Frederick Wilhelm, Duke of Courland
Encyclopedia
Frederick William was Duke of Courland and Semigallia
from 1698 to 1711. Frederick Wilhelm was the son of Frederick Casimir Kettler
and Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg
. During his reign duchy was occupied by swedish
and later by russian troops.
in the family of Friedrich Casimir and his second wife Elizabeth Sophia. In the age of seven, after his father's death, in the 22 January 1698 he was appointed as the Duke of Courland and Semigallia, however, until the age of majority state was governed by his mother and uncle Ferdinand Kettler
, who resided in Danzig.
When in the 1701 Semigallia was occupied by the Swedes, Friedrich Wilhelm with her mother went to his uncle Prussian Friedrich
, who later was crowned the first king of Prussia
. He stayed in Prussia until 1709 when after russian victories against sweden was decided to engage marriage between 17 years old Friedrich Wilhelm and Anna
, daughter of Tsar Ivan V
who himself was half brother of Peter the Great. Council of the Duchy in the 1709 recognized Friedrich Wilhelm adult and the young Duke arrived in the Liepaja
in 1710.
In 11 November, 1710 (October 31, after the old style) in the new russian capital St. Petersburg were held grand wedding, which presented power of emerging Russian empire
and it's court brilliance. However on the way back from St. Petersburg, Friedrich Wilhelm died on January 21, 1711 in the postal station, and his widow Anna, together with the Duke's corpse arrived in Jelgava only on March 4.
After his death, the Duchy passed to Ferdinand Kettler
, but was de facto controlled by Russia. It was restored to independence in 1737, when it passed to the lover of Tsarina Anna, Ernst Johann Biron.
At the same time in the duchy began the epidemic of Great plague, which killed a large part of the population.
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is the name of a duchy in the Baltic region that existed from 1562 to 1569 as a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from 1569...
from 1698 to 1711. Frederick Wilhelm was the son of Frederick Casimir Kettler
Frederick Casimir Kettler
Frederick Casimir Kettler was Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1682 to 1698...
and Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg
Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg
Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg , was a Duchess consort of Courland, Margravine consort of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and Duchess consort of Saxe-Meiningen. She was married to Duke Frederick Casimir Kettler of Courland, Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, and Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of...
. During his reign duchy was occupied by swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and later by russian troops.
Biography
Friedrich Wilhelm Kettler was born in 1692 in JelgavaJelgava
-Sports:The city's main football team, FK Jelgava, plays in the Latvian Higher League and won the 2009/2010 Latvian Football Cup.- Notable people :*August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein - linguist, folklorist, ethnographer...
in the family of Friedrich Casimir and his second wife Elizabeth Sophia. In the age of seven, after his father's death, in the 22 January 1698 he was appointed as the Duke of Courland and Semigallia, however, until the age of majority state was governed by his mother and uncle Ferdinand Kettler
Ferdinand Kettler
Ferdinand Kettler was Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1730 to 1737. Ferdinand was the son of Jacob Kettler and Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg. Married in 1730 to Johanna Magdalene of Saxe-Weissenfels ....
, who resided in Danzig.
When in the 1701 Semigallia was occupied by the Swedes, Friedrich Wilhelm with her mother went to his uncle Prussian Friedrich
Frederick I of Prussia
Frederick I , of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia in personal union . The latter function he upgraded to royalty, becoming the first King in Prussia . From 1707 he was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
, who later was crowned the first king of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. He stayed in Prussia until 1709 when after russian victories against sweden was decided to engage marriage between 17 years old Friedrich Wilhelm and Anna
Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
, daughter of Tsar Ivan V
Ivan V of Russia
Ivan V Alekseyevich Romanov was a joint Tsar of Russia who co-reigned between 1682 and 1696. He was the youngest son of Alexis I of Russia and Maria Miloslavskaya. His reign was only formal, since he had serious physical and mental disabilities...
who himself was half brother of Peter the Great. Council of the Duchy in the 1709 recognized Friedrich Wilhelm adult and the young Duke arrived in the Liepaja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
in 1710.
In 11 November, 1710 (October 31, after the old style) in the new russian capital St. Petersburg were held grand wedding, which presented power of emerging Russian empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and it's court brilliance. However on the way back from St. Petersburg, Friedrich Wilhelm died on January 21, 1711 in the postal station, and his widow Anna, together with the Duke's corpse arrived in Jelgava only on March 4.
After his death, the Duchy passed to Ferdinand Kettler
Ferdinand Kettler
Ferdinand Kettler was Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1730 to 1737. Ferdinand was the son of Jacob Kettler and Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg. Married in 1730 to Johanna Magdalene of Saxe-Weissenfels ....
, but was de facto controlled by Russia. It was restored to independence in 1737, when it passed to the lover of Tsarina Anna, Ernst Johann Biron.
At the same time in the duchy began the epidemic of Great plague, which killed a large part of the population.