George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
George I. Frederick Charles Duke of Saxe- Meiningen ( born February 4, 1761 Frankfurt am Main, † December 24, 1803 in Meiningen ) reigned from 1782 to 1803, the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the Meiningen Duke house and ruled the country, following the example of his mother in the sense of enlightened absolutism. George came to prominence as a promoter of education, agriculture and forestry deserves. Himself he described as " the first servant of the state".
Life
His parents were Duke Anton Ulrich von Sachsen -Meiningen (1687-1763) and Princess Charlotte Amalie of Hesse- Philippsthal. He stood up in 1779 under the regency of his mother and to the early death of his elder brother Karl Wilhelm in 1782, he ruled jointly with this, since there was no Primogeniturordnung in Sachsen- Meiningen. In 1789 he convened J.F.A. the composer Fleischmann as a " cabinet - secretaire " in his ministry.
On November 27, 1782, he married in Langenburg Princess Louise Eleonore of Hohenlohe- Langenburg and left in the same year in Meiningen Creating the instrumental mitkonzipierten of him English Garden. He started with his brother, the conversion Meiningen to a representative residence and designed to Bad Love stone and the old stone castle with its park mainly involved.
With the establishment of the Forestry Academy Dreißigacker 1800, the foundation stone was laid for the significant upturn in the forestry of the duchy.
In great pomp at the birth of his son Bernhard, he renounced and made with their savings for laying the foundation stone of a school building, which was opened in 1821 under the government of his wife as a grammar school Bernhardinum. He also founded a charity school with a working device connected and free medical care. Even at the throne he had made available to the public the ducal library and art collections. George also took care of a reform of the church being, among other things, he picked up the penance for illegitimate motherhood.
Like his brother, he has been a lifetime in feeble health, and died at the age of 43 years on a " chest fever ". As regent for his minor son served his widow Louise Eleonore.
George was a member of the Masonic Lodge Charlotte at the three carnations
Progeny
From his marriage George had the following children:
- Adelheid (1792-1849) ∞ 1818 the later to become King William IV of the United Kingdom
- Ida (1794-1852) ∞ 1816 Duke Karl Bernhard of Saxe- Weimar -Eisenach
- Bernhard II Erich Freund (1800-1882), Duke of Saxe- Meiningen ∞ 1825 Princess Marie of Hesse- Kassel ( 1804-1888 )