William I, Elector of Hesse
Encyclopedia
William I, Elector of Hesse was the eldest surviving son of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Princess Mary of Great Britain
, the daughter of George II
.
, Hesse
. His father, landgrave Frederick II (who died in 1785) had in 1747 left the family and soon converted to Catholicism
, and in 1755 formally ended the marriage. Their grandfather, Landgrave William, granted the newly-acquired principality of Hanau to his daughter-in-law and grandsons, and young William became technically the reigning prince of Hanau, though under his mother's regency. The young prince William, together with his two younger brothers, were with their mother the landgravine Mary and became since 1747 fostered by Protestant relatives and soon moved to Denmark, to the care of family of her sister Louise of Great Britain
who had died in 1751.
, his first cousin Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway (1747–1820), the second surviving daughter of Frederick V of Denmark
and Norway. They remained mostly in Denmark, until 1785 to return to Kassel when he succeeded in the landgraviate. William however received the Principality of Hanau south of the Hessian territories, near Frankfurt
, as successor of its newly extinct princes, already in the lifetime of his father, since the Hanau
people did not want to have a Catholic ruler.
William's younger brother Charles followed suit and in 1766 married another of their Danish first cousins.
Due in part to the wealth of his estate, William is especially notable for his role in affording Mayer Amschel Rothschild
both the relationship, and situational means, by assigning some of the care of his properties and tax-gathering, for founding the Rothschild family
dynasty. Also, though acquainted since 1775, William IX didn't formally designate Rothschild as overseer until 1801.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild and William:
Already at Hanau, William utilized the knowhow of Rothschild, who resided in the nearby Frankfurt.
The early fortunes of the Rothschild family were made through a conjunction of financial intelligence and the wealth of Prince William. In 1785 the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died, leaving his immense wealth (largely gained through the loan of Hessian mercenaries, not least to Great Britain during the American Revolution) to his eldest son, the Prince William of Hanau. During the Napoleonic wars William saw necessary to have his fortune hidden from Napoleon by using his long standing association with the Frankfurt Rothschilds. This money then saw its way through to Nathan Mayer, (N.M.) in London, where it helped fund the British movements through Portugal and Spain. The interest made from this venture was reaped by the budding banker baron
s, who used it to swiftly develop their fortune and prestige in Europe and Britain. It was not long before their riches outweighed that of their benefactor, William of Hesse-Kassel.
In 1803, Landgrave William was created Elector of Hesse; but in 1806 his electorate was annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia
, ruled by Jérôme Bonaparte
. William escaped to Denmark with his family and lived there in exile until the French were repulsed from Germany. Following the defeat of the Napoleonic armies in the Battle of Leipzig
, he was restored in 1813, and ruled until his death in Kassel
in 1821. In the Congress of Vienna
, his ambition was to get recognized as King like other prince-elector
s (his officials coined the title of king of Chatti
a for the ruler), but this was not approved, purportedly because his principality had not been electorate in any of the imperial elections. This led to him holding extremely tightly the electoral rank, deeming it at least regal.
He was succeeded by his son William
.
He had several mistresses, and sired over twenty recognized illegitimate children and provided some financial means to each of them.
With his mistress Charlotte Christine Buissine:
With his mistress Rosa Dorothea Ritter (1759–1833):
With his mistress Karoline von Schlotheim (1766–1847):
Princess Mary of Great Britain
The Princess Mary was a member of the British Royal Family, a daughter of George II and Caroline of Ansbach.-Early life:...
, the daughter of George II
George 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...
.
Early life
William was born in KasselKassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, Hesse
Hesse
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...
. His father, landgrave Frederick II (who died in 1785) had in 1747 left the family and soon converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, and in 1755 formally ended the marriage. Their grandfather, Landgrave William, granted the newly-acquired principality of Hanau to his daughter-in-law and grandsons, and young William became technically the reigning prince of Hanau, though under his mother's regency. The young prince William, together with his two younger brothers, were with their mother the landgravine Mary and became since 1747 fostered by Protestant relatives and soon moved to Denmark, to the care of family of her sister Louise of Great Britain
Louise of Great Britain
Louise of Great Britain was the youngest surviving daughter of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and became queen consort of Denmark and Norway.-Early life:...
who had died in 1751.
Marriage
William of Hanau married, on 1 September 1764 at Christiansborg PalaceChristiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
, his first cousin Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway (1747–1820), the second surviving daughter of Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
and Norway. They remained mostly in Denmark, until 1785 to return to Kassel when he succeeded in the landgraviate. William however received the Principality of Hanau south of the Hessian territories, near Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, as successor of its newly extinct princes, already in the lifetime of his father, since the Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
people did not want to have a Catholic ruler.
William's younger brother Charles followed suit and in 1766 married another of their Danish first cousins.
Reign
Upon the death of his father on October 31, 1785 he became William IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and as such, is said to have inherited one of the largest fortunes in Europe at the time.Due in part to the wealth of his estate, William is especially notable for his role in affording Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Mayer Amschel Rothschild was the founder of the Rothschild family international banking dynasty that became the most successful business family in history. In 2005, he was ranked 7th on the Forbes magazine list of "The Twenty Most Influential Businessmen Of All Time"...
both the relationship, and situational means, by assigning some of the care of his properties and tax-gathering, for founding the Rothschild family
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
dynasty. Also, though acquainted since 1775, William IX didn't formally designate Rothschild as overseer until 1801.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild and William:
Already at Hanau, William utilized the knowhow of Rothschild, who resided in the nearby Frankfurt.
The early fortunes of the Rothschild family were made through a conjunction of financial intelligence and the wealth of Prince William. In 1785 the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died, leaving his immense wealth (largely gained through the loan of Hessian mercenaries, not least to Great Britain during the American Revolution) to his eldest son, the Prince William of Hanau. During the Napoleonic wars William saw necessary to have his fortune hidden from Napoleon by using his long standing association with the Frankfurt Rothschilds. This money then saw its way through to Nathan Mayer, (N.M.) in London, where it helped fund the British movements through Portugal and Spain. The interest made from this venture was reaped by the budding banker baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
s, who used it to swiftly develop their fortune and prestige in Europe and Britain. It was not long before their riches outweighed that of their benefactor, William of Hesse-Kassel.
In 1803, Landgrave William was created Elector of Hesse; but in 1806 his electorate was annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a new country of 2.6 million Germans that existed from 1807-1813. It included of territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte...
, ruled by Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
. William escaped to Denmark with his family and lived there in exile until the French were repulsed from Germany. Following the defeat of the Napoleonic armies in the Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
, he was restored in 1813, and ruled until his death in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
in 1821. In the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, his ambition was to get recognized as King like other prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
s (his officials coined the title of king of Chatti
Chatti
The Chatti were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. They settled in central and northern Hesse and southern Lower Saxony, along the upper reaches of the Weser River and in the valleys and mountains of the Eder, Fulda and Weser River regions, a district approximately...
a for the ruler), but this was not approved, purportedly because his principality had not been electorate in any of the imperial elections. This led to him holding extremely tightly the electoral rank, deeming it at least regal.
He was succeeded by his son William
William II, Elector of Hesse
-Biography:William was the eldest surviving son of William I, Elector of Hesse and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse on his father's death in 1821.-Marriage and issue:On 13 February 1797 in Berlin, William married Princess Augusta of Prussia, fourth...
.
Issue
With his wife Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway he had four children:- Marie FriederikeMarie Friederike of Hesse-KasselMarie Frederike of Hesse-Kassel was a German noblewoman. She was a daughter of William I, Elector of Hesse and his wife Princess Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark...
(14 September 1768 – 17 April 1839), married Alexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-BernburgAlexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-BernburgAlexius Frederick Christian of Anhalt-Bernburg , was a German prince of the House of Ascania, ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg, and from 1807 the first "Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg."...
on 29 November 1794, divorced 1817 - Karoline AmalieKaroline Amalie of Hesse-KasselKaroline Amalie of Hesse-Kassel , was a German princess member of the House of Hesse-Kassel and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg....
(11 July 1771 – 22 February 1848), married in 1802 to Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg - Friedrich (8 August 1772 – 20 July 1784)
- WilhelmWilliam II, Elector of Hesse-Biography:William was the eldest surviving son of William I, Elector of Hesse and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse on his father's death in 1821.-Marriage and issue:On 13 February 1797 in Berlin, William married Princess Augusta of Prussia, fourth...
(28 July 1777 – 20 November 1847)
He had several mistresses, and sired over twenty recognized illegitimate children and provided some financial means to each of them.
With his mistress Charlotte Christine Buissine:
- Wilhelm of Heimrod (1775–1811)
- Karl of Heimrod (1776–1827)
- Friedrich of Heimrod (b. & d. 1777)
- Friedrich of Heimrod (1778–1813)
With his mistress Rosa Dorothea Ritter (1759–1833):
- Wilhelm Karl of Hanau (1779–1856)
- George Wilhelm of Hanau (1781–1813)
- Philipp Ludway of Hanau (1782–1843)
- Wilhelmine of Hanau (1783–1866)
- Moritz of Hanau (1784–1812)
- Marie Sophie of Hanau (1785–1865)
- Julius Heinrich of Hanau (1786–1853)
- Otto of Hanau (1788–1791)
With his mistress Karoline von Schlotheim (1766–1847):
- Wilhelm Friedrich of Hessenstein (1789–1790)
- Wilhelm Karl of Hessenstein (1790–1867)
- Ferdinand of Hessenstein (1791–1794)
- Karoline of Hessenstein (1792–1797)
- Auguste of Hessenstein (1793–1795)
- Ludwig Karl of Hessenstein (1794–1857)
- Friederike of Hessenstein (1795–1855)
- Wilhelm Ludwig (1800–1836)
- Friedrich Ludwig (1803–1805)
- Karoline of Hessenstein (1804–1891)