Landgravine Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt (1757–1830)

Louise of Hesse -Darmstadt (* January 30, 1757 in Berlin, † February 14, 1830 ) since October 3, 1775 was the wife of the Duke and later Grand Duke Carl August of Saxe- Weimar and as such part of the courtly group of people in the environment Weimar Classicism. She was introverted and serious, but also compassionate and benevolent. She offered after the Battle of Jena- Auerstedt Napoleon forehead and so took her place in the later Weimar myth.

Biographical

The princess of the House in Darmstadt, which led the Hessian Landgrave title, was born on January 30, 1757 in the Prussian Berlin. In the capital of the Prussian King Frederick II, the parents kept on due to the Seven Years War. The father, Louis IX. , Who should take over the government in 1768 as Landgrave of Hesse, was a general in the Prussian service. This penchant for military remained all his life typical of the child 's father, which is why the education befitting the princess was in the hands of the mother. Henriette Karoline brought up her daughter from a Protestant tradition to an educated, literary and musically interested, but also described as brittle and proud nobles.

As the youngest daughter among the eight siblings educating the princess was important basis for an intended marriage connection. Then the father Louis IX. showed little interest in his offspring, was the marriage of the daughters paramount - and in the hands of the mother. The nickname "The Great Countess " was Henriette Caroline of Zweibrücken also thanks to their successful in-house policy. This purpose was also the first appearance of Louise's owed ​​on the international stage of the ancien regime. In 1773 she traveled with her mother and sisters Amalie Wilhelmine and to examine to the Russian court in St. Petersburg. There convicted by the Empress Catherine II as unfit for the Grand Duke and future emperor Paul, her sister Lucy was preferred. This rude reprimand and the ambiguous relationship with the future in-law Paul coined the restrained young woman apparently sustained over time in the Russian Empire it was silent at any rate persevere.

Nevertheless, without influence this trip grew, and by the great countess had on the way to another widowed regent of a small state - Anna Amalia - met. The two fate companions were well pleased with each other. At the end of this acquaintance was under the mediation of the Kurmainzer Governor in Erfurt, Dalberg, a marriage agreement between the eighteen- year-old Hessian and the somewhat younger firebrand Carl August of Saxe- Weimar. The marriage was quite brittle closed on October 3, 1775 at the Karlsruhe court, from where Louise was obtained as a new prince's wife Ernestine in the residence city of Weimar.

Witnesses and secondary literature agree that this connection was anything but happy. Even the usual ceremonial reception turned out quite sparse. Even the court itself, they stood in the shadow of their round tables giving mother Anna Amalia. The conjugal duties they resulted in silence. She gave birth to a princess in 1779, who died at the early age of five years. The following children did not even reach the necessary Taufalter of a few days. During this time, the Sturm und Drang period of the Weimar Duke fell. From Miseleien and stupidities of Ernestiners together with his court poet and Consiliumsmitglied Goethe nowadays still know every city leaders to talk about. As one may assess that, it improved the embossed of emotional cold air marriage in any way. The public humiliation of the princely husband found only with its tolerated marriage to actress Karoline Hunt for man to raise a considerable reassurance. Only in 1783 did the successor Luise, Hereditary Prince Carl Friedrich, born. With the birth of the Prince Bernhard 1792, the marriage had finally served its purpose since the succession and thus the dynastic survival were guaranteed.

It's your moment had Luise in October 1806, it essentially determines the Luise image for posterity. In contrast to her childhood and the early Weimar years, this phase takes in the literature a large room. After the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (October 14 ), which led to an embarrassing defeat of the Prussian- Saxon armies, the victorious French gathered in the small town of Weimar residence. The other family members had fled, or such as that in the Prussian service ruler in the chaos of war is not dispensable. So it was at Luise to fulfill the role as a mother-figure and patron. Two days after the battle, they turned against the French Emperor Napoleon. The Corsicans she made clear quite undiplomatic that her husband of devotion to duty could not be abruptly retire from military service, although the Emperor insisted. Nevertheless, at the behest of the commander, the looting were set and Weimar was, in comparison with the university town of Jena lightly. Whether Napoleon relented Luise, or followed but rather calculations of power politics must remain open here. The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar -Eisenach remained with the connection to the peace of poses receive and survived by the following seesaw policy, the Napoleonic era. Since Louise was regarded as the savior of his country, which was maintained by the subjects and contemporaries image - and thus their part in Weimar myth.

Since 1815, Grand Duchess Louise, was a result of the Congress, which meets in Vienna. The following period was characterized mainly by representative commitments. The Russian connections over her successor Maria Pavlovna attracted the Tsar Visits by itself. Also that their golden wedding was not specifically assessed in the reign anniversary in 1825, is revealing. Already heavily withdrawn died the Hessian princess and nunmehrige Grand Duchess at the age of 73 on 14 February 1830.

Sibling

• Caroline of Hesse -Darmstadt (1746-1820)
• Friederike of Hesse- Darmstadt (1751-1805)
• Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1753-1830)
• Friederike Amalie of Hesse- Darmstadt (1754-1832)
• Wilhelmina Luisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (1755-1776)
• Frederick of Hesse -Darmstadt (1759-1802)
• Christian of Hesse- Darmstadt (1763-1830)

Progeny

Louise of Hesse -Darmstadt in 1775 married Carl August:

• Luise Amalie Auguste (1779-1784)
• ( Daughter ) (* / † 1781)
• Carl Friedrich (1783-1853)
• ( Son ) (* / † 1785 )
• Karoline Luise (1786-1816) - married to Friedrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg (1778-1819)
• ( Son ) (* / † 1789)
• Bernhard (1792-1862)