Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

Louis VIII
Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Portrait of Louis VIII by Johann Christian Fiedler
Born	5 April 1691 Darmstadt
Died	17 October 1768(1768-10-17) (aged 77) Darmstadt
Spouse	Countess Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg
Issue	Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt Karoline Luise
House	House of Hesse-Darmstadt
Father	Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Mother	Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach

Louis VIII (German: Ludwig) (5 April 1691, Darmstadt – 17 October 1768) was the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1739 to 1768. He was the son of Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Margravine Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

Life

A deer hunt near Darmstadt. Painting by Georg Adam Eger 1755

In 1717, he was married to Countess Charlotte Christine Magdalene Johanna of Hanau and he received Hanau-Lichtenberg as an addition to his dominons. Because of his passion for hunting, he is known as the "Hunting Landgrave" (German: Jagdlandgraf). During the Seven Years' War he stood on the side of the Emperor and received the rank of General Field Marshal.

Like his father, Louis was not a gifted economist and only his good relationship with Empress Maria Theresa and her intervention at the Imperial Court Council kept the Landgraviate from bankruptcy. However, his caring for his country is documented by the establishment of a textile house in 1742 and a state orphanage in the 1746.

Issue

Children:

Landgrave Ludwig IX of Hesse-Darmstadt
Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Karoline Luise, Princess of Hesse, born on 11 July 1723 and died on 8 April 1783; married Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

16. Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

8. George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

17. Magdalena von Brandenburg

4. Louis VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

18. John George I, Elector of Saxony

9. Sophia Eleonore of Saxony

19. Duchess Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia

2. Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

20. John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

10. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha

21. Dorothea Maria of Anhalt

5. Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

22. Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

11. Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg

23. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

1. Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

24. John George, Elector of Brandenburg

12. Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

25. Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst

6. Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

26. John George I of Solms-Laubach

13. Sophie of Solms-Laubach

27. Margarethe of Schönburg-Glauchau

3. Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach

28. Louis Eberhard, Count of Oettingen-Oettingen

14. Joachim Ernst of Oettingen-Oettingen

29. Margaret of Erbach

7. Sofie Margarete of Oettingen-Oettingen

30. Henry William I, Count of Solms-Sonnewalde

15. Anna Sibylle of Solms-Sonnewalde

31. Sophia Dorothea of Mansfeld-Arnstein

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt.

The Age of Absolutism in Hesse-Darmstadt (German)

Sources

Die Geschichte Hessens, Gerd Bauer, Heiner Boencke, Hans Sarkowicz; Eichborn, 2002, p. 193-194

Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt House of Hesse Born: 5 April 1691 Died: 17 October 1768
Preceded by Ernest Louis	Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt 1739–1768	Succeeded by Louis IX

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 263429515 LCCN: no2009136210 ISNI: 0000 0001 2027 3231 GND: 101052871 BPN: 55013073

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