Karl Friedrich (Baden)

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Portrait of the Elector Karl Friedrich von Baden, painted in 1803 by Johann Ludwig Kisling

Karl Friedrich von Baden (born November 22, 1728 in Karlsruhe ; † June 10, 1811 ibid) was Margrave of Baden-Durlach (1738–1771), Margrave of Baden (1771–1803), Elector of the Holy Roman Empire (1803–1806 ); officially “Margrave of Baden and Hochberg, Duke of Zähringen, St. Roman Empire sovereign Elector, Count Palatine near the Rhine, Landgrave in Breisgau, in Sausenberg and in Ortenau, etc. “First Grand Duke of Baden (1806–1811); officially "Grand Duke of Baden, Duke of Zähringen ".

With 73 years in office, he is one of the longest reigning monarchs in history.

Life

Portrait as a margrave, probably painted by Philipp Heinrich Kisling around 1746–1750

Karl Friedrich was the son of Hereditary Prince Friedrich of Baden-Durlach and his wife Anna Charlotte Amalie of Nassau-Dietz-Oranien , the daughter of Prince Wilhelm Friso of Nassau-Dietz-Oranien .

After his father died in 1732 and his mother suffered from a mental illness, his grandmother, Margravine Magdalena Wilhelmine von Württemberg , took over the education of Karl Friedrich and his brother Wilhelm Ludwig. In 1738 he followed his late grandfather Karl III. as margrave after. Due to his age, he did not rule himself at first, but remained under the tutelage of his grandmother and uncle Karl August von Baden-Durlach . Karl Friedrich received his higher education at the Académie de Lausanne 1743–1745. In 1745/46 he traveled to Paris and the Netherlands, where he lived with his uncle Wilhelm Carl Heinrich Friso , who later became the heir to the United Provinces of the Netherlands .

On October 13, 1746, the imperial declaration of consent took place and Karl Friedrich took over the government as Margrave of Baden-Durlach . Karl Friedrich returned to Karlsruhe via the royal courts in Kassel and Darmstadt and on his 18th birthday, on November 22, 1746, formally took over the reign, although - according to references in literature - he cared little about the government until after his marriage in 1751 cared.

At the beginning of 1747 rumors were circulating that Karl Friedrich supposedly wanted to turn to Catholicism. This and news about a loose way of life (card game and amorous adventures) prompted his uncle Wilhelm Carl Heinrich Friso to issue warnings to postpone a planned trip to Italy and not to spoil the prospects of a “good match”.

In August 1747 he went on another visit to the Netherlands and then to England, where he attended the opening of Parliament. In 1748 he returned home via the Netherlands, where he now also visited the Oberland . At the beginning of 1749 he campaigned for the hand of Karoline Luise von Hessen-Darmstadt , daughter of Landgrave Ludwig VIII of Hessen-Darmstadt , and in October the marriage pact between the princely houses was concluded.

The house of Baden-Durlach was happy to have the regent, who was to become the father of an illegitimate child from his relationship with Elise Barbara Schlutter in December, appropriately married. The House of Hessen-Darmstadt was also happy to have found a consort suitable for Karoline Luise, after she had already rejected applicants several times. Originally it was a marriage of convenience , but it brought two extraordinary people together and evidently led to a happy marriage - even if the historiography by Baden court officials sometimes puts a pink veil over the circumstances. After the marriage pact, the illegitimate son was born on December 18, 1749 and the House of Baden-Durlach arranged a marriage between Elise Barbara Schlutter and the chief hunter Johannes Mono in January 1750. From mid-January to mid-September, Karl Friedrich settled in Italy from where he undertook the long-planned trip and was so wasteful that his Hofrat President Friedrich Johann Emich von Üxküll-Gyllenband was compelled to admonish his prince. The wedding finally took place on January 28, 1751, but in May Karl Friedrich went - without a wife - on his second trip to England, from which he did not return until September. From then on, Karl Friedrich seems to have dealt seriously with the government of his country.

In 1771 he inherited the margraviate of Baden-Baden , which had been ruled by the "Bernardine Line" since 1515 and 1535, and merged the two margravates to form the margraviate of Baden .

He is considered a prime example of an enlightened absolutist ruler, promoted schools and universities, jurisdiction, administration, economy, culture, urban planning in his long reign. He earned services above all for the reorganization of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , which since then has been nicknamed "Karl" in his honor. He abolished torture in 1767 and serfdom in 1783 . The founding of the jewelry and watch industry and the first “ drawing school for craftsmen ” (1767) in Pforzheim go back to his initiative . Around 1780 Karl Friedrich brought the Chasselas - Wine from the Swiss Vevey into Markgräflerland .

As a result of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803 Karl Friedrich was elector and from 1806 Grand Duke of the new and greatly enlarged Baden. Due to the policy of Minister Sigismund Freiherr von Reitzenstein , parts of the Electoral Palatinate on the right bank of the Rhine as well as parts of the dioceses of Constance , Basel , Strasbourg and Speyer , and in 1805 the Breisgau and Ortenau were added to Baden. In 1806 he joined the Rhine Confederation with Baden .

Karl Friedrich was a member of an English Masonic Lodge and an honorary member of the Carl zur Eintracht Lodge in Mannheim.

Collegiate Church of St. Michael, late Romanesque vestibule and tower, Pforzheim

His grave is in the castle and collegiate church of St. Michael in Pforzheim . The crown insignia of the Grand Dukes of Baden (scepter and sword), like the crown , were hastily made for the funeral of the Grand Duke in 1811.

Marriages and offspring

Karl Friedrich had a son from his illegitimate relationship with Elise Barbara Schlutter

In his first marriage, Karl Friedrich married Karoline Luise von Hessen-Darmstadt , daughter of Landgrave Ludwig VIII of Hessen-Darmstadt , on January 28, 1751 . The following children were born from the marriage:

In his second marriage, Karl Friedrich married Luise Karoline Geyer von Geyersberg , Countess von Hochberg, daughter of Baron Ludwig Heinrich Philipp Geyer von Geyersberg on November 24, 1787 . The following children were born from the marriage:

ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Friedrich VII. Magnus Margrave of Baden-Durlach (1647–1709)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Charles III Wilhelm Margrave of Baden-Durlach (1679–1738)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Augusta Maria of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf (1649–1728)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Friedrich Hereditary Prince of Baden (1703–1732)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wilhelm Ludwig Duke of Württemberg (1647–1677)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg (1677–1742)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Magdalena Sibylla of Hessen-Darmstadt (1652–1712)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Karl Friedrich Grand Duke of Baden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Heinrich Casimir II of Nassau-Dietz , (1657–1696)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Johann Wilhelm Friso of Nassau-Dietz (1687–1711)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Henriette Amalie of Anhalt-Dessau (1666–1726)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Anna of Nassau-Dietz-Oranien (1710–1777)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Karl Landgrave of Hessen-Kassel (1654–1730)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Marie Luise of Hessen-Kassel (1688–1765)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Amalia of Courland (1653-1711)
 
 
 
 
 
 

  • 1st wife: Margravine Karoline Luise von Baden (1723–1783)

  • 2nd wife: Luise Karoline Countess von Hochberg (1768–1820)

The guardian government 1738–1746

Portrait of Magdalena Wilhelmines in Ludwigsburg Palace

After the death of the grandfather, Karl III. Wilhelm on May 12, 1738 took the grandmother, Countess Magdalena Wilhelmine of Württemberg - with the oldest agnates , Karl August von Baden-Durlach , the regency until her death on 30 October 1742. 1742 to 1744 worked Margrave Karl Wilhelm Eugen von Baden-Durlach , Karl August's brother, participated in the custodial government. As early as 1736, Charles III. Wilhelm determined the guardianship in his will , whereby he assigned the college of privy councils and bound decisions to a majority of votes of the privy councilors and secret court councilors . Hofrat President Friedrich Johann Emich von Üxküll-Gyllenband therefore assumed an important position. The Margrave of Baden-Baden, August Georg and the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Ludwig VIII were also to be involved as executors of the wills in important decisions .

1740 rights of the Electoral Palatinate to Pforzheim and other places from Elector Karl III. to be bought off. In 1741 it was possible to reach a settlement with Maria Theresa , in which she renounced all claims to sovereignty and fiefdom regarding the Landgraviate of Sausenberg , as well as the dominions of Rötteln and Badenweiler . For this and for the Austrian share in Grenzach , the margraviate paid 230,000 guilders .

The development of Baden under Karl Friedrich

Portrait as elector

At the beginning of his reign (1746) the margraviate of Baden-Durlach had fewer than 90,000 inhabitants and an area of ​​29 square miles (~ 1,631 km 2 ). At his death (1811) the Grand Duchy of Baden covered 260 square miles (~ 14,622 km 2 ) with about 930,000 inhabitants.

The 18-year-old Margrave took over one of the many small and torn domains that together made up the German Empire; The 83-year-old Grand Duke died as an enlightened sovereign of a medium-sized principality, respected throughout Europe, which was considered to be the “model country of Baden”.

His government lived up to his motto Moderate et prudenter - with moderation and common sense .

Territorial development

The huge territorial transformation of Baden took place in several steps:

  • Margraviate of Baden-Durlach 1535 to 1771

  • Margraviate of Baden-Baden 1535 to 1771

  • Elector / Grand Duchy of Baden 1803–1819

Reunification

In 1515, the sons of Margrave Christoph von Baden divided the land into three parts. After Philipp's death in 1533, his brothers Bernhard and Ernst divided his share between them and founded the two lines of Baden-Baden (Bernhardinisch) and Baden-Durlach (Ernestine). In the course of the occupation of Upper Baden (1594-1622) there was a temporary reunification under the Baden-Durlach margraves Ernst Friedrich (until 1604) and Georg Friedrich .

With the inheritance contract of 1765 between the margraves Karl Friedrich and August Georg , the prerequisites for reunification were created, which then took place in 1771, after the death of August Georg.

Since taking office, August Georg had tried to find an acceptable succession plan. Since it was obvious that Baden-Baden would fall to Baden-Durlach after his death, he negotiated an inheritance contract with Karl Friedrich, which was signed in 1765. The inheritance contract stipulated that most of Baden-Baden's possessions should fall to Baden-Durlach. Only the Bohemian possessions that Sibylla Augusta had brought in fell to their relatives. The Ortenau, which Ludwig Wilhelm had received as an imperial fief, reverted to the emperor. The contract also provided that the surviving members of the margravial family would be financially settled with their court and that the assets of the Catholic institutions, such as the Lichtenthal monastery or the Baden-Baden monastery, would be preserved.

Karl Friedrich asked Prussia, England and Denmark to guarantee the implementation of the inheritance contract. August Georg turned to the Pope , the Archbishop of Mainz and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria on this matter . In Vienna, however, the Reichshofrat, brought in by Emperor Franz I , advised against confirming the inheritance contract. After August Georg's death on October 21, 1771, Karl Friedrich rode into Rastatt. He took possession of his inheritance and committed the civil service of Baden-Baden to himself.

Legal and Public Administration

Karl Friedrich was aware that the economic development of his dominion also required an effective and arbitrary administration. Public administration has been improved by monitoring abuses and embezzlement. The fixed pay of civil servants gradually replaced their dependence on sports , which accelerated and made administrative processes cheaper for citizens. In 1784 an ordinance regulated the notarial system and required notaries to be approved by the court courts.

Civil Law

Civil law was based on Roman , canonical and common German law . In particular, Baden-Durlach's land law from 1622 still applied . Noticeable legal loopholes were closed by special laws to eliminate legal uncertainty.

For a small state like the margraviate it was inconceivable to set up its own legal system, which is why the creation of the civil code in France was seen as an opportunity to modernize the legal system and Napoleon's pressure probably only accelerated the adoption of this right by small German states. Hofrat Brauer adapted the French Civil Code to Baden conditions from 1807–1809 . This Baden land law established a uniform legal framework in the many historical areas that were now united to form the Grand Duchy of Baden; it was in effect until 1899.

Karl Friedrich and the Catholics

In the margraviate of Baden-Durlach, which had been Protestant since Charles II (1556), the Catholics represented a small minority (approx. 5%) - only a handful of parishes were Catholic. After all, they were allowed to hold church services in the royal seat of Karlsruhe and in 1768 they were allowed to set up a house of prayer there. At the beginning of his reign, however, the margrave still financed the conversion of Catholics.

After the unification of the margravates of Baden-Durlach (Protestant) and Baden-Baden (Catholic), the integration of the newly accrued Catholic territories was one of the great challenges for the Protestant sovereign. In general, there was no disadvantage for Catholics under Karl Friedrich, but he took over only two councilors and chamber councilors each of the Rastatt court.

At the end of his reign his basic tolerant attitude had been transferred to the citizens and Karl Drais reported: "Many bailiffs and pastors of both denominations acted reasonably on their subordinates, so that the blind zeal of individual Zealots passed in an empty haze." Baden even today focuses on how the denominations interact with one another.

The syndicate dispute 1777–1789

The Prince-Bishop of Speyer , August von Limburg-Stirum , had already tried to disrupt the preliminary negotiations on the inheritance contract. After the unification of the margravates of Baden, he successfully tried to win the widowed margravine of Baden-Baden, Maria Viktoria, in an attempt to expand his power and to become a kind of protector of the Catholic population in Baden. Maria Viktoria financed a lawsuit that the city of Baden-Baden (initially together with other cities) filed before the Reichshofrat against Karl Friedrich in 1777 . It was assumed that the repeal of the old government of the margraviate of Baden-Baden in Rastatt would violate the right of Catholic subjects to Catholic government authorities and that there would be a risk of religious repression. As legal representative of the Catholic opposition, a syndic was appointed who was a servant of the diocese of Strasbourg and was not admitted to Baden. After he called community meetings with the plaintiffs, the margravial government forbade him to work and asked the plaintiffs to look for another legal representative. Because of this handicap, they brought a further complaint to the Reichshofrat, who ruled on March 30, 1779 that the handicap of the syndic was inadmissible. On April 6, 1780, enforcement of the order was threatened by imperial coercive measures. This gave the matter a fundamental importance, since the sovereignty of an imperial estate was interfered with. The Margrave, who was fundamentally willing to compromise in the matter of the participation of the Catholic minority, refused to accept such interference. He denied the jurisdiction of the Reichshofrat in this matter and appealed to the Reichstag . The imperial estates prepared a resolution in support of the margrave and the guarantee powers of the inheritance treaty - in particular Frederick II of Prussia , but also the kings of England, Sweden and Denmark - also intervened in his favor, whereby the conflict reached a European dimension. The Reichshofrat held back and the matter was practically brought to an end by a resolution of April 7, 1789, since the plaintiffs' legitimacy was now also in doubt. After Karl Friedrich reached an agreement with the Prince-Bishop of Speyer on the rights of the diocese in 1790 , the conflict was definitely resolved and the relationship between Catholics and the Margrave improved significantly.

Karl Friedrich and the Physiocracy

Statue in front of Karlsruhe Palace

The margrave became a supporter of these ideas due to his studies of the French physiocrats - in particular Mirabeau and Du Pont . In 1769 Karl Friedrich began an exchange of letters with Mirabeau. In the summer of 1771 the margrave traveled to Paris, where he also met Mirabeau and Dupont personally. The margrave was still in lively exchange with Dupont and in 1773 Dupont visited the Karlsruhe court.

Karl Friedrich himself wrote a summary of the physiocratic ideas with the title "Abrégé des principes de l'économie politique", which Mirabeau made known in Paris in 1772.

The lively interest of the margrave in economics is also attested by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , who briefly stayed at the Karlsruhe court on his trip to Switzerland in 1775: “The ruling Mr. Margrave, as one of the princely seniors, but especially because of his excellent government purposes highly adored the German regent, liked to talk about political affairs. "

In 1763, Karl Friedrich appointed the leading German representative of the Physiocracy, Johann August Schlettwein, as a chamber and police advisor to the court in Karlsruhe.

Both Karl Friedrich and Schlettwein endeavored to achieve practical improvements in agriculture based on these ideas. The only known attempt in the world to introduce the physiocratic system was launched in the three Baden villages of Dietlingen , Bahlingen and Teningen , and the "impôt unique" system was introduced there.

The experiment began in Dietlingen in 1770 and, after a modification (1795), was definitely stopped in 1801. The experiment began in Bahlingen and Teningen in 1771 and was ended again in 1776. Schlettwein left the court as early as 1773, believing after differences with Dupont that he no longer had the trust of the margrave.

  • Gabriel de Riqueti Count of Mirabeau

  • Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours

  • Johann August Schlettwein

See also

Fonts

literature

Representations of the contemporaries Karl Friedrich Nebenius and Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Friedrich Drais von Sauerbronn :

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Schwarzmaier, p. 206
  2. ↑ Schwarzmaier, pp. 206/207
  3. ↑ s. Landgrave p. 21
  4. ↑ s. Landgraf p. 21; Nebenius p. 43
  5. ↑ http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/ausstellungen/625jahre2011/sektion1.html
  6. ↑ [1] Website Landeskunde online
  7. ↑ Drais, Volume 1, p. 11
  8. ↑ Drais, Volume 1, pp. 24/25
  9. ↑ Nebenius, p. 32; 44/45.
  10. ^ Friedrich von Weech:  Karl Friedrich (Grand Duke of Baden) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 15, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1882, pp. 241-248. P. 246
  11. ↑ Stiefel, pp. 172-208
  12. ↑ in the state archive ; Summary of the contract
  13. ↑ Nebenius, pp. 129-131
  14. ↑ Boots p. 647
  15. ^ Nebenius, p. 129
  16. ↑ Drais Vol. II, p. 101
  17. ↑ Stiefel, p. 631
  18. ↑ Drais, Vol II, pp. 68-102
  19. ↑ Krebs, p. 17
  20. ↑ Nebenius, p. 207
  21. ^ Goethe's posthumous works, eighth volume, 16th book, in the JG Cottaschen bookstore, Stuttgart and Tübingen 1833, p. 98

Web links

Commons : Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Charles III Margrave of Baden-Durlach
1738–1771
( until 1746 under the reign of Karl August von Baden-Durlach ) 		united with margraviate Baden-Baden to form margraviate Baden
August Georg Simpert (Margrave of Baden-Baden)
himself (Margrave of Baden-Durlach)		 Margrave of Baden
from 1803 Elector of Baden
from 1806 Grand Duke of Baden
1771–1811 		Karl Ludwig Friedrich
personal data
SURNAME Karl Friedrich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Karl Friedrich of Baden
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Margrave of Baden; Elector of Baden; Grand Duke of Baden
DATE OF BIRTH November 22, 1728
PLACE OF BIRTH Karlsruhe , Margraviate Baden-Durlach , Holy Roman Empire
DATE OF DEATH June 10, 1811
Place of death Karlsruhe , Grand Duchy of Baden