RULERS OF HESSE

(Redirected from Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine)
'Hesse' (Hessen in German) is a region of west-central Germany. Originally the western part of the Landgraviate of Thuringia, in the mid 13th century it was inherited by the younger son of Henry II, Duke of Brabant, and became a distinct political entity. From the late 16th century it was generally divided into several branches, the most important of which were those of Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt. In the early 19th century the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel was elevated to Elector of Hesse (1803), while the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the Grand Duke of Hesse and the Rhine (1806). Hesse-Kassel was annexed by Prussia in 1866, while Hesse-Darmstadt as a Grand-Duchy lasted until the end of the German monarchies in 1918.

Contents
Landgraves of Hesse, 1264–1567
Landgraves of Hesse, 1264–1458
Landgraves of ''Lower Hesse'' (Kassel), 1458–1500
Landgraves of ''Upper Hesse'' (Marburg), 1458–1500
Landgraves of Hesse, 1500–1567
Landgraves of Hesse-Butzbach, 1609–1643
Landgraves of Hesse-Braubach, 1625–1651
Landgraves of Hesse-Itter, 1661–1676
Electors of Hesse (-Kassel), 1803–1866
Grand Dukes of Hesse (-Darmstadt) and the Rhine, 1806–1918
Heads of the non-reigning House of Hesse
Line Hesse-Kassel (since 1866)
Line of Hesse-Philippsthal (1866-1925)
Line of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (since 1866)
Line Hesse-Darmstadt (1918–1968)
See also
External links

Landgraves of Hesse, 1264–1567


Landgraves of Hesse, 1264–1458


Henry I the Child, 1264–1308

Otto the Elder, son of Henry I, 1308–1328 in ''Lower Hesse'' (Kassel), reunited Hesse in 1311

John, son of Henry I, 1308–1311 in ''Upper Hesse'' (Marburg)

Henry II the Iron, son of Otto I, 1328–1376


Louis the Junker, son of Otto I, 1336–1345 residing in Grebenstein


Hermann I the Elder, son of Otto I, 1336–1370 residing in Nordeck


Otto the Younger, son of Henry II the Iron, co-regent 1340–1366

Hermann II the Learned, son of Louis the Junker, 1376–1413, co-regent since 1367

Louis I the Peaceful 1413–1458
Landgraves of ''Lower Hesse'' (Kassel), 1458–1500


Louis II the Frank, eldest son of Louis the Peaceful, 1458–1471

William I the Elder, son of Louis III, 1471–1493

William II the Middle, son of Louis III, 1493–1509, reunited Hesse in 1500
Landgraves of ''Upper Hesse'' (Marburg), 1458–1500


Henry III the Rich, younger son of Louis the Peaceful, 1458–1483


Louis III the Younger (died 1478)

William III the Younger, 1483–1500
:''1500 reunited with Lower Hesse under William II''
Landgraves of Hesse, 1500–1567


Philip I the Magnanimous, son of William II, 1509–1567
==Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel, 1567–1803==

William IV the Wise, eldest son of Philip the Magnanimous, 1567–1592

Maurice, 1592–1627

William V, second son Maurice, 1627–1637

William VI, 1637–1663

William VII, 1663–1670

Charles II, 1670–1730

Frederick I, 1730–1751, also King of Sweden 1720–1751

William VIII, 1751–1760

Frederick II, 1760–1785

William IX, 1785–1803, became Elector William I in 1803
===Landgraves of Hesse-Rotenburg, 1627–1834===

Hermann, third son of Maurice, 1627–1658

Ernest, fifth son of Maurice, 1658–1693

William, 1693–1725

Ernest Leopold, 1725–1749

Constantine, 1749–1778, inherited Eschwege in 1755

Emanuel, 1778–1806 (died 1812)
:''1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse''

Victor Amadeus, 1813–1834
:''1834 extinct, reunited with Hesse-Kassel
===Landgraves of Hesse-Wanfried, 1627–1755===

★ Frederick,Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried-Eschwege, forth son of Maurice, 1627–1646

★ Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels, fifth son of Maurice, 1646–1693

★ Charles, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried, son of Ernest, 1693–1711

★ William, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried, son of Charles, 1711–1731

★ Christian, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried, son of Charles, 1711 and 1731–1755
:''1755 united with Hesse-Rotenburg''
===Landgraves of Hesse-Rheinfels, 1627–1754===

Ernest, fifth son of Maurice, 1627–1693
:''1658 united with Hesse-Rotenburg, 1754 with Hesse-Kassel''
===Landgraves of Hesse-Philippsthal===

Philip, son of William VI, 1663–1721

Charles II, 1721–1770

William, 1770–1806 (died 1810)
:''1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse''

Louis, 1813–1816

Ernst Constantine, 1816–1849

Karl, 1849–1866
:''1866 annexed by Prussia''
===Landgraves of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld===

William, son of Philip, 1721–1761

Frederick, 1761–1772

Adolf, 1772–1803

Charles, 1803–1806
:''1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse''

Charles, 1813–1854 (restored)

Alexis, 1854–1866
:''1866 annexed by Prussia''
==Landgraves of Hesse-Marburg, 1567–1604==

Louis IV, second son of Philip the Magnanimous, 1567–1604
:''1604 extinct and disputed between Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt, 1648 divided between the two lines''
==Landgraves of Hesse-Rheinfels, 1567–1583==

Philip the Younger, third son of Philip the Magnanimous, 1567–1583
:''1583 extinct and divided between Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Marburg and Hesse-Darmstadt''
==Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1567–1806==

George I, fourth son of Philip the Magnanimous, 1567–1596

Louis V, son of George I, 1596–1626

George II, son of Louis V, 1626–1661

Louis VI, son of George II, 1661–1678

Louis VII, first son of Louis VI, 1678

Ernest Louis, second son of Louis VI, 1678–1739

Louis VIII, son of Ernest Louis, 1739–1768

Louis IX, son of Louis VIII 1768–1790

Louis X son of Louis IX, 1790–1806, became Grand Duke Louis I
Landgraves of Hesse-Butzbach, 1609–1643


Philip, second son of George I of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1609–1643
===Landgraves of Hesse-Homburg, 1622–1866===

Frederick I, third son of George I of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1622–1638

William Christoph, 1638–1681, sold Homburg to his brother George Christian in 1669, but retained Bingenheim (''Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg-Bingenheim'')


★ Margareta Elisabetha of Leiningen-Westerburg-Schaumburg, Regent 1638–1648

George Christian, 1669–1671 Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
:''Under mortgage to two merchants (1671–1673) and the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt (1673–1679)''

Frederick II, son of Fredrick I, 1679–1708, Commander general of the army of Brandenburg (''The Prince of Homburg''), redeemed Homburg in 1679, regained Bingenheim in 1681

Frederick III Jacob, 1708–1746, Cavalry general in the Netherlands

Frederick IV, 1746–1751

Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, 1751–1806


★ Ulrike Louise von Solms-Braunfels, Regent 1751–1766
:''1806 Annexed by Hesse-Darmstadt, 1815 restored on the Congress of Vienna''

Frederick V, 1815–1820 (restored)

Frederick VI, 1820–1829, Cavalry general in Austria

Louis, 1829–1839, Infantry general in Prussia

Philip, 1839–1846, Field marshall in Austria

Gustav, 1846–1848, Cavalry general in Austria

Ferdinand, 1848–1866, Cavalry general in Austria
:''1866 annexed by Prussia''
Landgraves of Hesse-Braubach, 1625–1651


John, son of Louis V, 1626–1651
Landgraves of Hesse-Itter, 1661–1676


George III, second son of George II, 1661–1676

Electors of Hesse (-Kassel), 1803–1866



William I, 1803–1806
:''1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored''

★ William I, 1813–1821 (restored)

William II, 1821–1847

Frederick William, 1847–1866, Regent since 1831
:''1866 annexed by Prussia''

Grand Dukes of Hesse (-Darmstadt) and the Rhine, 1806–1918



Louis I 1806–1830

Louis II 1830–1848

Louis III 1848–1877

Louis IV 1877–1892

Ernest Louis 1892–1918
:''1918 abdicated as the revolution transformed Hesse into a 'Volkstaat' (People's State)''

Heads of the non-reigning House of Hesse


Line Hesse-Kassel (since 1866)


★ Frederick William, the former Elector, 1866–1875

Landgrave Frederick, 1875–1884, son of Prince William of Hesse-Kassel.

★ Landgrave Frederick William, 1884–1888

Landgrave Alexander Frederick, 1888–1925 (d.1945)

Landgrave Frederick Charles, 1925–1940, elected king of Finland in 1918 but renounced the throne the same year

Landgrave Philip, 1940–1980

Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse (born 1926), 1980-present
Line of Hesse-Philippsthal (1866-1925)


Karl the former Landgrave, 1866-1868

Ernst 1868-1925
''1925 the Line of Hesse-Philippsthal became extinct''
Line of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (since 1866)


Alexis the former Landgrave, 1866-1905

Chlodwig 1905-1954

Wilhelm 1954-present
Line Hesse-Darmstadt (1918–1968)


Ernest Louis the former Grand Duke, 1918–1937

George Donatus 1937

Louis 1937–1968
:''1968 the Line of Hesse-Darmstadt became extinct''

See also



Line of succession to the Hesse Throne

External links



★ The History Files: Rulers of Hesse

Genealogy of the Hessian noble family

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