William Louis, Prince of Baden
Encyclopedia
William Louis of Baden-Durlach (14 January 1732 – 17 December 1788) was the brother of the first Grand Duke of Baden, Charles Fredrick. In 1753 he became governor of the province of Gelderland
based in Arnhem
. In 1766 he was appointed by the Netherlands States-General to Lieutenant General. After 1769 William Louis was also active as an industrialist.
and Amalia of Nassau-Dietz
, the daughter of Prince John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz-Orange.
After his father died in 1732 and his mother was suffering from a mental illness, his grandmother, Countess Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg
, took care of the education of William Louis and his brother Charles Fredrick.
William Louis received his higher education at the Académie de Lausanne from 1743 to 1745. In 1745 and 1746 he traveled to Paris and the Netherlands, where he stayed with his uncle William IV of Orange
, the later stadtholder
of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces
.
His uncle came to the conclusion that the undisciplined William Louis exerted a bad influence on his older brother, the Hereditary Prince Charles Frederick. When Charles Frederick took the journey home to Karlsruhe in order to take over the government, his uncle ordered William Louis to pursue a military career in the Netherlands.
With permission of the Margrave Charles Frederick William Louis married Wilhelmine Christine Schortmann morganatically
.
The children from this union were ennobled on the 27th of January 1777 by Charles Frederick. They were created barons of Seldeneck call and allowed to use the Seldeneck arms. The original Seldenecks were a Frankish noble family already extinct in 1583. The son, Wilhelm Ludwig von Seldeneck. (Born January 14, 1766; † January 10, 1827) is considered the common ancestor of all Seldenecks.
William Louis bought land in Mühlburg
and in 1769 he founded a dye plant
, which was converted in 1770 into a Brewery
and from 1771 also produced brandy
. This was the nucleus of the baronial Seldeneck brewery that existed until 1921.
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
based in Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
. In 1766 he was appointed by the Netherlands States-General to Lieutenant General. After 1769 William Louis was also active as an industrialist.
Life
William Louis was the son of Prince Friedrich von Baden-DurlachFrederick, Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach
Frederick of Baden-Durlach was a German hereditary prince of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach.Frederick was the son of Charles III William, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, and Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg , the daughter of William Louis, Duke of Württemberg.He became heir apparent when his elder...
and Amalia of Nassau-Dietz
Amalia of Nassau-Dietz
Anna Charlotte Amalia of Nassau-Dietz was the wife of Hereditary PrinceFrederick of Baden-Durlach and mother of the first Grand Duke of Baden Charles Frederick.-Life:...
, the daughter of Prince John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz-Orange.
After his father died in 1732 and his mother was suffering from a mental illness, his grandmother, Countess Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg
Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg
Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg was a margravine of Baden. She had a place in the regency during the minority of her grandson in 1738-42....
, took care of the education of William Louis and his brother Charles Fredrick.
William Louis received his higher education at the Académie de Lausanne from 1743 to 1745. In 1745 and 1746 he traveled to Paris and the Netherlands, where he stayed with his uncle William IV of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, the later stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
.
His uncle came to the conclusion that the undisciplined William Louis exerted a bad influence on his older brother, the Hereditary Prince Charles Frederick. When Charles Frederick took the journey home to Karlsruhe in order to take over the government, his uncle ordered William Louis to pursue a military career in the Netherlands.
With permission of the Margrave Charles Frederick William Louis married Wilhelmine Christine Schortmann morganatically
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
.
The children from this union were ennobled on the 27th of January 1777 by Charles Frederick. They were created barons of Seldeneck call and allowed to use the Seldeneck arms. The original Seldenecks were a Frankish noble family already extinct in 1583. The son, Wilhelm Ludwig von Seldeneck. (Born January 14, 1766; † January 10, 1827) is considered the common ancestor of all Seldenecks.
William Louis bought land in Mühlburg
Mühlburg
Mühlburg, formerly a town on its own right, is a borough located in the West of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The name Mühlburg could be translated as Mill-castle and refers to a water mill and a water castle located at the site where a Roman road once crossed the small river...
and in 1769 he founded a dye plant
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
, which was converted in 1770 into a Brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
and from 1771 also produced brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
. This was the nucleus of the baronial Seldeneck brewery that existed until 1921.
Further reading
- Annette Borchardt-Wenzel: Karl Friedrich von Baden – Mensch und Legende. Casimir Katz Verlag, Gernsbach 2006, ISBN 3-938047-14-3
- Johann Christian Sachs: Einleitung in die Geschichte der Marggravschaft und des marggrävlichen altfürstlichen Hauses Baden, Karlsruhe 1764–1770, Bd. 5, S. 173 - 175
- Edmund von der Becke-Klüchtzner, Stamm-Tafeln des Adels des Großherzogthums Baden: ein neu bearbeitetes Adelsbuch, Baden-Baden, 1886