George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

George I of Hesse -Darmstadt ( born September 10, 1547 Kassel, † February 7, 1596 in Darmstadt) also known as George the Pious, was Landgrave of Hesse -Darmstadt.

Life

George was a son of the Landgrave Philipp I of Hesse (1504-1567) from his marriage to Christine of Saxony ( 1505-1549 ).

The four sons of the marriage of his parents were followers of the country county each with their own dominions. Landgrave Philip had the older sons overwritten the larger share. The young George received about one-eighth of the state of Hesse. On 15 July 1567, when 19 -year-old, he took over the government of the Darmstadt Obergrafschaft Katzenelenbogen. He succeeded to his father's will: " George is said to have the castles, towns and offices Rüsselsheim, Dornsberg, Darmstadt, Lichtenberg, Clean Home, Zwingenberg, Auersberg and what more is in the Upper County and part of it ". To distinguish George line was given the name " Hesse -Darmstadt ".

Determined George began to make out of the farming town of Darmstadt a residence. The castle was extended and fortified with a moat and bastions. Arsenal and stables, and a new building for the government agencies created in the castle. For princely representation is the extended castle garden ( " Mr. garden " ) was created north of the castle. 1572-1580 a farm into a hunting lodge crane stone was rebuilt by the architect Jakob Huth boiler.

" Uff the clear mountain " begins Jacob Huth boiler already in 1570 with the construction of the castle of Lichtenberg. This first Renaissance building in the south of Hesse is the model for many buildings that are made in George's reign.

George's father was in 1524 converted to the Lutheran doctrine and continued this reformation in his country by county. Clergy as subjects has been demanded " true faith ". To learn it, under George's reign one area-wide education should be introduced, the same should also convey obedience as well as right and wrong. This school was a prerequisite for the confirmation, so that Georg a de facto compulsory education introduced in his country.

George's reign was marked by great creative energy, relentless rigor and extremely rigid morality. Presumably, therefore, was Hesse -Darmstadt, Hessen participates in contrast to the areas of George's brothers, at the first wave of the early modern witch hunts. Under George's reign are shown for witchcraft, including the approximately 11 -year-old Wolf Weber and an approximately 16 - year-old girl between the years 1582 and 1590, 37 executions.

On the other hand Darmstadt experienced but under George's reign not only an economic boom ( the population doubled ), but also the first elements of a social system, such as the establishment of a workhouse in 1592 and for the information of orphans in the castle from 1594th

Landgrave George I of Hesse-Darmstadt died on February 7, 1596 and is buried in the choir of the Darmstadt city church. His epitaph and his wife is important Renaissance monument.

Marriages and descendants

August 17, 1572: Marriage with Countess Magdalene of Lippe (* February 24, 1552, † February 26, 1587 )

  • Philipp Wilhelm ( * / † 1576 ), Prince
  • Louis V (1577-1626), Landgrave of Hesse -Darmstadt
  • Christine (1578-1596)
  • Elisabeth (1579-1655)
  • Marie Hedwig (1580-1582)
  • Philip III. (1581-1643), Landgrave of Hesse - Butzbach
  • Anna (1583-1631)
  • Frederick I (1585-1638), Landgrave of Hesse -Homburg
  • Magdalene (* / † 1586)
  • Johann (* / † 1587 )

May 25 1589: Marriage with Duchess Eleonore von Württemberg, widowed Princess of Anhalt (* March 22, 1552; † January 12, 1618 )

  • Heinrich (1590-1601)
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt Fischbachtal Reinheim Protestant Reformation Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Philip III, Landgrave of Hesse-Butzbach Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Neue Deutsche Biographie Integrated Authority File
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