Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels
Encyclopedia
Landgrave Ernest of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg (8 December 1623, Kassel
– 2 May 1693, Cologne
), was from 1649 to 1658 his death Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels and from 1658 until his death Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg. Because his brothers died young, all later Landgraves in the Rotenburg Quarter are descendants of Ernest. Hence, Ernest is known as the ancestor of the Catholic Rotenburg Quarter, a group of junior lines of the House of Hesse
.
(1572-1632) with Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg
(1587-1643). He was a great-grandson of Philip I "the Magnimoniuos"
. Landgrave Ernst married in 1647 in Frankfurt with Countess Maria Eleonore of Solms-Lich (1632-1689). Two sons from this marriage outlived Ernest: William
(1648-1725) and Charles (1649-1711).
during the Thirty Years' War
. He made his Grand Tour
to France
and Italy
, and fought with Hesse-Kassel
during the final years of the war, for example at the Battle of Nördlingen
on 3 August 1645. In 1647, the army of Landgravine Amalie Elisabeth reconquered Lower Katzenelnbogen and returned it to Hesse-Kassel. In 1649, Ernest came of age and received Lower Katzenelnbogen. This made him the founder of the Hesse-Rheinfels line. Hesse-Rheinfels was not considered sovereign: it remained under the sovereignty of Hesse-Kassel, as did the other parts of the Rotenburg Quarter. Details of the relationship between Hesse-Rheinfels and Hesse-Kassel were laid down in a series of house treaties; nevertheless, political and judicial disputes often arose between the two houses.
Ernest chose Burg Rheinfels
castle, above St. Goar on the left bank of the Rhine, as his residence and extended the castle to an imposing fortress. The new Landgrave held his official into St. Goar on 30 March 1649. The construction activities associated with the extension of his castle and the fact that many landgraviate authorites resided at Rheinfels, contributed significantly to the economic boom of St. Goar, which had suffered severely from the Thirty Years' War.
Ernest and his family converted to Catholicism
on 6 January 1652 in Cologne. However, he could not make Cahtolicism the established religion in his territory, because it fell under the jurisdiction of Hesse-Kassel and his half-brother Landgrave William V
would not allow Ernest to undermine his authority and deviate from Lutheranism
, the established religion in Hesse-Kassel. In 1654, a compromise was reached: the Treaty of Ravensburg allow Ernest to create three Catholic parishes in his landgraviate, in St. Goar, Nastätten
and Langen-Schwalbach
.
After the death of his brothers Frederick in 1655 and Herman IV
in 1658, he inherited their sections of the Rotenburg Quarter. He then called himself Ernest of Hesse-Rotenburg-Rheinfels.
Ernest was very interested in religious matters; he was also religiously tolerant. In 1666, he had the Rheinfelsen Book of Hymns printed, which contained both Catholic and Lutheran and Reformed hymns. Ernest corresponded with the leading scholars of his time, such as Leibniz
Ernest died in 1693 and was buried, at his request, in the Pilgrimage Church in Bornhofen Monastery in Kamp-Bornhofen
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 :...
– 2 May 1693, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
), was from 1649 to 1658 his death Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels and from 1658 until his death Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg. Because his brothers died young, all later Landgraves in the Rotenburg Quarter are descendants of Ernest. Hence, Ernest is known as the ancestor of the Catholic Rotenburg Quarter, a group of junior lines of the House of Hesse
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
.
Family
Ernst was the eleventh child of the second marriage of the Landgrave Maurice of Hesse-KasselMaurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
-External links:...
(1572-1632) with Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg
Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg
Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg , was the fifth child and second daughter of Count John VII of Nassau-Dillenburg , who became Count John I of Nassau-Siegen when his father's inheritance was divided in 1606, and his wife Countess Magdalena of Waldeck .- Life :Juliane was married on...
(1587-1643). He was a great-grandson of Philip I "the Magnimoniuos"
Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Philip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....
. Landgrave Ernst married in 1647 in Frankfurt with Countess Maria Eleonore of Solms-Lich (1632-1689). Two sons from this marriage outlived Ernest: William
William, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg
William I "the Elder" of Hesse-Rotenburg was from 1683 until his death Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg. He was a son of Ernest I of Hesse-Rotenburg-Rheinfels and his wife, Countess Maria Eleonore of Solms-Lich...
(1648-1725) and Charles (1649-1711).
Life
Ernest was brought up as a CalvinistCalvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. He made his Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and fought with Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
during the final years of the war, for example at the Battle of Nördlingen
Battle of Nördlingen (1645)
The second Battle of Nördlingen was fought on August 3, 1645 southeast of Nördlingen near the village of Alerheim...
on 3 August 1645. In 1647, the army of Landgravine Amalie Elisabeth reconquered Lower Katzenelnbogen and returned it to Hesse-Kassel. In 1649, Ernest came of age and received Lower Katzenelnbogen. This made him the founder of the Hesse-Rheinfels line. Hesse-Rheinfels was not considered sovereign: it remained under the sovereignty of Hesse-Kassel, as did the other parts of the Rotenburg Quarter. Details of the relationship between Hesse-Rheinfels and Hesse-Kassel were laid down in a series of house treaties; nevertheless, political and judicial disputes often arose between the two houses.
Ernest chose Burg Rheinfels
Burg Rheinfels
Rheinfels Castle is a castle ruin located in Sankt Goar, Germany overlooking the Rhine. It was started in 1245 by Count Diether V of Katzenelnbogen and was partially destroyed by French Revolutionary Army troops in 1797...
castle, above St. Goar on the left bank of the Rhine, as his residence and extended the castle to an imposing fortress. The new Landgrave held his official into St. Goar on 30 March 1649. The construction activities associated with the extension of his castle and the fact that many landgraviate authorites resided at Rheinfels, contributed significantly to the economic boom of St. Goar, which had suffered severely from the Thirty Years' War.
Ernest and his family 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....
on 6 January 1652 in Cologne. However, he could not make Cahtolicism the established religion in his territory, because it fell under the jurisdiction of Hesse-Kassel and his half-brother Landgrave William V
William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
William V of Hesse-Kassel was the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in the Holy Roman Empire from 1627 to 1637....
would not allow Ernest to undermine his authority and deviate from Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, the established religion in Hesse-Kassel. In 1654, a compromise was reached: the Treaty of Ravensburg allow Ernest to create three Catholic parishes in his landgraviate, in St. Goar, Nastätten
Nastätten
Nastätten is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Taunus, approx. 25 km southeast of Koblenz, and 35 km northwest of Wiesbaden....
and Langen-Schwalbach
Bad Schwalbach
Bad Schwalbach is the district seat of Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany.- Geographic Location :Bad Schwalbach is a spa town some 20 km northwest of Wiesbaden. It lies at 289 to 465 m above sea level in the Taunus, along the small river Aar...
.
After the death of his brothers Frederick in 1655 and Herman IV
Herman IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg
Landgrave Hermann IV of Hesse-Rotenburg , was the first Landgrave of the semi-independent Landgraviate of Hesse-Rotenburg...
in 1658, he inherited their sections of the Rotenburg Quarter. He then called himself Ernest of Hesse-Rotenburg-Rheinfels.
Ernest was very interested in religious matters; he was also religiously tolerant. In 1666, he had the Rheinfelsen Book of Hymns printed, which contained both Catholic and Lutheran and Reformed hymns. Ernest corresponded with the leading scholars of his time, such as Leibniz
Ernest died in 1693 and was buried, at his request, in the Pilgrimage Church in Bornhofen Monastery in Kamp-Bornhofen
Kamp-Bornhofen
Kamp-Bornhofen is a municipality in the district of Rhein-Lahn, in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany.Sights in Kamp-Bornhofen include the well known castle Liebenstein.-External links:****...