Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
Encyclopedia
Frederick II of Hesse-Homburg , also known as the Prince of Homburg (30 March 1633–24 January 1708) was Landgraf of Hesse-Homburg
. He was also a successful and experienced general for the crowns of both Sweden and of Brandenburg, but is best remembered as the eponym
ous hero of Heinrich von Kleist
's play Der Prinz von Homburg
.
, who died in 1638, leaving the children to be brought up under the care of their mother, Margarete Elisabeth von Leiningen-Westerburg.
At his mother's wish Frederick was educated by private tutors together with the sons of his cousin, George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
, in Marburg
. In 1648 he broke his leg and spent some time convalescing in Bad Pfäfers
.
When Field-Marshal Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
, appeared in the vicinity, Frederick was sent by his mother to conduct negotiations for the safety of Homburg. Turenne found the prince so engaging that he wanted to take him straight away into his army and to pay for his military education. Frederick's mother however opposed the idea, and it came to nothing.
At the age of 16 he made the Grand Tour
through Italy and France, and was then signed up as a student at the University of Geneva
, although he did not follow a real course of academic study: he learned dancing, riding and fencing, and polished his knowledge of the French language
.
.
In 1659 during the storming of Copenhagen during the Northern Wars
Frederick was so seriously wounded that his lower right leg had to be amputated. He was promoted to major-general (Generalmajor) and from then on had a wooden leg. Frederick was chosen by Charles X as the Statthalter of Livonia
, but after the king's death things changed considerably, and Frederick left Swedish service in 1661.
In the same year he married Margareta Brahe
, a wealthy Swedish widow, who died in 1669. With her wealth he bought estates in Brandenburg
and became a friend of the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg. In 1670 Frederick married the Elector's niece Princess Luise Elisabeth von Kurland, after moving from the Lutheran
to the Reformed church and entering the service of Brandenburg as a general. In 1672 he received the command of all the forces of Brandenburg.
In 1672 and 1674 he fought in the Dutch War
, among other places in Alsace
against the French army commanded by Turenne. As commander of the Brandenburg cavalry, during the Swedish invasion, on 28 June 1675 in the Battle of Fehrbellin
he attacked the Swedish army without orders to do so, causing them heavy losses. In the event this move contributed decisively to the victory of Brandenburg but also to the displeasure of the Elector. In the years 1676-1678 he took part in the campaigns in Pomerania
and Prussia
and negotiated on behalf of the Elector of Brandenburg the Treaty of Saint-Germain
of 1679.
in Brandenburg. After the death of Georg Christian, his second eldest brother, who had mortgaged to Hesse-Darmstadt
the landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg and the town of Homburg, Frederick redeemed them, and took up residence there himself. In 1681, after the death of his brother Landgraf Wilhelm Christoph of Hesse-Homburg, Frederick took over the governance of the territory as Frederick II. He was however forced to return the territory of Bingenheim, which Wilhelm Christoph had occupied, to Hesse-Darmstadt, in exchange for financial compensation.
He had the Baroque
Schloss Bad Homburg constructed, and involved himself, with little success, in the local economy with the establishment of a glassworks and a salination plant. More successful was the settlement of Huguenot
and Waldensian refugees from France, in Friedrichsdorf
and Dornholzhausen. His court alchemist, Paul Andrich, made him a prosthetic leg with springs and silver mounts - whence his nickname "the Landgraf with the silver leg".
In 1690 his wife died, having borne him 12 children. At the age of 59 Frederick married for a third time: the widow Sophie Sybille von Leiningen-Westerburg, a connection of his mother's family, who bore him three more children.
Frederick died in 1708 in Homburg, apparently from pneumonia, after a last journey to Leipzig
to meet Charles XII, King of Sweden
.
Children by Margarethe Brahe: none
Children by Luise Elisabeth of Kurland:
Children by Sophie Sybille von Leiningen-Westerburg:
Frederick is the eponymous hero of the well-known German drama Prinz Friedrich von Homburg (in full, Prinz Friedrich von Homburg oder die Schlacht bei Fehrbellin) by Heinrich von Kleist
(written 1809-1810, first published 1821). The character of the prince in the play however has little apart from the name in common with the historical personage.
The drama in its turn has inspired an opera, Der Prinz von Homburg, by Hans Werner Henze
(written 1958, performed 1960) and a number of films, including Marco Bellochio's Il Principe di Homburg
, released in 1997.
Hesse-Homburg
Hesse-Homburg was formed into a separate landgraviate in 1622 by the landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt to be ruled by his son, although it did not become independent of Hesse-Darmstadt until 1668....
. He was also a successful and experienced general for the crowns of both Sweden and of Brandenburg, but is best remembered as the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous hero of Heinrich von Kleist
Heinrich von Kleist
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist was a poet, dramatist, novelist and short story writer. The Kleist Prize, a prestigious prize for German literature, is named after him.- Life :...
's play Der Prinz von Homburg
The Prince of Homburg (play)
The Prince of Homburg is a play by Heinrich von Kleist written in 1809-10, but not performed until 1821, after the author's death. A performance during his lifetime was not possible because Princess Marianne of Prussia , by birth a member of the Hesse-Homburg family, to whom Kleist had given sight...
.
Childhood and youth
Frederick was born in Homburg (the present Bad Homburg vor der Höhe), the seventh and youngest child of Landgrave Frederick I of Hesse-HomburgFrederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
Frederick I of Hesse-Homburg , was the first Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and founder of the eponymous family line.- Life :...
, who died in 1638, leaving the children to be brought up under the care of their mother, Margarete Elisabeth von Leiningen-Westerburg.
At his mother's wish Frederick was educated by private tutors together with the sons of his cousin, George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
George II of Hesse-Darmstadt, was the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1626 - 1661. He was the son of Ludwig V and Magdalena von Brandenburg.He married Sophia Eleonore of Saxony on April 1, 1627...
, in Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
. In 1648 he broke his leg and spent some time convalescing in Bad Pfäfers
Pfäfers
Pfäfers is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The villages Pfäfers, St. Margrethenberg, Vadura, Valens, Vasön and Vättis belong to the municipality.-History:...
.
When Field-Marshal Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
, appeared in the vicinity, Frederick was sent by his mother to conduct negotiations for the safety of Homburg. Turenne found the prince so engaging that he wanted to take him straight away into his army and to pay for his military education. Frederick's mother however opposed the idea, and it came to nothing.
At the age of 16 he made the 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...
through Italy and France, and was then signed up as a student at the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
, although he did not follow a real course of academic study: he learned dancing, riding and fencing, and polished his knowledge of the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Military career
Since his elder brothers preceded him in the succession, he decided on a military career and in 1654 became a colonel in the army of the King of Sweden, Charles X GustavCharles X Gustav of Sweden
Charles X Gustav also Carl Gustav, was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's death he also succeeded him as Pfalzgraf. He was married to Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, who...
.
In 1659 during the storming of Copenhagen during the Northern Wars
Northern Wars
Northern Wars is a term used for a series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe in the 16th and 17th century. An internationally agreed nomenclature for these wars has not yet been devised...
Frederick was so seriously wounded that his lower right leg had to be amputated. He was promoted to major-general (Generalmajor) and from then on had a wooden leg. Frederick was chosen by Charles X as the Statthalter of Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
, but after the king's death things changed considerably, and Frederick left Swedish service in 1661.
In the same year he married Margareta Brahe
Margareta Brahe
Margareta Abrahamsdotter Brahe was a Swedish noble and lady-in-waiting and a Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg. She aroused a lot of attention with her marriages, which were considered scandalous.- First marriage :...
, a wealthy Swedish widow, who died in 1669. With her wealth he bought estates in Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
and became a friend of the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg. In 1670 Frederick married the Elector's niece Princess Luise Elisabeth von Kurland, after moving from the Lutheran
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...
to the Reformed church and entering the service of Brandenburg as a general. In 1672 he received the command of all the forces of Brandenburg.
In 1672 and 1674 he fought in the Dutch War
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
, among other places in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
against the French army commanded by Turenne. As commander of the Brandenburg cavalry, during the Swedish invasion, on 28 June 1675 in the Battle of Fehrbellin
Battle of Fehrbellin
The Battle of Fehrbellin was fought on June 18, 1675 between Swedish and Brandenburg-Prussian troops. The Swedes, under Count Waldemar von Wrangel , had invaded and occupied parts of Brandenburg from their possessions in Pomerania, but were repelled by the forces of Frederick William, the Great...
he attacked the Swedish army without orders to do so, causing them heavy losses. In the event this move contributed decisively to the victory of Brandenburg but also to the displeasure of the Elector. In the years 1676-1678 he took part in the campaigns in Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and negotiated on behalf of the Elector of Brandenburg the Treaty of Saint-Germain
Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679)
The Treaty or Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of 19 June or 29 June 1679 was a peace treaty between France and the Electorate of Brandenburg. It restored to France's ally Sweden her dominions Bremen-Verden and Swedish Pomerania, lost to Brandenburg in the Scanian War...
of 1679.
Landgraf of Hesse-Homburg
After leaving military service he lived as a JunkerJunker
A Junker was a member of the landed nobility of Prussia and eastern Germany. These families were mostly part of the German Uradel and carried on the colonization and Christianization of the northeastern European territories during the medieval Ostsiedlung. The abbreviation of Junker is Jkr...
in Brandenburg. After the death of Georg Christian, his second eldest brother, who had mortgaged to Hesse-Darmstadt
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
the landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg and the town of Homburg, Frederick redeemed them, and took up residence there himself. In 1681, after the death of his brother Landgraf Wilhelm Christoph of Hesse-Homburg, Frederick took over the governance of the territory as Frederick II. He was however forced to return the territory of Bingenheim, which Wilhelm Christoph had occupied, to Hesse-Darmstadt, in exchange for financial compensation.
He had the Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
Schloss Bad Homburg constructed, and involved himself, with little success, in the local economy with the establishment of a glassworks and a salination plant. More successful was the settlement of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
and Waldensian refugees from France, in Friedrichsdorf
Friedrichsdorf
Friedrichsdorf is a town of the Hochtaunuskreis, some north of Frankfurt am Main in Hesse, Germany.-Location: Friedrichsdorf is located in the Taunus area, ranking third among the Hochtaunuskreis boroughs after Bad Homburg vor der Höhe and Oberursel...
and Dornholzhausen. His court alchemist, Paul Andrich, made him a prosthetic leg with springs and silver mounts - whence his nickname "the Landgraf with the silver leg".
In 1690 his wife died, having borne him 12 children. At the age of 59 Frederick married for a third time: the widow Sophie Sybille von Leiningen-Westerburg, a connection of his mother's family, who bore him three more children.
Frederick died in 1708 in Homburg, apparently from pneumonia, after a last journey to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
to meet Charles XII, King of Sweden
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
.
Children
Frederick II was married three times: in 1661 to Countess Margarethe Brahe (1603–1669); in 1670 to Princess Luise Elisabeth of Kurland (1646–1690); and in 1691 to Countess Sophie Sybille von Leiningen-Westerburg (1656–1724).Children by Margarethe Brahe: none
Children by Luise Elisabeth of Kurland:
- Charlotte Dorothea Sophia (1672–1738)
- married 1694 Johann Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-WeimarJohann Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-WeimarJohann Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Weimar , was a duke of Saxe-Weimar.He was the second son of Johann Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Christine Elisabeth of Holstein-Sonderburg....
(1664–1707)- Frederick III JacobFrederick III, Landgrave of Hesse-HomburgFrederick III James of Hesse-Homburg was a Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg- Life :...
(1673–1746), Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
- Frederick III Jacob
- married 1. 1700 Princess Elisabeth Dorothea of Hesse-Darmstadt (1676–1721)
- married 2. 1728 Princess Christiane Charlotte of Nassau-OttweilerChristiane Charlotte of Nassau-OttweilerChristiane Charlotte of Nassau-Ottweiler was a Countess of Nassau-Ottweiler by birth and by marriage successively Countess of Nassau-Saarbrücken and countess of Hesse-Homburg.- Life :...
(1685–1761)- Karl Christian (1674–1695), fell at the Siege of NamurSiege of Namur (1695)The Siege of Namur, 2 July–1 September 1695, was the second siege of the city of Namur in the Nine Years' War. The Allied forces of the Grand Alliance retook the city from the French, who had captured it in the first siege in 1692...
- Hedwig Luise (1675–1760)
- Karl Christian (1674–1695), fell at the Siege of Namur
- married 1718 Count Adam Friedrich von Schlieben (1677–1752)
- Philipp (1676–1706), fell at the Battle of SpeyerbachBattle of SpeyerbachThe Battle of Speyerbach took place on 15 November 1703 in the War of the Spanish Succession. A French army besieging Landau surprised and defeated a German relief army near Speyer.- Prelude :...
in the War of the Spanish SuccessionWar of the Spanish SuccessionThe War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have... - Wilhelmine Maria (1678–1770)
- Philipp (1676–1706), fell at the Battle of Speyerbach
- married 1711 Count Anton II von Aldenburg (1681–1738)
- Eleonore Margarete (1679–1763)
- Elisabeth Franziska (1681–1707)
- married 1702 Prince Friedrich Wilhelm I Adolf of Nassau-Siegen (1680–1722)
- Johanna Ernestine (1682–1698)
- Ferdinand (born and died 1683)
- Karl Ferdinand (1684–1688)
- Casimir Wilhelm (1690–1726)
- married 1722 Countess Christine Charlotte zu Solms-Braunfels (1690–1751)
Children by Sophie Sybille von Leiningen-Westerburg:
- Ludwig Georg (1693–1728)
- married 1710 Countess Christine von Limpurg-Sontheim (1683–1746)
- Friederike Sophie (1693–1694)
- Leopold (born and died 1695)
Literary references
- for artistic works see The Prince of HomburgThe Prince of HomburgThe Prince of Homburg, or in German Der Prinz von Homburg or Prinz Friedrich von Homburg, can refer to the following:-People:*Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg , also known as Prince Friedrich of Homburg -Artistic works:*The Prince of Homburg , a play written 1809/10 by Heinrich von Kleist...
Frederick is the eponymous hero of the well-known German drama Prinz Friedrich von Homburg (in full, Prinz Friedrich von Homburg oder die Schlacht bei Fehrbellin) by Heinrich von Kleist
Heinrich von Kleist
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist was a poet, dramatist, novelist and short story writer. The Kleist Prize, a prestigious prize for German literature, is named after him.- Life :...
(written 1809-1810, first published 1821). The character of the prince in the play however has little apart from the name in common with the historical personage.
The drama in its turn has inspired an opera, Der Prinz von Homburg, by Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
(written 1958, performed 1960) and a number of films, including Marco Bellochio's Il Principe di Homburg
The Prince of Homburg (film)
The Prince of Homburg is a 1997 Italian drama film directed by Marco Bellocchio, based on the play Der Prinz von Homburg by Heinrich von Kleist...
, released in 1997.
External links
- Account of the Battle of Fehrbellin (preussenweb.de after Frank Bauer, Fehrbellin 1675)