Ernest Casimir, Count of Nassau-Weilburg
Encyclopedia
Ernest Casimir of Nassau-Weilburg (15 November 1607 – April 1655) was the founder the younger line of Nassau-Weilburg.
He was a son of Louis II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg
and his wife Anna Maria of Hesse-Kassel
(1567–1626).
.
His father, Louis II, had been able to unite all the territories of Walram branch of Nassau. After his death in 1621, the territories were divided among four brothers, with William Louis, the olderst, acting as regent for the youngest two. When Otto, the youngest died in 1632, and Ernest Casimir came of age, the tree surviving brothers divided the territory anew. The oldest, William Louis
, received Nassau-Saarbrücken, John
received Idstein and Ernest Casimir received Weilburg, Merenberg, Gleiberg, Hüttenberg, Reichelsheim, Kirchheim, Stauf, Bolanden and parts of Homburg
Ernest Casimir did not spend much time in his own territory. In 1634, he had to flee from the Thirty Years' War
. He fled to Metz
and returned after the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
. Even after the peace had been signed, it took a while before all rightful rulers had been restored to power.
During this period, the brothers concluded the Treaty of Gotha of 16 July 1651, in which division of 1632 was confirmed and again adjusted.
He died in Weilburg
.
He was a son of Louis II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg
Louis II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg
Louis II of Nassau-Weilburg was a count of Nassau-Weilburg.- Life :Louis was the eldest son of Count Albert of Nassau-Weilburg-Ottweiler and Countess Anna of Nassau-Dillenburg. His family moved in 1575 from Weilburg to Ottweiler...
and his wife Anna Maria of Hesse-Kassel
Anna Maria of Hesse-Kassel
Anna Maria of Hesse-Kassel was a princess of Hesse-Kassel by birth and by marriage Countess of Nassau-Saarbrücken.- Life :...
(1567–1626).
Life
He was born in SaarbrückenSaarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
.
His father, Louis II, had been able to unite all the territories of Walram branch of Nassau. After his death in 1621, the territories were divided among four brothers, with William Louis, the olderst, acting as regent for the youngest two. When Otto, the youngest died in 1632, and Ernest Casimir came of age, the tree surviving brothers divided the territory anew. The oldest, William Louis
William Louis, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken
William Louis of Nassau-Saarbrücken , was a Count of Saarbrücken.- Life :His parents were Louis II of Nassau-Weilburg and Landgravine Anna Maria of Hesse-Kassel...
, received Nassau-Saarbrücken, John
John, Count of Nassau-Idstein
Count John of Nassau-Idstein was Count of Nassau and Protestant Regent of Idstein.- Life :...
received Idstein and Ernest Casimir received Weilburg, Merenberg, Gleiberg, Hüttenberg, Reichelsheim, Kirchheim, Stauf, Bolanden and parts of Homburg
Ernest Casimir did not spend much time in his own territory. In 1634, he had to flee from 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 fled to Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
and returned after the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
. Even after the peace had been signed, it took a while before all rightful rulers had been restored to power.
During this period, the brothers concluded the Treaty of Gotha of 16 July 1651, in which division of 1632 was confirmed and again adjusted.
He died in Weilburg
Weilburg
Weilburg is, with just under 14,000 inhabitants, the third biggest town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany, after Limburg an der Lahn and Bad Camberg.- Location :...
.
Marriage and issue
In 1634 Ernest Casimir married Anna Maria of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg (1610–1656). She was the daughter of Count William II of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg (1569–1623). The couple had the following children:- William Louis (1634–1636)
- Marie Eleonore (1636–1678), married Count Casimir of Eberstein (d. 1660)
- Casimir (1638–1639)
- Frederick (1640–1675), married Christiane Elisabeth of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Homburg (1646–1678), daughter of Count Ernest of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Homburg (1599–1649)