List of rulers of Hesse
This is a list of rulers of Hesse (German: Hessen) during the history of Hesse on west-central Germany. These rulers belonged to a dynasty collectively known as the House of Hesse and the House of Brabant,[1] originally the Reginar. Hesse was ruled as a Landgraviate, Electorate and later as a Grand duchy until 1918.
The title of all of the following rulers was "Landgrave" (German: Landgraf) unless otherwise noted.
Hesse, 1264–1567
Hesse, 1264–1458
- Henry I the Child, 1264–1308
- Otto the Elder, son of Henry I, 1308–1328 in Upper Hesse (Marburg), reunited Hesse in 1311
- John, son of Henry I, 1308–1311 in Lower Hesse (Kassel)
- Henry II the Iron, son of Otto I, 1328–1376
- Louis the Junker, son of Otto I, 1336–1345 residing in Grebenstein
- Hermann I the Elder, son of Otto I, 1336–1370 residing in Nordeck
- Otto the Younger, son of Henry II the Iron, co-regent 1340–1366
- Hermann II the Learned, son of Louis the Junker, 1376–1413, co-regent since 1367
- Louis I the Peaceful 1413–1458
Upper Hesse (Marburg), 1458–1500
- 1500 reunited with Lower Hesse under William II
Hesse, 1500–1567
| Image |
Name |
Start term |
End term |
Note |
|
William IV
Wilhelm IV |
31 March 1567 |
25 August 1592 |
eldest son of Philip the Magnanimous. Called "the Wise." |
|
Maurice
Moritz |
25 August 1592 |
17 March 1627 |
|
|
William V
Wilhelm V |
17 March 1627 |
21 September 1637 |
|
|
William VI
Wilhelm VI |
21 September 1637 |
16 July 1663 |
|
|
William VII
Wilhelm VII |
16 July 1663 |
21 November 1670 |
|
|
Charles
Karl |
21 November 1670 |
23 March 1730 |
|
|
Frederick I
Friedrich I |
23 March 1730 |
25 March 1751 |
also King of Sweden from 1720. Hesse-Kassel under the regency of his brother, William, later Landgrave William VIII. |
|
William VIII
Wilhelm VIII |
25 March 1751 |
1 February 1760 |
brother of Frederick I; already regent from 1730 |
|
Frederick II
Friedrich II |
1 February 1760 |
31 October 1785 |
|
|
William IX
Wilhelm IX |
31 October 1785 |
15 May 1803 |
became elector of Hesse as William I in 1803. |
- 1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse
- 1834 extinct, reunited with Hesse-Kassel"
Hesse-Eschwege, 1632-1655
- 1655 extinct, fell to Hesse-Rotenburg
- Charles, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried-(Rheinfels) (1649–1711); sovereign ~1700–1711
- William II, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried-(Rheinfels) (1671–1731); sovereign 1711–1731
- Christian, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried-(Rheinfels) (1689–1755); sovereign 1731–1755[2]
- 1755 united with Hesse-Rotenburg
- Ernest, fifth son of Maurice, 1627–1658
- 1658 united with Hesse-Rotenburg
- 1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse
- 1866 annexed by Prussia
- William, son of Philip, 1721–1761
- Frederick, 1761–1772
- Adolph, 1772–1803
- Charles, 1803–1806
- 1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse
- Charles, 1813–1854 (restored)
- Alexis, 1854–1866
- 1866 annexed by Prussia
| Image |
Name |
Start term |
End term |
Note |
|
Louis IV
Ludwig IV |
31 March 1567 |
9 October 1604 |
second son of Philip the Magnanimous. |
- 1604 extinct and disputed between Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt, 1648 divided between the two lines
| Image |
Name |
Start term |
End term |
Note |
|
Philip II |
31 March 1567 |
20 November 1583 |
third son of Philip the Magnanimous. Called "the Younger." |
- 1583 extinct and divided between Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Marburg and Hesse-Darmstadt
| Image |
Name |
Start term |
End term |
Note |
|
George I
Georg I |
31 March 1567 |
7 February 1596 |
fourth son of Philip the Magnanimous |
|
Louis V
Ludwig V |
7 February 1596 |
27 June 1626 |
son of George I. |
|
George II
Georg II |
27 June 1626 |
11 June 1661 |
son of Louis V. |
|
Louis VI
Ludwig VI |
11 June 1661 |
24 April 1678 |
son of George II |
|
Louis VII
Ludwig VII |
24 April 1678 |
31 August 1678 |
first son of Louis VI |
|
Ernest Louis
Ernst Ludwig |
31 August 1678 |
12 September 1739 |
second son of Louis VI |
|
Louis VIII
Ludwig VIII |
12 September 1739 |
17 October 1768 |
son of Ernest Louis |
|
Louis IX
Ludwig IX |
17 October 1768 |
6 April 1790 |
son of Louis VIII |
|
Louis X
Ludwig X |
6 April 1790 |
13 August 1806 |
son of Louis IX. Became Grand Duke of Hesse 1806. |
Hesse-Butzbach, 1609–1643
- Philip III, second son of George I of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1609–1643
- Frederick I, third son of George I of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1622–1638
- William Christoph, 1638–1681, sold Homburg to his brother George Christian in 1669, but retained Bingenheim (Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg-Bingenheim)
- Margareta Elisabetha of Leiningen-Westerburg-Schaumburg, Regent 1638–1648
- George Christian, 1669–1671 Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
- Under mortgage to two merchants (1671–1673) and the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt (1673–1679)
- Frederick II, son of Fredrick I, 1679–1708, Commander general of the army of Brandenburg (The Prince of Homburg), redeemed Homburg in 1679, regained Bingenheim in 1681
- Frederick III Jacob, 1708–1746, Cavalry general in the Netherlands
- Frederick IV, 1746–1751
- Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, 1751–1806
- 1806 Annexed by Hesse-Darmstadt, 1815 restored on the Congress of Vienna
- Frederick V, 1815–1820 (restored)
- Frederick VI, 1820–1829, Cavalry general in Austria
- Louis William, 1829–1839, Infantry general in Prussia
- Philip, 1839–1846, Field marshal in Austria
- Gustav, 1846–1848, Cavalry general in Austria
- Ferdinand, 1848–1866, Cavalry general in Austria
- 1866 annexed by Prussia
Hesse-Braubach, 1625–1651
- John, son of Louis V, 1626–1651
Hesse-Itter, 1661–1676
- George III, second son of George II, 1661–1676
Electors of Hesse (-Kassel), 1803–1866
| Image |
Name |
Start term |
End term |
Note |
|
William I
Wilhelm I |
15 May 1803 |
28 August 1807 |
previously Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel as William IX; deposed |
| to the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1807-1813 |
|
William I
Wilhelm I |
30 October 1813 |
27 February 1821 |
restored |
|
William II
Wilhelm II |
27 February 1821 |
20 November 1847 |
His son Frederick William acted as regent from 30 September 1831 |
|
Frederick William
Friedrich Wilhelm |
20 November 1847 |
20 September 1866 |
regent for his father from 30 September 1831. The electorate was annexed by Prussia in 1866 |
- 1866 annexed by Prussia
Grand Dukes of Hesse (-Darmstadt) and by Rhine, 1806–1918
| Image |
Name |
Start term |
End term |
Note |
|
Louis I
Ludwig I |
13 August 1806 |
6 April 1830 |
previously Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt as Louis X from 1790 |
|
Louis II
Ludwig II |
6 April 1830 |
16 June 1848 |
|
|
Louis III
Ludwig III |
16 June 1848 |
13 June 1877 |
|
|
Louis IV
Ludwig IV |
13 June 1877 |
13 March 1892 |
|
|
Ernest Louis
Ernst Ludwig |
13 March 1892 |
9 November 1918 |
|
Heads of the non-reigning House of Hesse
Hesse-Kassel since 1866
- Frederick William I, the former Elector, 1866–1875
- Landgrave Frederick William II of Hesse-Kassel, 1875–1884, son of Prince William of Hesse-Kassel.
- Landgrave Frederick William III of Hesse, 1884–1888
- Landgrave Alexander Frederick, 1888–1925 (abdicated, d. 1945)
- Landgrave Frederick Charles, 1925–1940, elected King of Finland with the name (Fredrik) Kaarle I in 1918 but renounced the throne the same year
- Landgrave Philip, 1940–1980
- Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse (born 1926), 1980–present
Hesse-Philippsthal 1866-1925
1925 the Line of Hesse-Philippsthal became extinct
Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld since 1866, Hesse-Philippsthal since the extinction of the main line 1925
- Alexis the former Landgrave, 1866–1905
- Chlodwig 1905-1954, head of the house of Hesse-Philippsthal since 1925
- Wilhelm 1954–present
Hesse-Darmstadt 1918–1968
- In 1968 the Line of Hesse-Darmstadt became extinct; the last Prince adopted the head of the Hesse-Kassel as his heir
See also
References
- ^ Burke's Royal Families of the World Volume I Europe & Latin America ISBN 0 85011 023 8, London 1977 p. 202
- ^ Christian died childless and the lands passed to his second cousin Constantine (d. 1778)
External links