Johann Friedrich Alexander (Wied-Neuwied)
Johann Friedrich Alexander zu Wied-Neuwied (born November 18, 1706 in Seeburg ; † August 7, 1791 in Neuwied ), Count of Wied-Neuwied (1737–1784), was the first prince of Wied (1784–1791).
His parents were Friedrich Wilhelm zu Wied-Neuwied (1684–1737) and Luise Charlotte von Dohna-Schlobitten (1688–1736), the daughter of Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1661–1728) and his first wife Emilie Luise Gräfin zu Dohna Cariegen (1661-1724).
Life
Johann Friedrich Alexander zu Wied-Neuwied was the ruling count in the Niedergrafschaft Wied-Neuwied and was raised to hereditary prince status on May 29, 1784 by Emperor Joseph II .
After studying in Strasbourg and Königsberg, in 1737 he played a key role in mediating the Peace of Vienna, which ended the War of the Polish Succession . He had to refuse the title of prince offered to him as early as 1738 for financial reasons. His pronounced “imperial pride” may also have played a role. In 1739 he married Karoline von Kirchberg (1720–1795), Countess of Sayn-Hachenburg .
During his reign he endeavored to advance the small territory of the county of Wied-Neuwied economically and socially. He tried to win new citizens for the city of Neuwied , and for this purpose enabled the establishment of numerous factories and manufactories. He is also considered the initiator of a lottery in which houses in today's dyke town could be won. His government activities were characterized by openness to the world and religious tolerance. So he gave in 1739 to the Principality of Pfalz-Zweibrücken displaced Inspired asylum in his residence city Neuwied. In 1750 he also allowed the Moravian Brethren to settle . He sponsored the construction of a Mennonite church and a synagogue in Neuwied and continued the work of his grandfather Friedrich III. established tolerant religious policy of the House of Wied. In 1756 he founded a Free Academy in Neuwied for the unification of faith and further admission of religion , at which preacher Johann Heinrich Oest (1727–1777) or the pastors Jakob Friedrich Aurand (1731–1759) and Georg Wilhelm Höcker (1688–1772) worked , which was closed again at the end of 1758. The historian Max Braubach described him as “one of the best representatives of enlightened absolutism in the empire”.
Johann Friedrich Alexander was also chairman of the Lower Rhine-Westphalian Counts College and was able to influence imperial politics in this way. In the dispute between Evangelical and Catholic imperial counts, he successfully mediated and ultimately received the title of prince for his house. The 15,000 guilders required probably came from the sale of the Rasselstein iron hammer to the Remy family.
family
In 1739 he married Karoline von Kirchberg (born October 19, 1720, † January 19, 1795). The couple had the following children:
- Friedrich Karl (* December 25, 1741; † March 1, 1809) ⚭ 1766 Marie Louise Wilhelmine von Sayn-Wittgenstein (1747–1823)
- Alexander August (1747–1750)
- Sophia Karolina (1740-1742)
literature
- Wilhelm Tullius: The checkered history of the House of Wied. Peter Kehrein, Neuwied 2003, ISBN 3-934125-02-6 .
- Hans-Jürgen Krüger: The Princely House of Wied, Counts of Isenburg, Lords of Runkel and Neuerburg. Börde, Werl 2005, ISBN 3-9809107-4-1 .
- Johann Stephan Reck: History of the counts and princely houses Isenburg, Runkel, Wied. Landes-Industrie-Comptoir, Weimar 1825.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Johann Friedrich Alexander |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wied-Neuwied, Johann Friedrich Alexander Graf von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | first prince of Wied (1784–1791) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 18, 1706 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Seeburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 7, 1791 |
| Place of death | Neuwied |