein
Liebenstein is a municipality in the district Ilm-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany....
on 18 March 1873 to Ellen Franz
Ellen Franz
Ellen Franz was a German pianist and actress.-Early life:She was born in Berlin. According to Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt, Ellen Franz made her first appearance in the Hoftheater of Meiningen in 1867.-Marriage:...
, a former actress. She was given her own style, being known as Helene, Baroness von Holdburg shortly before their wedding and after their marriage.
This marriage was morganatic, and greatly angered Kaiser Wilhelm. Georg in turn became increasingly angry and defensive at anyone who failed to recognize his wife and treat her as an equal. Most Germans supported Georg's decision to marry, but Wilhelm felt particularly upset because Georg's first wife had been a kinswoman of his. Wilhelm was not the only one who objected to the marriage; Georg's father ex-Duke Bernhard was equally angry and threatened to appeal directly to the people with the mistaken view that they would support his opinion. Officials and ministers of the Saxe-Meiningen court also objected to the match. Many resigned their offices and their wives openly insulted Ellen. The army also refused to salute her, further angering Duke Georg. He sent an emissary to Berlin with a complaint to Wilhelm, who responded by ordering that all officers must in the future salute Ellen as Baroness von Heldburg. She was never styled as Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen like his second wife.
The couple had no children. Well-loved by the people, she and Duke Georg created and developed the progressive Meiningen Theater
Meiningen Ensemble
The Meiningen Ensemble, also known as the Meiningen Company, was the court theatre of the German state of Saxe-Meiningen, led by Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Its principal director was Ludwig Chronegk...
.
Relationship to theatre
After the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, Georg devoted himself to theatre. He was one of the greatest intellectuals among the higher nobility during the Second German Empire. He is particularly known for developing the Meiningen Ensemble
Meiningen Ensemble
The Meiningen Ensemble, also known as the Meiningen Company, was the court theatre of the German state of Saxe-Meiningen, led by Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Its principal director was Ludwig Chronegk...
using his court theatre. Using his knowledge of art history and his drawing skills, he designed highly detailed, historically accurate scenery, costumes, and properties. In addition, he choreographed large crowd scenes that stunned audiences across Europe. He and his ensemble toured Europe extensively, and had a profound effect on theatre production across the continent. There is no doubt that Realism saw the development of the director as a separate entity, someone with an eye to oversee, someone responsible for the overall conception, interpretation, style and detail of the theatrical performance. The Meiningen Ensemble from its roots in the late 1830's under the directorships of Georg II (Duke of Sax-Meiningen) and Ludwig Chronegk, proceeded to develop a theatre company bereft of theatre-managers and the star system. A system centred on realistic acting and staging and well-developed 'unified' productions. The Ensemble which began as a court theatre but started touring in 1874, used detailed research of people, locations, costumes and set, along with highly choreographed and individually detailed crowd scenes, to create productions which were aesthically unified and realistic in their presentations.
In an article for the Deutsche Buhne, the Duke outlined his principles for directing a play, the most important were the creation of a Stage Picture (the pictorial effect created by the synthesis of the actors with the set and props), historical exactitude in the mise en scene, an acting style which used Precise Gestural and Vocal Imitation, the use of Period or Authentic Clothing and Costumes and the use of Group Orchestration by precise planning and direction of all group and crowd scenes
The initial aim of the Meiningen Ensemble was to create, within the context of an ensemble, historical exactitude of the mise en scene. The Meiningen company sought to create the illusion of natural space within the confines of the proscenium arch. Duke Georg was concerned mainly with creating a naturalistic illusory atmosphere where the actor could establish or re-create authenticity in performance. Chronegk and the Duke prepared sketches and diagrams showing actors how to walk and move in period clothing to achieve a naturalistic feel to stage characterization. The Meiningen productions influenced playwrights like Henrik Ibsen, actors like Henry Irving and directors like Antoine and Stanislavsky.
The conventions of realism for the Meiningen seemed to create the means by which a theatre artist creates the illusion of everyday life. They saw that art should copy science by depicting life 'as it is' without direct comment, interpretation and the structural edifice of the well made play. The Duke believed that a life-like reality was achieved on stage through a careful study of the play and showing this in stage movement, composition and stage business. His major contribution to the stage was not just his use of realistic settings and costumes but in the way he tried to use and integrate performers as part of the mise en scene. The use of costume did not merely reflect historical accuracy but attempted to help actors perform in a style and mode which integrated with other elements. He demanded that all the actors were at most rehearsals and he carefully worked out the actions of even everyone in crowd scenes. Individual members of crowds and main actors alike were expected to provide specific research and character analysis related to the events depicted on stage.He was known for his great vision and memory and he often worked without a prompt book or script, working from his head and using a runner to ferry his ideas to his assistant Chronegk. For his work in the theatre, he is known as the first modern director.