Christian (Nassau-Dillenburg)

Christian von Nassau-Dillenburg (born August 12, 1688 at Dillenburg Castle; † August 28, 1739 in Straßebersbach ) was Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg . It was the last of his line, which began with Georg von Nassau-Dillenburg in 1606.

His parents were Heinrich von Nassau-Dillenburg (1641-1701) and his wife Princess Dorothea Elisabeth von Liegnitz (1646-1691).

Life

After the death of his parents, his older brother Wilhelm took over the upbringing. At a young age, Christian and his court master Gustav von Moltke were sent to study at the University of Leiden , where he was very enthusiastic about mathematics. In March 1708 he entered the Dutch service as a major in the infantry, received a patent as colonel on April 16, 1711 and fought with distinction against the French in the War of the Spanish Succession . After the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, he returned to Germany and resided in Hadamar. With the death of Franz Alexander von Nassau-Hadamar in 1711, the Nassau-Hadamar line there died out and the land was divided among the remaining Nassauers. After the death of his brother Wilhelm in 1724, Christian also took over the Dillenburg property. In 1731, with Friedrich Wilhelm II of Nassau-Siegen , the Reformed line of the House of Nassau-Siegen also died out. At first Immanuel Ignaz von Nassau-Siegen (1688-1735) was there as administrator (his older brother Wilhelm Hyacinth had been deposed in 1707), but from 1735 it finally fell to Nassau-Dillenburg and Nassau-Dietz. Since now only the Dillenburg and Dietz lines were left, Christian, as head of the Ottonian line, and Karl August von Nassau-Weilburg from the Walramian line, signed a contract of inheritance in 1736 in order to avoid further fragmentation of the country.

A few years later Christian died of a sticky river attack on a hunting trip in the office building of Straßebersbach. His possessions now went to Wilhelm IV of Nassau-Dietz and Wilhelm Hyacinth of Nassau-Siegen. He was already old and, as always, in need of money and sold his share to Wilhelm on February 17, 1742 for a rent of 40,000 thalers. He died in 1743.

He was a knight of the St. Hubertus Order .

family

In 1725 Christian married Isabella Charlotte von Nassau-Dietz (1692–1757), the daughter of Prince Heinrich Casimir von Nassau-Dietz . The marriage remained childless.

literature

• Ludwig Götze:  Christian (Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 4, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1876, p. 171.

swell

1. ↑ Johann Stephan Pütter, Historical Development of the Present State Constitution of the German Empire Volume 3. P. 33ff digitized

predecessor	Office	successor
Wilhelm II.	Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg 1724–1739	Wilhelm IV. (Nassau-Diez) Wilhelm Hyacinth (Nassau-Siegen)