Karl Wilhelm (Nassau-Usingen)
Karl Wilhelm (born November 9, 1735 in Usingen ; † May 17, 1803 in Biebrich ) was Prince of Nassau-Usingen from 1775 to 1803 and formally also of Nassau-Saarbrücken from 1797 to 1803 .
Life
Karl Wilhelm was the eldest son of Prince Karl von Nassau-Usingen and Christiane Wilhelmine von Sachsen-Eisenach, the daughter of Johann Wilhelm von Sachsen-Eisenach . In 1770 he became lieutenant general of the infantry and in 1775 he succeeded his father as prince. In 1789 he became general and in 1790 colonel of the Walen regiment.
In 1783 he concluded the Nassau inheritance contract Nassau Heritage Association with Nassau-Saarbrücken, Nassau-Weilburg and Nassau-Dietz (Orange-Nassau) in order to preserve the unity of the Nassau areas. So only the firstborn should be able to inherit. After the death of Hereditary Prince Heinrich Ludwig of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1768–1797) he inherited Nassau-Saarbrücken. However, the principality had been occupied by French revolutionary troops since 1793. In the Treaty of Lunéville , he lost the left bank of the Rhine to France. The Reichsdeputationshauptschluss compensated it with parts of Kurmainz , Kurköln , Palatinate and Hesse . But he died that same year. His brother Friedrich August succeeded him on the throne.
Karl Wilhelm was a member of the Freemasons Association ; In 1778 he founded the Wiesbaden Freemason Lodge, Plato, in Biebrich Castle .
Marriage and offspring
Karl Wilhelm married on April 16, 1760 Countess Karoline Felicitas zu Leiningen-Dagsburg-Heidesheim (* May 22, 1734 - May 8, 1810), daughter of Count Christian Karl Reinhard von Leiningen-Dagsburg . He had the following children with her:
- Prince Karl Wilhelm (March 26, 1761 - March 10, 1763)
- Princess Karoline Polyxene (April 4, 1762 - August 17, 1823) ∞ Landgrave Friedrich von Hessen-Kassel-Rumpenheim . Through this marriage she became ancestral mother of the Hessen-Kassel-Rumpenheim line, which continues today.
- Princess Luise Henriette (June 14, 1763 - May 30, 1845)
literature
- Ernst Joachim: Karl Wilhelm of Nassau-Usingen . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 15, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1882, p. 315.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ E. Lennhoff / O. Posner / DA Binder: Internationales Freemaurer Lexikon , Herbig, Munich 2006, p. 319
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Heinrich Ludwig |
Prince of Nassau-Saarbrücken 1797–1803 |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Karl Wilhelm |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Karl Wilhelm of Nassau-Usingen |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Prince of Nassau-Usingen |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 9, 1735 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Usingen |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 17, 1803 |
| Place of death | Biebrich |