Landgraviate of Hesse
Encyclopedia
The Landgraviate of Hesse was a Landgraviate
of the Holy Roman Empire
. It existed as a unity from 1264 to 1567, when it was divided between the sons of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
.
had been part of the Landgraviate of Thuringia, but following the War of the Thuringian Succession
it was inherited by the son of Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess of Brabant
. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
, also called Henry the Child, became the first Landgrave of Hesse in 1246.
Between 1458 and 1500 the landgraviate was divided in Upper Hesse and Lower Hesse
.
The Landgraviate rose to primary importance under Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
also called Philip the Magnanimous who embraced Protestantism
in 1524 and thereafter took steps to create a protective alliance of Protestant princes and powers.
Upon the death of Philip I in 1567, the Landgraviate was divided between his sons from his first marriage into the:
Landgrave
Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. It existed as a unity from 1264 to 1567, when it was divided between the sons of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Philip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....
.
History
In the early Middle Ages HesseHesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
had been part of the Landgraviate of Thuringia, but following the War of the Thuringian Succession
War of the Thuringian Succession
The War of the Thuringen Succession was a military battle over a successor to the last Landgrave of Thuringia in present-day Germany.- Source of the conflict :...
it was inherited by the son of Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess of Brabant
Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess of Brabant
Sophie of Thuringia was the second wife and only Duchess consort of Henry II, Duke of Brabant and Lothier. She was the heiress of Hesse which she passed on to her son, Henry upon her retention of the territory following her partial victory in the War of the Thuringian Succession in which she was...
. Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
Henry I of Hesse "the Child" was the first Landgrave of Hesse. He was the son of Henry II, Duke of Brabant and Sophie of Thuringia.-Life:...
, also called Henry the Child, became the first Landgrave of Hesse in 1246.
Between 1458 and 1500 the landgraviate was divided in Upper Hesse and Lower Hesse
Lower Hesse
Lower Hesse a historic designation for an area in northern Hesse, Germany.The term Lower Hesse originated in the Middle Ages for the so-called "lower principality" of Hesse, which was separated until 1450 from the so-called "upper principality" by the area Ziegenhain...
.
The Landgraviate rose to primary importance under Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Philip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....
also called Philip the Magnanimous who embraced Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in 1524 and thereafter took steps to create a protective alliance of Protestant princes and powers.
Upon the death of Philip I in 1567, the Landgraviate was divided between his sons from his first marriage into the:
- Landgraviate of Hesse-KasselHesse-KasselThe Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
(or Hesse-Cassel) (later electorate of Hesse, 1567–1806 and 1813–66, incorporated in the kingdom of PrussiaKingdom of PrussiaThe Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
): William IV of Hesse - Landgraviate of Hesse-MarburgHesse-MarburgThe Landgraviate of Hesse-Marburg was a German landgraviate, and independent principality, within the Holy Roman Empire, that existed between 1485 and 1500, and between 1567 and 1604/1650....
(1567–1650, incorporated in the landgraviates of Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt): Louis IV of HesseLouis IV, Landgrave of Hesse-MarburgLandgrave Louis IV of Hesse-Marburg was the son of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse and his wife Christine of Saxony. After the death of his father in 1567, Hesse was divided among his sons and Louis received Hesse-Marburg including Marburg and Giessen.Louis received his education at the court of... - Landgraviate of Hesse-RheinfelsHesse-RheinfelsHesse-Rheinfels was created as a cadet line of Hesse for Philip II, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels , landgrave from 1567 until 1583, and as a cadet line of Hesse-Kassel for Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels , landgrave from 1627 until 1658.-First creation:Philip was the third son of Philip the...
(1567–83, incorporated in the landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel): Philip II of HessePhilip II, Landgrave of Hesse-RheinfelsPhilip II of Hesse-Rheinfels , also called Philip the Younger, was the first Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels.Philip was the third son of Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous and Christine of Saxony . After his father's death in 1567, the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided between the four sons out of the... - Landgraviate of Hesse-DarmstadtLandgraviate of Hesse-DarmstadtThe Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
(1567–1806, later Grand Duchy of HesseGrand Duchy of HesseThe Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
and the Rhine 1806–1918, incorporated in the Weimar RepublicWeimar RepublicThe Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
): Georg of HesseGeorge I, Landgrave of Hesse-DarmstadtGeorge I of Hesse-Darmstadt was the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1567 to 1596.Born on 10 September 1547 in Kassel, he was the fourth son of Philip I the Magnanimous of Hesse and Christine of Saxony....
