Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Bernhard II Erich friend Duke of Saxe- Meiningen ( Duke Bernhard Erich Freund - " friend of his subjects " ) (* December 17, 1800 in Meiningen, † December 3, 1882 Meiningen ) was 1803-1866 Duke of Saxe- Meiningen.
Life
Bernhard was the youngest child of Duke George I of Saxe- Meiningen and his wife Louise Eleonore of Hohenlohe -Langenburg. His two sisters Adelheid (1792-1849), later Queen of Great Britain, and Ida (1794-1852), later Duchess of Saxe -Weimar- Eisenach, he survived more than 30 years.
After the early death of his father on Christmas Eve 1803, he followed this up under the tutelage of his mother Eleanor Louise ( 1763-1837 ) in the government and took over the same 1821. Three years later, he left the question asked by the guarantee of the German Federal improved the estates of the Constitution in force occurred. After the extinction of the line of Saxe-Gotha -Altenburg Bernhard II united with the agreement signed on November 12, 1826 Teilungsvertrag the Duchy of Saxe -Hildburghausen, the Principality of Saalfeld, the Office Themar, the county Kamburg and the rule crane field with his hereditary land, located by this increase in territory and population more than doubled. On August 23, 1829, Duke gave the united country a new constitution. By traveling to England, where his sister Adelheid 1830 Queen was influenced, the English parliamentary certain many state and economic policy decisions in Sachsen- Meiningen. In 1830, Bernhard was also included in the Order of the Garter. The improvement in the economic situation allowed the expansion of the city to the north Meiningen (including Bernhardstraße ), the establishment of the Court Theatre and the construction of the castle of Landsberg.
In March 1848 Bernhard II granted the demands of the people, before it came to larger protests, the constitution adopted willingly, later joined the Union and also showed after the failure of the plans of Prussia in 1850 his sympathies for the German unification efforts.
Later he turned to the large German party protested against the of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha, Prussia concluded a military convention and stood in 1866, next to the Prince of Reuss to Greiz, the only Thuringian Regent on the part of opponents of Prussia. Also in the peace negotiations he showed himself joining the North German Confederation so averse that on September 19, Prussian troops marched in Meiningen. This forced him to resign from the government on September 20, 1866 in favor of the Prince George.
Bernhard Erich lived from then on as a private citizen in the Grand Palais, which he had set up in 1823 specifically for his mother as Wittumspalais. The proposed advisory role for his son Georg refused this. The relationship between father and son was strained. Bernhard had his son failed in his reign will have no access to government transactions. When George II in 1873, the morganatic marriage went down with the actress Ellen Franz, Bernhard tried in vain to obtain the dismissal of his son Kaiser Wilhelm I.. It was not until 1878 he declared himself ready to receive the daughter in law. Bernhard died on 3 December 1882.
Progeny
Bernhard II married on March 23 in 1825 in Kassel, Princess Marie of Hesse- Kassel ( 1804-1888 ), daughter of the reigning since 1821 Elector Wilhelm II of Hesse -Kassel ( 1777-1847 ) and his first wife, Princess Augusta of Prussia ( 1780-1841 ). They had two children:
- George II (1826-1914), Duke of Saxe- Meiningen
- Auguste (1843-1919)