Ernst I. (Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg)

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Ernst I.

Ernst von Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg (born December 8, 1623 in Kassel ; † May 2, 1693 in Cologne ) was Landgrave of Hessen-Rheinfels from 1649 and of Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg from 1658 . Because of the early deaths of his brothers, all later princes of the Rotenburger Quart are descended directly from Ernst. He is therefore regarded as the progenitor of the Catholic Rotenburger Quart , a group of sidelines in the House of Hesse .

family

Ernst was the eleventh child from the second marriage of Landgrave Moritz von Hessen-Kassel (1572–1632) with Juliane von Nassau-Dillenburg (1587–1643) and a great-grandson of Philip I the Magnanimous . Landgrave Ernst married Countess Maria Eleonore von Solms-Lich (1632–1689) in Frankfurt in 1647. From this marriage two sons survived the father: Wilhelm (1648-1725) and Karl (1649-1711).

Life

Raised the Calvinist faith during the Thirty Years War , he got to know France and Italy in his youth . He took part in the campaigns of Hesse-Kassel , such as the battle of Alerheim on August 3, 1645. After the recapture of the Lower County of Katzenelnbogen in 1647 by the troops of Landgravine Amalie Elisabeth , this area came back to Hesse-Kassel and in 1649 became part of those who had come of age Seriously forgive. With this, Ernst founded the Hessen-Rheinfels line. Hessen-Kassel retained state sovereignty under imperial law, as it did over the other areas of the Rotenburger Quart. The complicated relationship between the Hessen-Kassel and Hessen-Rheinfels lines was regulated by various house contracts in the following years, which did not prevent political or legal disputes between the two houses.

Ernst chose Rheinfels Castle above the city of St. Goar on the left bank of the Rhine as his residence and had it expanded into an imposing fortress. The new Landgrave moved into Sankt Goar on March 30, 1649.

Through the expansion of his residence and the settlement of many authorities of his landgraviate at Rheinfels Castle, he contributed significantly to the economic upswing of St. Goar, which had suffered badly from the Thirty Years War.

Title page of the Rheinfelsische hymnal published by him in 1666 , with his coat of arms

On January 6, 1652 , Ernst converted to the Roman Catholic Church in Cologne with his family . The change of faith took place under the decisive influence of the Dutch theologian brothers Adrian and Peter van Walenburch , who were later both called to be bishops. Personally, Ernst remained a religiously tolerant ruler, but also intervened in the confessional disputes of his time with his own statements. He was in correspondence with leading figures of his time, including Leibniz . Contractually ( Regensburg Treaty (1654) ) it enabled the foundation of the Catholic communities in St. Goar, Nastätten and Langenschwalbach .

After the death of his brothers Friedrich in 1655 and Hermann in 1658, he inherited their mediat landgravates Hessen-Eschwege and Hessen-Rotenburg , which were also part of the Rotenburger Quart, and called himself Ernst von Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg .

In 1666 he had the Rheinfelsische Gesangbuch printed, which contained both Catholic and Lutheran and Reformed songs.

Ernst I was buried separately : at his request, his grave can be found in the pilgrimage church Bornhofen am Rhein; his heart was buried in the church of St. Maria in the Kupfergasse in Cologne .

With regard to his conversion and the inheritance of the former abbey as the Principality of Hersfeld , the Jesuit and Bollandist Daniel Papebroch, who was invited to Rheinfels Castle in 1660, made the following remark in his travel memories:

“A chapel with a gilded ceiling at the castle is very beautiful [...] Under the singing gallery you can see the coat of arms of the Landgrave with the following inscription: 'Ernst, of his family the first return to the Catholic Church, full of burning hope that he will like it many followers'. Then you saw his individual coats of arms, piece by piece, each with its motto underneath. The most notable verses were under a red double cross, which is the coat of arms of the abbey that fell to the landgrave in the Peace of Westphalia ; they read: 'I involuntarily add this coat of arms to my coat of arms; for what is yours should be given to you, crucified Jesus. "

literature

Web links

Commons : Ernst von Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Adrian and Father van Walenburch: Motiva Conversionis Ad Fidem Catholicam, Serenissimi Et Celsissimi Principis Ac Domini, D. Ernesti Hassiae Landgravii . Cologne, 1652; (Digital scan)
  2. ^ Ernst von Hessen-Rheinfels: Rheinfelsisches Gesangbuch. Reprint of the edition from 1666 for the 350th anniversary of the Catholic parishes in Sankt Goar, Bad Schwalbach and Nastätten, ed. and come by Alexander Ritter, 2 volumes, Münster 2004.
  3. ↑ Hersfeld Abbey
  4. ^ Udo Kindermann : Art monuments between Antwerp and Trento: descriptions and evaluations by the Jesuit Daniel Papebroch from 1660; First edition, translation and commentary . Böhlau Verlag, Cologne, 2002, ISBN 3-412-16701-0 , p. 62 ( digital scan from the source ).
predecessor Office successor
Moritz of Hessen-Kassel Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels
1649–1658 		not applicable (Rotenburger Quart)
Friedrich Landgrave of Hessen-Eschwege
1655–1667 		Karl
Hermann Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg
1658–1693 		Wilhelm I.
personal data
SURNAME Ernst I.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg, Landgrave Ernst von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Landgrave of Hessen-Rheinfels and later of Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg
DATE OF BIRTH December 8, 1623
PLACE OF BIRTH kassel
DATE OF DEATH May 2, 1693
Place of death Cologne