Karl Christian (Nassau-Weilburg)
Karl Christian (born January 16, 1735 in Weilburg ; † November 28, 1788 in Münster-Dreisen (approx. 8 km from Kirchheimbolanden )) was Prince of Nassau-Weilburg from 1753 to 1788 .
Life
Karl Christian was the son of Prince Karl August von Nassau-Weilburg and Auguste Friederike Wilhelmine von Nassau-Idstein . In 1744, he named the Danish Colonel Karl de la Pottrie , who went to Lausanne with his pupil, as the tutor for his son . In 1753, Karl Christian succeeded his father in the rule under the tutelage of Prince Karl von Nassau-Usingen , but received the declaration of age from Emperor Franz I Stephan in 1754 . However, he transferred the business of government to de la Pottrie and went into Dutch service as general of the infantry, worked as governor of Bergen op Zoom and Maastricht , was governor of Sluis and head of the Dutch guard on horseback. Since 1769, he commanded a Field Marshal Lieutenant Field Marshal and the upper Rhine Circle troops .
On March 5, 1760, he married 25-year-old in Hague , the 17-year-old Princess Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (born February 28, 1743 Leeuwarden , † May 6, 1787 in Kirchheimbolanden ), a daughter of Prince William IV. of Orange and Princess Anne , Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (1709–1759), eldest daughter of the British King and Brunswick Elector George II. The couple Karl Christian and Karoline had 15 children.
The morganatic marriage with Barbara Giesen (1788) cited variously in the literature is controversial and not supported by documents.
Until the transfer of the court to Nassau-Weilburg in 1784, he came only sporadically to his home country, where since de la Pottrie's death in 1770 the affairs of state were carried out by Friedrich Ludwig Freiherr von Botzheim .
During Prince Karl Christian's rule, important border regulations were made:
- Homburg im Westrich against Alsenz with Pfalz-Zweibrücken (1755)
- Renunciation of forest ownership in favor of the Electoral Palatinate in the Treaty of Alzey (1771)
- Settlement of border disputes with the County of Falkenstein (1772)
- Löhnberg with Orange-Nassau (1773)
- Becoming the Saar through an exchange treaty with France (1776)
Domestically, he supported the establishment of pension funds for the surviving dependents of secular officials, clergy and teachers and also financially supported the funds. A new regulation reformed poor welfare, measures were taken to improve agricultural yields and promote business. In the school system, improvements have been made to both teacher training and school attendance.
Prince Karl Christian achieved the family-political goal of securing the Nassau ruling house by signing the contract for the Nassau Hereditary Association in 1783.
When he died in 1788, his son Friedrich Wilhelm became his successor.
Karl Christian's wife Princess Karoline of Oranien-Nassau-Diez (1743–1787)
Karl Christian's father-in-law Wilhelm IV of Orange (1711–1751), first heir in the Netherlands
Karl Christian's mother-in-law Anne , Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (1709–1759), eldest daughter of King George II.
progeny
With his wife Karoline he had the following fifteen children, only seven of whom reached adulthood:
- Georg Wilhelm Belgicus (1760–1762)
- Wilhelm Ludwig Karl Flemand (1761–1770)
- Augusta Maria Karoline (1764–1802), canoness in Quedlinburg and Herford
- Wilhelmine Louise (1765–1837) ∞ Prince Heinrich XIII. Reuss to Greiz (1747-1817)
- Friedrich Wilhelm (born October 25, 1768 in The Hague , † January 9, 1816 in Weilburg Castle by accident), Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
- Karoline Luise Friederike (1770–1828) ∞ Prince Karl Ludwig Friedrich Alexander zu Wied-Runkel (born September 9, 1763; † March 9, 1824)
- Karl Ludwig (* / † 1772)
- Karl Friedrich Wilhelm (1775–1807)
- Amalie (1776–1841) ∞ Prince Victor II of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (1767–1812)
- Henriette (1780–1857) ∞ Duke Ludwig of Württemberg (1756–1817)
- Karl (* / † 1784)
- four children (1767, 1778, 1779 and 1785) whose names are not known
The since 2000 as Grand Duke of Luxembourg reigning Henri of Nassau is the five times great-grandson of Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg.
swell
- Nassau . In: Heinrich August Pierer , Julius Löbe (Hrsg.): Universal Lexicon of the Present and the Past . 4th edition. tape 9 . Altenburg 1860, p. 692-700 ( zeno.org ).
- Karl Christian Fürst von Nassau-Weilburg on thepeerage.com , accessed on October 4, 2015.
literature
- Ernst Joachim: Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 15, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1882, pp. 313-315.
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Karl August |
Prince of Nassau-Weilburg 1753–1788 |
Friedrich Wilhelm |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Karl Christian |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nassau-Weilburg, Karl Christian von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Prince of Nassau-Weilburg (1753–1788) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 16, 1735 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Weilburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 28, 1788 |
| Place of death | Münster-Dreisen |