Heinrich Casimir II (Nassau-Dietz)

Heinrich Casimir II.

Prince Heinrich Casimir von Nassau-Dietz (born January 18, 1657 in The Hague , † March 25, 1696 in Leeuwarden ) was an imperial prince of Nassau-Dietz and since 1664 governor of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe.

Life

The Nassau family is a noble family of European importance, whose beginnings go back to the 10th century and which initially appear as Counts of Laurenburg an der Lahn. The Nassau-Dietz line begins with Johanns VI. Son Ernst Casimir (1606–1632), who has been governor of Friesland since 1620 and of Groningen and Drenthe since 1625 . He stayed almost exclusively in the Netherlands, as did his successors: Heinrich Casimir I (1632–1640), Wilhelm Friedrich (1640–1664), who was raised to the rank of imperial prince in 1654, followed by Heinrich Casimir II. (1664–1664) 1696) and then Johann Wilhelm Friso (1696–1711). The latter is in 1702 by Wilhelm III. installed by England as general heir of the Orange line of the House of Nassau; his descendants have been entitled "Prince of Orange" since 1713, they have been inheritance holders of the United Provinces since 1747 and kings of the Netherlands since 1815.

The only son of Prince Wilhelm Friedrich von Nassau-Dietz and Princess Albertine Agnes , the second daughter of Prince Friedrich Heinrich von Oranien-Nassau, succeeded the father who died in 1664 as governor of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe under the tutelage of his mother. His relationship with Prince Wilhelm III, six years older than him, whom his mother presented as a role model, was clouded in his youth. After falling from his horse in 1677, he retired from Wilhelm's military service. After his marriage, an understanding was reached with Wilhelm III, who in 1687 became the godfather of his son Johann Wilhelm Friso . In 1688 Heinrich Casimir took part in Wilhelm's English campaign, became field marshal in 1689, but soon withdrew. Ill, he died two months before his mother was visiting.

The writer Eberhard Werner Happel mentions Heinrich Casimir in 1681 in his Christian Potentate War novel (4th book, 6th chapter).

progeny

Princess Henriette Amalie of Anhalt-Dessau

Heinrich Casimir married on November 26, 1683 Dessau Princess Henriette Amalie of Anhalt-Dessau (1666-1726), daughter of Prince Johann Georg II. Of Anhalt-Dessau . The marriage had the following nine children:

• Wilhelm Georg Friso (1685–1686), Hereditary Prince of Nassau-Dietz
• Henriette Albertine (1686–1754), Princess of Nassau-Dietz
• Johann Wilhelm Friso (1687–1711), governor in Friesland and Groningen
• Marie Amalie (1689–1771), Princess of Nassau-Dietz, canoness in Herford
• Sophie Hedwig (1690–1734) ⚭ 1708–1710 Duke Karl Leopold of Mecklenburg (1678–1747)
• Isabella Charlotte (1692–1757) ⚭ 1725 Prince Christian von Nassau-Dillenburg (1688–1739)
• Johanna Agnes (1693–1765), Princess of Nassau-Dietz
• Louise Leopoldina (1695–1758), Princess of Nassau-Dietz
• Henriette Casimira (1696–1738), Princess of Nassau-Dietz

literature

• Ernst Joachim:  Heinrich Casimir, Prince of Nassau-Dietz . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 11, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1880, p. 553.
• Uwe Schögl (Red.): Orange. 500 years of portraits of a dynasty from the portrait collection of the Austrian National Library, Vienna and the Dutch Royal Collection The Hague. (Exhibition from February 1 to March 19, 2002, Camineum of the Austrian National Library, Vienna). Austrian National Library et al., Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-01-000028-6 , pp. 89–91.

Web links

Commons : Heinrich Casimir II., Prince of Nassau-Dietz  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• The Monarchy: Nassau and Orange ( Memento of October 18, 2002 in the Internet Archive )

predecessor	Office	successor
Wilhelm Friedrich	Prince of Nassau-Dietz 1664–1696	Johann Wilhelm Friso