Ludvig Douglas
Encyclopedia
Ludvig Vilhelm August Douglas, Count of Mühlhausen
, Gondelsheim, Skenninge and Stjernorp, Lord of Langenstein and Stjernorp castles (24 November 1849 at Zürich, Switzerland - 20 July 1916 Lysekil, Sweden), was a conservative Swedish politician and official. He was a direct patrilineal descendant of Field Marshal Robert Douglas
.
Ludvig Douglas' parents were Count Carl Israel Douglas (1824-1898), first count of the Douglas family in the nobility of Baden
(since 1848) as Count of Mühlhausen, and his wife Countess Louise von Gondelsheim and Langenstein (1825-1900), herself an illegitimate
daughter of Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden by Katharina Werner. Through his mother, he was a second cousin of Victoria of Baden
, wife of King Gustaf V of Sweden
.
He received the fideicommiss of Muhlhausen and the castle of Langenstein as his share of the family inheritance and purchased in c1875 the castle of Stjernorp
. He ultimately succeeded his childless elder brother as head of the comital House of Douglas.
Douglas was a protectionist and solidly oriented towards Germany. From 1895 to 1899, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden
. He resigned because he refused to accept that Norway
(then in union with Sweden) would have their flag without the mark of the union
, i.e. he opposed the so-called pure flag
.
He also held the position of Riksmarskalk
(Marshal of the Realm) (1911-1916), Landshövding (governor) of Uppsala County
(1893-1895), and Landshövding (governor) of Östergötland County
(1901-1912). Douglas worked for the Norrlander farmers' party against the forest products companies, they demanded protective legislation in field of wood market.
Count Ludvig is buried at the Douglas family graveyard in Vreta
monastic church, Sweden.
His wife was Countess Anna Louise Ehrensvärd, daughter of Count Albert Ehrensvärd the Elder, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (1885-1889), and sister of Count Albert Ehrensvärd the Younger, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (1911-1914).
The Swedish branch of the Counts Douglas, to which Ludvig belonged, was the main surviving lineage of the family until Ludvig's sons and grandsons created several new branches (which spread over both Sweden and Germany. Lines descended from Ludvig Douglas include:
Mühlhausen (Kraichgau)
Mühlhausen is a town in the district of Rhein-Neckar in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, Gondelsheim, Skenninge and Stjernorp, Lord of Langenstein and Stjernorp castles (24 November 1849 at Zürich, Switzerland - 20 July 1916 Lysekil, Sweden), was a conservative Swedish politician and official. He was a direct patrilineal descendant of Field Marshal Robert Douglas
Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge
Robert Douglas , Count of Skenninge, Baron of Skalby, was a Scottish Field Marshal in the Swedish army, during the Thirty Years' War and the Swedish-Polish wars...
.
Ludvig Douglas' parents were Count Carl Israel Douglas (1824-1898), first count of the Douglas family in the nobility of Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
(since 1848) as Count of Mühlhausen, and his wife Countess Louise von Gondelsheim and Langenstein (1825-1900), herself an illegitimate
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
daughter of Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden by Katharina Werner. Through his mother, he was a second cousin of Victoria of Baden
Victoria of Baden
Victoria of Baden was a Queen consort of Sweden by her marriage to King Gustaf V of Sweden. She was politically active in a conservative fashion during the development of democracy and known as a pro-German during the First World War.-Birth:Princess Viktoria was born on 7 August 1862 at the castle...
, wife of King Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V was King of Sweden from 1907. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
.
He received the fideicommiss of Muhlhausen and the castle of Langenstein as his share of the family inheritance and purchased in c1875 the castle of Stjernorp
Stjärnorp Castle
Stjärnorp Castle is situated north of Linköping, in the southern province of Östergötland, Sweden. It was built by the Douglas Family, with a view over Lake Roxen.- History :...
. He ultimately succeeded his childless elder brother as head of the comital House of Douglas.
Douglas was a protectionist and solidly oriented towards Germany. From 1895 to 1899, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the foreign minister of Sweden and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.The office was instituted in 1809 as a result of the constitutional Instrument of Government promulgated in the same year. Until 1876 the office was called Prime Minister for Foreign...
. He resigned because he refused to accept that Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(then in union with Sweden) would have their flag without the mark of the union
Union badge of Norway and Sweden
The Union badge was inserted into the canton of Swedish and Norwegian flags in 1844 to denote their partnership in the personal Union, which they entered in 1814. It combined the flag colours of both kingdoms, equally distributed, to reflect their equal status within the Union...
, i.e. he opposed the so-called pure flag
Flag of Norway
The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark.- History :...
.
He also held the position of Riksmarskalk
Royal Court of Sweden
The Royal Court of Sweden is the official name for the organisation that supports the Monarch of Sweden, and the Royal House...
(Marshal of the Realm) (1911-1916), Landshövding (governor) of Uppsala County
Uppsala County
Uppsala County is a county or län on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Uppland...
(1893-1895), and Landshövding (governor) of Östergötland County
Östergötland County
Östergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
(1901-1912). Douglas worked for the Norrlander farmers' party against the forest products companies, they demanded protective legislation in field of wood market.
Count Ludvig is buried at the Douglas family graveyard in Vreta
Vreta Abbey
Vreta Abbey, Swedish Vreta Kloster, in operation from the beginning of the 12th century to 1582, was the first nunnery in Sweden, initially Benedictine and later Cistercian, and one of the oldest in Scandinavia. It was located in the municipality of Linköping in Östergötland.- History :The exact...
monastic church, Sweden.
His wife was Countess Anna Louise Ehrensvärd, daughter of Count Albert Ehrensvärd the Elder, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (1885-1889), and sister of Count Albert Ehrensvärd the Younger, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (1911-1914).
The Swedish branch of the Counts Douglas, to which Ludvig belonged, was the main surviving lineage of the family until Ludvig's sons and grandsons created several new branches (which spread over both Sweden and Germany. Lines descended from Ludvig Douglas include:
- von Douglas-Langenstein, descendants of Robert, eldest son of Ludvig. They hold the castle of Langenstein in Baden-WurttembergBaden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany. Robert's second (and childless) wife was Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern, dowager queen of Portugal.- von Reischach-Douglas, descendants of a grandson of Robert von Douglas-Langenstein
- Douglas-Gerstorp, the branch (settled in Sweden) descending from the youngest son of Robert von Douglas-Langenstein
- Douglas-Stjernorp, the branch descending from the Swedish general Archibald Douglas-StjernorpArchibald Douglas-StjernorpCount Vilhelm Archibald Douglas , was a Swedish nobleman and soldier, who served as Inspector and Supreme Commander of the Swedish Army from 1944 to 1948....
, second son of Ludvig. In this branch is held the Castle of Stjärnorp - Douglas-Kolfall, the branch descending from Oscar, the youngest son of Ludvig.