Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
Karl Christian ( born January 16, 1735 in Weilburg, † November 28, 1788 in Münster- Dreisen ( 8km west of Kirchheimbolanden ) ) was from 1753 to 1788 Prince of Nassau -Weilburg.
Life
Karl Christian was the son of Prince Karl August von Nassau -Weilburg and Auguste Friederike Wilhelmine von Nassau- Idstein. As an educator for his son he named in 1744 the Danish Colonel Charles de la Pottrie, who went with his pupil to Lausanne. Karl Christian followed his father in 1753 in the reign under the guardianship of Prince Charles of Nassau- Usingen, but received the 1754 Großjährigkeits Declaration by Emperor Franz I. Stephan. However, he transferred the business of government to de la Pottrie and went to Dutch service as general of infantry, served as governor of Bergen op Zoom and Maastricht, was governor to Sluis and Chief of the Dutch Guards on horseback. Since 1769 he commanded as Lieutenant Field Marshal Field Marshal and the Upper Rhine Kreis troops.
On March 5, 1760 he married 25 -year-old in the Hague 17 -year-old Caroline Princess of Orange -Nassau -Diez ( born February 28, 1743 in Leeuwarden, † May 6, 1787 in Kirchheimbolanden ), a daughter of Prince William IV of Orange and Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (1709-1759), eldest daughter of British King and Brunswick Elector Georg II the couple Karl Christian and Caroline had 16 children.
The variously defined in the literature morganatic marriage with Barbara Giesen (1788 ) is controversial and not supported by documents.
Until the transfer of the royal household to Nassau -Weilburg in 1784, he came only sporadically in his family seat, where affairs of state were conducted since de la Pott Ries death in 1770 by Friedrich Ludwig Freiherr von Botzheim.
Under Prince Karl Christian's reign important border adjustments have been made:
- Homburg Westrich against Alsenz with Palatinate -Zweibrücken (1755 )
- Waiver of forest ownership in favor of the Electoral Palatinate in the Treaty of Alzey (1771 )
- Settlement of border disputes with the county Falkenstein ( 1772)
- Lohnberg with Orange-Nassau (1773 )
- Saarwerden a barter deal with France (1776 )
Domestically, he supported the establishment of provident funds for the survivors of secular officials, clergy and teachers and promoted the cash financially with a new regulation, poor relief was reformed, measures to improve agricultural yields and the promotion of trade have been taken. In education improvements in teacher training as school attendance were introduced.
The family policy goal of securing the dynasty reached Nassau, Prince Karl Christian with the signing of the contract for Nassau Erbverein 1783.
When he died in 1788 was the successor his son Friedrich Wilhelm.
His father William IV of Orange (1711-1751), first Erbstatthalters the Netherlands,
Progeny
He and his wife Caroline, he had the following (16 ) children:
- Georg Wilhelm Belgicus (1760-1762)
- Wilhelm Ludwig Karl Flemand (1761-1770)
- Augusta Maria Carolina (1764-1802), canoness in Quedlinburg and Herford
- Wilhelmine Louise (1765-1837) ∞ Heinrich XIII. , Prince Reuss Greiz (1747-1817)
- Friedrich Wilhelm ( born October 25, 1768 in The Hague, † January 9, 1816 in Weilburg Castle by accident), Prince of Nassau -Weilburg
- Karoline Luise Friederike (1770-1828) ∞ Prince Karl Ludwig Friedrich Alexander of Wied - Runkel ( born September 9, 1763 † March 9, 1824 )
- Karl Ludwig ( 1772)
- Karl Friedrich Wilhelm (1775-1807)
- Amalie (1776-1841) ∞ Prince Victor II of Anhalt- Bernburg - Schaumburg- Hoym (1767-1812)
- Henriette (1780-1857) ∞ Duke Ludwig of Württemberg (1756-1817)
- Karl ( 1784)
- Five children (1767, 1778, 1779, 1784 and 1785 ), whose names are not known
Swell
- Nassau. In: Heinrich August Pierer, Julius Lobe (eds.): Universal Dictionary of the past and present. 4th edition. Vol 9, Altenburg 1860, pp. 692-700 (online at zeno.org ).
- Entry in thepeerage.com (English)