Augustus George, Margrave of Baden-Baden

Augustus George of Baden-Baden (August Georg Simpert; 14 January 1706, Rastatt, Margraviate of Baden – 21 October 1771) was the ruling Margrave of Baden-Baden from 1761 till his death in 1771. He succeeded his brother Louis George and was the brother of the Duchess of Orléans. He was the son in law of Léopold Philippe d'Arenberg.^[1]

Biography

Born at the Schloss Rastatt, he was the youngest son of Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden, a distinguished member of the Imperial Army and his wife Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg, sister of the future Grand Duchess of Tuscany^[2]

In 1707 his father died and his older brother Louis George, Hereditary prince of Baden-Baden succeeded as the ruler of the state with a regency held by his mother. During his mothers regency, it was decided that he would enter the church. As such, at the age of 20 he took religious vows and was later a canon of Cologne in 1726 and 1728 dean at Augsburg.

In 1727, his brother gained his majority and his mother left the administration of the state to him. His mother died in 1733. She had been a popular ruler.

In 1735, he left the church and married Marie Victoire d'Arenburg, a daughter of Léopold Philippe d'Arenberg and his wife Maria Lodovica Francesca Pignatelli. Her brother was Charles Marie Raymond, a member of the Imperial Army like Augustus George's own father. The couple married 7 December 1735 at the Schloss Rastatt but would be childless.

At the death of his brother in 1761 aged 59, Augustus George succeeded him as Louis George had had no male issue, salic law being applicable in Baden-Baden. Childless himself, it became evident that the state would have to pass to the Baden-Durlach line of the House of Zähringen which at the time was headed by his distant cousin Charles Frederick, Margrave of Baden-Durlach.^[3]

At his death in 1771 he was succeeded by Charles Frederick and the Catholic rulers of Baden-Baden ended with him uniting the Protestant Baden-Durlach with the catholic Baden-Baden thus allowing free religion. The contract detailing the Baden-Durlach inheritance was signed in 1765, six years before Augustus George died.

He died at the Schloss Rastatt aged 65.

In the reign of the Margrave August Georg a school order, a fire insurance fund was introduced and a widow. He also set up in honor of his father, the Turks Louis, the "Tuerckische chamber in the castle of Rastatt, where the Ottoman spoils were kept.

His wife outlived him till 1793. He was buried at the Stiftskirche in Baden-Baden beside his wife.^[4]

Ancestors

References