Johann Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Wallmoden-Gimborn
Encyclopedia
Johann Ludwig Reichsgraf von Wallmoden-Gimborn (22 April 1736, Hanover
; 10 October 1811, Hanover) was a German
lieutenant-general and art collector.
by his mistress Amalie von Wallmoden
. She was legally married to Adam Gottlieb, Graf von Wallmoden (1704−1752), but for a payment of 1000 Ducat
s Adam was ready to defer his marital claims to George. Adam and Amalie finally separated in 1740.
On the death of Queen Caroline
(1683−1737) the Prime Minister Robert Walpole
suggested that Amalie be brought over from Hanover to Britain
to take her place as maîtresse en titre to George II. In the meantime Lady Deloraine, a loquacious but not very intelligent courtesan
, with whom George had a distant relationship, functioned as a stopgap. Thus Johann Ludwig grew up at St. James's Palace
and Kensington Palace
. As an illegitimate son of the king he received a comprehensive education, after which he went on a Grand Tour
to Italy, where he acquired an extensive collection of classical statues, busts and reliefs. On his return he entered the Hanoverian army and rose to the rank of major general.
Around 1700 several noblemen's country estates were established in the former flood plain of the Leine
. In 1768 Wallmoden-Gimborn acquired some of these gardens and merged them into the Wallmodengarten (later to become the Georgengarten
). In 1782 he built the Wallmoden-Schloss to house his antiquities collection. In 1782 he bought the Reichsherrschaft Gimborn in Westphalia
from prince Johann I. zu Schwarzenberg
and on 17 January 1783 was raised to the nobility by emperor Joseph II
, with the title Wallmoden-Gimborn and with a corresponding coat-of-arms increase to Reichsgraf.
Simultaneously he attained a seat and a voice on the Westphalian Reichsgrafenkollegium (College of Reichsgrafs) and therewith on the Reichsstandschaft
. After the death of count Philipp II of Schaumburg-Lippe
(1723−1787), Wallmoden-Gimborn acted for his widow (princess Juliane of Hesse Philippsthal) as guardian of her younger son and heir George William
(1784−1860). From 1790 to 1811, he was an honorary member of the Prussian academy of the arts
in Berlin.
On 5 July 1803, as Oberbefehlshaber of the Hanoverian army, he signed the convention of Artlenburg
and thus capitulated before the Napoleonic troops arrived.
After Wallmoden-Gimborn's death, his nephew George III acquired his collection of antique sculpture and books (over 8000 volumes). The collection is still in the possession of the Welfen and since 1979 as a collection of the Archeological Institute in Göttingen
.
, to Charlotte Christiane Auguste Wilhelmine von Wangenheim (1 March 1740−21 July 1783). They had 5 children:
His second marriage, on 3 August 1788 in Bückeburg
, was to Baroness Luise Christiane von Liechtenstein (10 April 1763−25 February 1809), daughter of Freiherr Friedrich Karl von Lichtenstein and Charlotte Ernestine von Berckefeld. They had 3 children:
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
; 10 October 1811, Hanover) was a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
lieutenant-general and art collector.
Life
He was an illegitimate son of George II of Great BritainGeorge II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
by his mistress Amalie von Wallmoden
Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth
Amalie Sophie Marianne von Wallmoden, 1st Countess of Yarmouth was the mistress of George II of Great Britain from the mid-1730s until his death in 1760. Born into one prominent family in Hanover and wed into another, she became a naturalised citizen of Britain in 1740 and was granted the life...
. She was legally married to Adam Gottlieb, Graf von Wallmoden (1704−1752), but for a payment of 1000 Ducat
Ducat
The ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
s Adam was ready to defer his marital claims to George. Adam and Amalie finally separated in 1740.
On the death of Queen Caroline
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
(1683−1737) the Prime Minister Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
suggested that Amalie be brought over from Hanover to Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
to take her place as maîtresse en titre to George II. In the meantime Lady Deloraine, a loquacious but not very intelligent courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
, with whom George had a distant relationship, functioned as a stopgap. Thus Johann Ludwig grew up at St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
and Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
. As an illegitimate son of the king he received a comprehensive education, after which he went on a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
to Italy, where he acquired an extensive collection of classical statues, busts and reliefs. On his return he entered the Hanoverian army and rose to the rank of major general.
Around 1700 several noblemen's country estates were established in the former flood plain of the Leine
Leine
The Leine is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller river and 281 km in length.The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia...
. In 1768 Wallmoden-Gimborn acquired some of these gardens and merged them into the Wallmodengarten (later to become the Georgengarten
Georgengarten
The Georgengarten is a landscape garden in the northwestern borough of Herrenhausen of the German city Hanover. It is a part of Herrenhausen Gardens.-History:...
). In 1782 he built the Wallmoden-Schloss to house his antiquities collection. In 1782 he bought the Reichsherrschaft Gimborn in Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
from prince Johann I. zu Schwarzenberg
House of Schwarzenberg
-History:The family was first mentioned in 1172. A branch of the Seinsheim family was created when Erkinger I of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian barony of Schwarzenberg, the castle Schwarzenberg and the title Baron of Schwarzenberg, in 1405–21. At this time, they also possessed some fiefdoms in...
and on 17 January 1783 was raised to the nobility by emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
, with the title Wallmoden-Gimborn and with a corresponding coat-of-arms increase to Reichsgraf.
Simultaneously he attained a seat and a voice on the Westphalian Reichsgrafenkollegium (College of Reichsgrafs) and therewith on the Reichsstandschaft
Imperial State
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.Rulers of Imperial States were...
. After the death of count Philipp II of Schaumburg-Lippe
Philip II Ernest, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe
Philipp II Ernst, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe was a ruler of the counties of Lippe-Alverdissen and Schaumburg-Lippe.-Biography:...
(1723−1787), Wallmoden-Gimborn acted for his widow (princess Juliane of Hesse Philippsthal) as guardian of her younger son and heir George William
George William, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe was a Count and later Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.-Biography:...
(1784−1860). From 1790 to 1811, he was an honorary member of the Prussian academy of the arts
Akademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste, Berlin is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas...
in Berlin.
On 5 July 1803, as Oberbefehlshaber of the Hanoverian army, he signed the convention of Artlenburg
Convention of Artlenburg
The Convention of Artlenburg or Elbkonvention was the surrender of the Electorate of Hanover to Napoleon's army, signed at Artlenburg on 5 July 1803 by Oberbefehlshaber Johann Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn...
and thus capitulated before the Napoleonic troops arrived.
After Wallmoden-Gimborn's death, his nephew George III acquired his collection of antique sculpture and books (over 8000 volumes). The collection is still in the possession of the Welfen and since 1979 as a collection of the Archeological Institute in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
.
Marriages and issue
Johann Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn first marriage occurred on 18 April 1766 in HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, to Charlotte Christiane Auguste Wilhelmine von Wangenheim (1 March 1740−21 July 1783). They had 5 children:
- Ernst Georg August (8 May 1767−1 January 1792)
- Ludwig Georg ThedelLudwig von Wallmoden-GimbornLudwig Georg Thedel, Graf von Wallmoden was an Austrian "General of the Cavalry", best known for his training of light infantry and the refinement of the Tirailleur system.-Life:...
(6 February 1769−20 March 1862), Austrian "General of Cavalry" - Georgine Charlotte Auguste (1 February 1770−13 August 1859)
- Wilhelmine Magdalene Friederike (22 June 1772−15 September 1819) ∞ 1793 Freiherr Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom Stein
- Friedrike Eleonore Juliane (12 July 1776−18 February 1826) ∞ Ludwig Friedrich Graf von Kielmansegg; parents of Eduard
His second marriage, on 3 August 1788 in Bückeburg
Bückeburg
Bückeburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It was once the capital of the tiny principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and is today located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge...
, was to Baroness Luise Christiane von Liechtenstein (10 April 1763−25 February 1809), daughter of Freiherr Friedrich Karl von Lichtenstein and Charlotte Ernestine von Berckefeld. They had 3 children:
- Karl August Ludwig (4 January 1792−28 February 1883), Austrian GeheimratGeheimratGeheimrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the Imperial, royal or principal courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the Geheimer Rat reporting to the ruler...
and Feldmarschallleutnant ∞ 1833 Zoe GräfGrafGraf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
in von Grünne (daughter of Philipp Ferdinand); From him is descended the Oberhaus Wallmoden line. - Adolf Franz James Wilhelm (25 December 1794−3 December 1825)
- Luise Henriette (1796−1851)
See also
- House of WallmodenHouse of WallmodenThe House of Wallmoden is a German noble family from the Diocese of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony. Their ancestral seat of Wallmoden is today a town in Goslar. Branches of the family still survive...