Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt (28 February 1616 – 19 February 1682) was a German Roman Catholic Church Cardinal who was appointed Crown-cardinal of Austria.
Von Hessen-Darmstadt was born in Darmstadt, Germany, the 12th child of Landgrave Ludwig V von Hessen-Darmstadt. Born into a Lutheran family, he converted to Catholicism in 1636 and entered the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. He became Grand Prior of the order in Germany in 1647 then traveled throughout Italy, Spain and Germany.[1]
In 1652 he was elevated to cardinal by Pope Innocent X and participated in the Papal conclave of 1655.[2]
He was appointed legate (with Cardinal Carlo de' Medici) to Queen Christina of Sweden, who had converted to Catholicism and arrived in Rome in November 1655 to celebrations at the Palazzo Barberini.
In 1671 he was elected Bishop of Breslau and was then appointed administrator of Breslau for six months from October 1671. Von Hessen-Darmstadt died in Breslau on 19 February 1682.