William III, Landgrave of Hesse
Encyclopedia
William III "the Younger", Landgrave of Hesse (8 September 1471 – 17 February 1500) ruled on the part of the county known as Upper Hesse, with residence in Marburg
.
William was the son of Landgrave Henry III
from the House of Hesse
and his wife Anna of Katzenelnbogen
. When his father died in 1483, William was still a minor, and therefore had his uncle Archbishop Herman IV of Cologne, and Hans Hofman of Dörnberg acted as guardian
until 1489.
With the rich revenues of the country could William could purchase in 1492 half the barony of Eppstein
(including the so-called Ländchen
('little country')) and in 1493 part of Klingenberg am Main
.
In 1498 he married Elisabeth, the daughter of Elector Palatine Philip, Elector Palatine
.
William died young after he fell from a horse while hunting, and left no legitimate offspring. His holdings fell to his cousin William II
, so that all of the Landgraviate of Hesse
was again united in one hand.
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 :...
.
William was the son of Landgrave Henry III
Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse
Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse, called "the Rich" was the second son of Louis I of Hesse and his wife Anna of Saxony....
from 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...
and his wife Anna of Katzenelnbogen
County of Katzenelnbogen
The County of Katzenelnbogen was an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed between 1095 and 1479, when it was inherited by the Landgraves of Hesse.The estate comprised two separate territories...
. When his father died in 1483, William was still a minor, and therefore had his uncle Archbishop Herman IV of Cologne, and Hans Hofman of Dörnberg acted as guardian
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
until 1489.
With the rich revenues of the country could William could purchase in 1492 half the barony of Eppstein
Lords of Eppstein
The Lords of Eppstein were a family of German nobility in the Middle Ages. From the 12th century they ruled extensive territories in the Rhine Main area from their castle in Eppstein, northwest of Frankfurt, Germany.-History:...
(including the so-called Ländchen
Ländchen
The Ländchen is an historic area east of Wiesbaden, Germany. It consisted of the ten villages Breckenheim, Delkenheim, Diedenbergen, Igstadt, Langenhain, Massenheim, Medenbach, Nordenstadt, Wallau, and Wildsachsen, as well as Domäne Mechtildshausen...
('little country')) and in 1493 part of Klingenberg am Main
Klingenberg am Main
Klingenberg am Main is a town in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
.
In 1498 he married Elisabeth, the daughter of Elector Palatine Philip, Elector Palatine
Philip, Elector Palatine
Philip the Upright, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was an Elector Palatine of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach from 1476 to 1508....
.
William died young after he fell from a horse while hunting, and left no legitimate offspring. His holdings fell to his cousin William II
William II, Landgrave of Hesse
William II was Landgrave of Lower Hesse from 1493 and Landgrave of Upper Hesse after the death of his cousin, William III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse in 1500....
, so that all of the Landgraviate of Hesse
Landgraviate of Hesse
The Landgraviate of Hesse was a Landgraviate of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed as a unity from 1264 to 1567, when it was divided between the sons of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.-History:...
was again united in one hand.