Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Friedrich Wilhelm ( II ), Grand Duke of Mecklenburg [- Strelitz ] ( born October 17, 1819 in Neustrelitz, † May 30, 1904 ibid ) was Grand Duke of Mecklenburg in the part of the country Mecklenburg -Strelitz 1860-1904.

Life

Friedrich Wilhelm, Friedrich Wilhelm Karl actually Georg Ernst Adolf Gustav, was the eldest son of Grand Duke George (1779-1860) and his wife Princess Marie (1796-1880), daughter of the Elector Frederick III. of Hesse- Kassel and Karoline Polyxena of Nassau- Usingen. Paternal His grandparents were Duke Karl ( Friedrich Ludwig ) ( Prince, later as Grand Duke Charles II Regent of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ) and Princess Friederike of Hesse- Darmstadt.

Friedrich Wilhelm spent his youth in Neustrelitz and later he studied history in Bonn. After graduating, he went to Grand Tour to Italy and Switzerland. In a visit to relatives in England, he met his cousin ( second degree ) Princess Augusta Caroline of Great Britain, Ireland and Hanover, the elder daughter of Adolph Friedrich, Duke of Cambridge and Viceroy of Hanover and his wife Augusta of Hesse, know.

On June 28, 1843 married Prince Frederick William at Buckingham Palace in London, Princess Augusta Caroline ( 1822-1916 ), granddaughter of King George III. She was a member of the British royal family. The marriage produced three sons were born:

  • Son, stillbirth (* / † 1843)
  • Friedrich Wilhelm ( * / † 1845)
  • Adolf Friedrich ( V. ) ( 1848-1914 ) ∞ 1877 Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt- Dessau

With the death of his father on September 6, 1860 Frederick William took over the business of government in Mecklenburg -Strelitz [ by an old error of the Mecklenburg Regent counting his name appears in the literature without dynastic always count on, while he actually Friedrich Wilhelm II ]. His reign was marked by borders on avarice economy in all public expenditures. Necessary investments in the economy, infrastructure and education remained largely under. In modern developments stagnated or stopped reluctant feeder. Although this policy could achieve that through generations accumulated debts of the royal house were removed. However, the country became one of the most backward German territories, in which Chancellor Otto von Bismarck wanted to escape in the event of the apocalypse, because here the world of his opinion would go down later after fifty years.

Although Frederick William was the largest landowner in his territory, but remained involved in the solidified and had long since become an impediment of a feudal system landständischen Constitution of the Mecklenburg State in which the two sovereigns had limited room for maneuver. During his reign, both parts of the country of Mecklenburg Member of the German Bundestag since 1871, and members of the German Empire were. In the imperial proclamation in Versailles on 18 January 1871 he was represented by his son Adolf Friedrich. The hostile attitude of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm led to considerable political tensions and differences with the young Empire. At times it was considered to imperial level his deposition as Regent Strelitz.

By undue thrift and financial speculation grew during his reign of the so -called " blind Hausschatz " zusammengehungert the country and his subjects. On the occasion of the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of Prince (60 years) in 1903 every citizen of the Grand Duchy of public funds was 25 penny paid. His son and successor Frederick William left a fortune, which made ​​this one of the richest German princes.

Award

  • On August 12, 1862 him the Order of the Garter by his cousin ( second degree ) was awarded Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland.
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