Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

Maurice
Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

Portrait of Maurice of Hesse-Kassel from the work Theatrum Europaeum (1662).
Spouse(s) Agnes of Solms-Laubach
Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg

Issue

Titles and styles

The Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Noble family Hesse-Kassel
Father William IV, Landgrave of Hesse
Mother Sabine of Württemberg
Born 25 May 1572
Died 15 March 1632

Maurice of Hesse-Kassel (German: Moritz) (25 May 1572 – 15 March 1632), also called Maurice the Learned,[1] was the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) in the Holy Roman Empire from 1592 to 1627.

Life

Maurice was born in Kassel as the son of William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and of his wife Sabine of Württemberg.

Although Maurice had been raised in the Lutheran faith, he converted to Calvinism in 1605. On the principle Cuius regio eius religio, Maurice's subjects were also required to convert to Calvinism. Maurice's conversion was controversial since the Peace of Augsburg had only settled religious matters betweens Roman Catholics and Lutherans and had not considered Calvinists. Maurice tried to introduce Calvinism to the lands which he had inherited from the extinct Hesse-Marburg branch of his family. Such a change of faith was contrary to the inheritance rules, and resulted in an ongoing conflict with the Hesse-Darmstadt branch. It also brought him into conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor, Matthias.

English strolling players ('Die Englische Comoedianten') were frequent visitors to, and performers in, towns and cities in Germany and other European countries, including Kassel, during the 16th and 17th centuries. Landgraf Moritz (to use his German nomenclature) was a great supporter of the performing arts and even built the first permanent theatre in Germany, named the Ottoneum, in 1605. This building still exists today but as a Natural History Museum.

Maurice's actions (though not necessarily the Ottoneum) ruined Hesse-Kassel financially. In 1627 he abdicated in favour of his son William V. Five years later he died in Eschwege. He was not only a serious musician but an expert composer (a Pavane of his, for the lute, has several times been recorded by both lutenists and guitarists). The leading musical figures whom he supported included Heinrich Schütz and John Dowland.

Marriages and issue

On 23 September 1593, Maurice married Agnes of Solms-Laubach (7 January 1578 - 23 November 1602). They had six children:

On 22 May 1603, Maurice married Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg (3 September 1587 – 15 February 1643). They had fourteen children:

Ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Louis II, Landgrave of Lower Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. William II, Landgrave of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Mechthild of Württemberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Sophia of Pomerania-Stettin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. Albert III, Duke of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. George, Duke of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Sidonie of Poděbrady
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Christine of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Casimir IV Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Barbara Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Elisabeth of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Henry, Count of Württemberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Elisabeth of Zweibrücken-Bitsch
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Christoph, Duke of Württemberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Sabina of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Kunigunde of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Sabine of Württemberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Frederick I of Brandenburg-Ansbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Georg of Brandenburg-Ansbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Sophia of Poland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Anna Maria of Brandenburg-Ansbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Hedwig of Münsterberg-Oels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Anna of Sagan
 
 
 
 
 
 

Notes

  1. Anonymous 1911, p. 410.
  2. Schlotter, Acta, p. 327. - also: Thirty Years' War (in German) [retrieved 15 June 2014].

References

External links

Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Born: 25 May 1572 Died: 15 March 1632
Preceded by
William IV
Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
1592–1627
Succeeded by
William V
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.