Ferdinand Kettler
Ferdinand Kettler (born November 2, 1655 in Mitau , † May 4, 1737 in Danzig ) was the ruling Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1730 to 1737 . He was the last kettler to hold this position. After his death, the line died out.
Life
Ferdinand Kettler was the fourth son of Duke Jakob Kettler (1610–1682) and Luise Charlotte of Brandenburg (1617–1676). He was married to Princess Johanna Magdalena von Sachsen-Weißenfels (born March 17, 1708 in Weißenfels, † January 25, 1760 in Leipzig), daughter of Duke Johann Georg von Sachsen-Weißenfels , since 1730 . At the time of the wedding, Duke Ferdinand was already 74 years old and the bride 22 years young. The marriage remained childless.
Ferdinand Kettler took an active part in the Northern War as a Polish lieutenant general , but in 1700, under pressure from the advancing Swedes, he went to Gdansk, where he resided from then on. Because he did not live in the area of his duchy of Courland and Semgallia, the knighthood initially refused him recognition as a duke. He initially lost out to his nephew Friedrich Wilhelm Kettler (1692–1711) in the exercise of power, but even after his death he refused to return to Courland. Since he was the last male representative of the Kettler dynasty , the surrounding powers tried to win the successor business. In addition to Prince Menshikov , Count Moritz von Sachsen , son of August II , the King of Poland, initially had good chances. But Russia did not want to lose its influence and occupied the western Kurland to drive Moritz out, which was also successful. Ferdinand Kettler then ruled from exile in Gdańsk until his death, whereupon Anna Ivanovna , widow of Friedrich Wilhelm Kettler, who had in the meantime ascended the Russian throne as Tsarina , succeeded in having her favorite Ernst Johann von Biron become Duke of Courland.
literature
- Anton Balthasar König : Ferdinand Kettler . In: Biographical lexicon of all heroes and military figures who made themselves famous in the Prussian service . tape 1 . Arnold Wever, Berlin 1788, p. 321 ( Ferdinand Kettler at Wikisource [PDF]).
- Irene Neander: Ferdinand Kettler. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 5, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1961, ISBN 3-428-00186-9 , p. 90 f. ( Digitized version ).
- Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldier leadership . Volume 1, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1937], DNB 367632764 , p. 37, no. 58.
Web links
- Baltic Historical Commission (ed.): Entry on Ferdinand Kettler. In: BBLD - Baltic Biographical Lexicon digital
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Anna of Russia |
Duke of Courland 1730–1737 |
Ernst Johann von Biron |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kettler, Ferdinand |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Duke of Courland |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 2, 1655 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mitau |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 4, 1737 |
| Place of death | Danzig |