Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Louis VIII of Hesse- Darmstadt ( born April 5, 1691 Darmstadt, † October 17, 1768 ibid ) was from 1739 to 1768, Landgrave of Hesse- Darmstadt.
Life
Family
Louis VIII was the eldest son of the Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse -Darmstadt (1667-1739) from his marriage to Dorothea Charlotte (1661-1705), daughter of Margrave Albrecht of Brandenburg- Ansbach.
Ludwig married on April 5, 1717 Philippsruhe Charlotte Castle ( 1700-1726 ), daughter and heiress of Count Johann Reinhard III. of Hanau, which earned the only surviving child a rich dowry. In 1736 inherited by his son, Louis IX. the county of Hanau -Lichtenberg, which significantly expanded the territory. In the dispute with Hesse -Kassel to the Office Babenhausen from the Hanauer inheritance to Hesse-Kassel was able to secure the majority of the Board before the Imperial Chamber Court after a long legal battle.
As a grandfather of Friederike Caroline Luise of Hesse- Darmstadt and Friederike Luise of Hesse- Darmstadt Louis VIII is equal to about two lineages great-grandfather of King Frederick William III ..
Government
He stood in the Seven Years War on the side of the emperor, and reached the military rank of Field Marshal. As a result, were especially casting and Oberhessen to the scene of armed clashes. In 1764, a meeting between Louis and Emperor Joseph II took place in a forest near Heusenstamm, which was one of the Landgraf of the highlights of his life.
Ludwig is responsible for the street lighting Darmstadt responsible fared for the 1767 first Regulation, but also drink for regulations against the coffee, and it was already under sentence to be encountered with coffee utensils.
In addition, Louis VIII was also regarded as a great friend of the arts. He is considered the patron of the painter Johann Christian Fiedler, Johann Conrad Seekatz and Christian Ludwig von Loewenstern. Ludwig went occasionally to the Darmstadt Opera, worked at the Christoph Graupner and Ernst Christian Hesse. Ludwig also composed himself, he eventually died in the Darmstadt Opera during a performance in his box.
His care for his country is evidenced by the establishment of a spinning house in 1742 and a country's orphanage in 1746. However, the debt burden increased dramatically under Louis, in particular because of its lavish court life and passion for hunting. The formation of an imperial rescheduling Commission could only be avoided by the estates granted funding. The appointment and the work of Friedrich Karl von Moser, the. Among Louis 's son Louis IX ascended to the First Minister, had a positive impact on the financial position of the country.
Until 1766 Ludwig led to the underaged Frederick IV, together with his mother as regent in Hesse- Homburg. With Hesse -Homburg Ludwig was in dispute over the sovereignty Braubach, which was until 1768 settled since 1747.
The hunting Landgraf
Like his father, Ludwig was a passionate tour de force hunters. This preference made him not only as a hunting Landgraf known, but also led to long absences from his residence. To reward his hunters Ludwig coined so-called florin and Saudukaten. One of his chief forester felt compelled to publish a book that " all done rare shots which SHD Louis VIII [ ... ] has " contains. The business of government led Ludwig primarily on his hunting lodge Kranichstein. The Landgrave was, like his father, numerous hunting construct buildings, including hunting lodge Diane Castle and the Griesheim house. For the numerous horses that were needed for the Parforcejagd, Ludwig built the stables at the Parade Square in Darmstadt. For his exits the Landgrave used a carriage that was drawn by white deer.
Progeny
- Louis IX. (1719-1790), Landgrave of Hesse -Darmstadt
- Charlotte Wilhelmine Friederike (1720-1721)
- Georg Wilhelm (1722-1782)
- Karoline Luise (1723-1783)
- Auguste (1725-1742)
- Johann Friedrich Karl (1726-1746)