Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern (25 September 1718,
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest c ...
– 12 May 1788,
Eisenach
Eisenach () is a town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, located west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia and bordering northeastern Hessian regions, situat ...
) was a field-marshal in the armies of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
and the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
, the elected
Duke of Courland
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia ( la, Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ; german: Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen; lv, Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste; lt, Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė; pl, Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii) was ...
(1741). From 13 November 1750 to 1766 he was the Captain-General of the Netherlands, where he was known as the Duke of Brunswick or (to distinguish him from his eldest brother
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
, who succeeded to their father's title of Duke of
Brunswick-Lüneburg) Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Another brother was
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...
who led the Allied Anglo-German army during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
.
He was probably one of the first victims of the media in Dutch history.
Family
He was the third son of
Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
, and Antoinette Amalie of Brunswick. He had family ties with various European royal houses. Louis's eldest sister was the wife of
Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
of Prussia; another sister was married to the brother of Frederick the Great and her son would inherit the Prussian crown. A third sister was married to
Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (8 March 1724, in Saalfeld – 8 September 1800, in Coburg), was a Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
Biography
He was the eldest son of Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Anna Sophie of Sc ...
and would have illustrious progeny, including
Leopold I of Belgium
* nl, Leopold Joris Christiaan Frederik
* en, Leopold George Christian Frederick
, image = NICAISE Leopold ANV.jpg
, caption = Portrait by Nicaise de Keyser, 1856
, reign = 21 July 1831 –
, predecessor = Erasme Loui ...
(grandson) and Empress
Carlota of Mexico
Charlotte of Belgium (''Marie Charlotte Amélie Augustine Victoire Clémentine Léopoldine''; 7 June 1840 – 19 January 1927), known by the Spanish version of her name, Carlota, was by birth a Princess of Belgium and member of the House of ...
(great-granddaughter). A fourth sister,
Juliana Maria married King
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V (Danish and Norwegian: ''Frederik V''; 31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766) was King of Denmark–Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 6 August 1746 until his death in 1766. He was the son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophie Ma ...
in 1752. Louis's brother
Anthony Ulrich was married to
Anna Leopoldovna
Anna Leopoldovna (russian: А́нна Леопо́льдовна; 18 December 1718 – 19 March 1746), born Elisabeth Katharina Christine von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and also known as Anna Carlovna (А́нна Ка́рловна), was regent of R ...
, a Russian princess and niece of Empress
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221)
...
. Their son
Ivan
Ivan () is a Slavic languages, Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John (given name), John) from Hebrew language, Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. T ...
- Louis' nephew - was appointed Emperor of Russia on his birth, but was deposed only months later.
Nor was this all.
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...
was Louis's first cousin (their mothers were sisters).
Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange
Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia (''Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina''; 7 August 1751 in Berlin – 9 June 1820 in Het Loo) was the consort of William V of Orange and the de facto leader of the dynastic party and counter-revolution in the Netherlands. ...
was his niece (her mother was Louis's sister
Louise Amalie). In addition, Wilhelmina's
daughter Louise, married
Charles George August, a grandson of Louis's own brother Charles. Later, in 1764, Louis's nephew
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Charles William Ferdinand (german: Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand; 9 October 1735 – 10 November 1806) was the Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a military leader. His titles are usually shortened to Duke of Brunswic ...
(son of his eldest brother) would marry
Augusta, eldest sister of
George III of Great Britain
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
. Rarely were royal houses so interrelated other as in his case, and this factor was probably the main reason for his supporting the Dutch policy of neutrality during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
.
In the year 1737, Louis entered the
imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Imperial, Texa ...
military as
Oberst
''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...
and commander of the Alt-Wolfenbüttel infantry regiments. He took part in the
Ottoman Wars
A series of military conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and various European states took place from the Late Middle Ages up through the early 20th century. The earliest conflicts began during the Byzantine–Ottoman wars, waged in Anatolia in ...
from September 1739 until the
Treaty of Belgrade
The Treaty of Belgrade, also known as the Belgrade Peace, was the peace treaty signed on September 18, 1739 in Belgrade, Habsburg Kingdom of Serbia (today Serbia), by the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg monarchy on the other, that e ...
. He entered the Netherlands in May 1740 as an Austrian
major-general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
.
Duke of Courland
After the arrest of
the duke of Courland, Ludwig was elected his successor on 27 June 1741 with the support of his cousin
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' ( ...
. He then went to
St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, and seems to have been interested in marriage with
Elizabeth of Russia
Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...
in the hope to become emperor. However, upon Elizabeth's palace coup on 6 December 1741, his nephew Ivan and all Ivan's German advisers lost their positions, resulting in their exile, imprisonment or departure. Louis Ernest lost his
Dukedom of Courland due to the coup and returned to Germany in 1742.
War of the Austrian Succession
He took part in the
Second Silesian War
The Second Silesian War (german: Zweiter Schlesischer Krieg, links=no) was a war between Prussia and Austria that lasted from 1744 to 1745 and confirmed Prussia's control of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland). The war was fough ...
from 1744 as an Austrian field-marshal and therefore fought against his brothers and many of his other relatives, who mostly took the side of
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
. In the
battle of Soor
The Battle of Soor (30 September 1745) was a battle between Frederick the Great's Prussian army and an Austro-Saxon army led by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine during the Second Silesian War (part of the War of the Austrian Succession). The ...
on 30 September 1745, he was seriously wounded, but seems to have appeared on the military scene in the Netherlands as early as the spring of 1746. On 11 October 1746, during the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
, he took part in the
battle of Roucoux
The Battle of Rocoux took place on 11 October 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession, at Rocourt (or Rocoux), near Liège in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, now modern Belgium. It was fought between a French army under Marshal Saxe an ...
against France. In the following year, he fought in the
battle of Lauffeldt
The Battle of Lauffeld, variously known as Lafelt, Laffeld, Lawfeld, Lawfeldt, Maastricht, or Val, took place on 2 July 1747, between Tongeren in modern Belgium, and the Dutch city of Maastricht. Part of the War of the Austrian Succession, a Fr ...
as
Feldzeugmeister
''Feldzeugmeister'' was a historical military rank in some German and the Austro-Hungarian armies, especially in use for the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found at the beginning of the 20th century ...
or supreme artillery commander, and met
stadholder
In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV (Willem Karel Hendrik Friso; 1 September 1711 – 22 October 1751) was Prince of Orange from birth and the first hereditary stadtholder of all the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 1747 until his death in 1751. During his whole l ...
, then involved in border battles against France.
Regent of the Netherlands
![Hertog van Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Hertog_van_Brunswick-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel.jpg)
In 1749 he entered the
Dutch States Army
The Dutch States Army ( nl, Staatse leger) was the army of the Dutch Republic. It was usually called this, because it was formally the army of the States-General of the Netherlands, the sovereign power of that federal republic. This mercenary army ...
as field marshal by request of William IV, for twenty thousand guilders per annum, although he also retained his position as an Austrian field-marshal and Protestant
Generalfeldzeugmeister
''Feldzeugmeister'' was a historical military rank in some German and the Austro-Hungarian armies, especially in use for the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found at the beginning of the 20th century i ...
of the Holy Roman Empire. William's wife
Anne
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
was initially sceptical about his appointment and opposed it.
In 1751 he became the governor of the garrison city of
Bois-le-Duc, where the stadholder had had particular influence since 1629. After the death of William IV on 22 October 1751 and Anne's appointment as regent, Louis Ernest was appointed captain-general (commander-in-chief) of the Netherlands, reorganising the higher strata of the army. Britain and Prussia asked him to command the allied armies in the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, but Louis Ernest refused out of respect for the Dutch Republic's neutrality. His brother
Duke Ferdinand was given command of the
Anglo-German army in Hanover in 1757. In 1759 Louis was used as an intermediary in an attempt to mediate the conflict, but plans for a
peace congress
A peace congress, in international relations, has at times been defined in a way that would distinguish it from a peace conference (usually defined as a diplomatic meeting to decide on a peace treaty), as an ambitious forum to carry out dispute re ...
came to nothing.
From the death of
William V William V may refer to:
*William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969–1030)
*William V of Montpellier (1075–1121)
*William V, Marquess of Montferrat (1191)
*William V, Count of Nevers (before 11751181)
*William V, Duke of Jülich (1299–1361)
*William V, ...
's mother Anne in 1759 to William's majority in 1766, he was William's guardian and led the Netherlands' state affairs in his name. The prince called Louis Ernest his second father, but the Frisian nobility under
Onno Zwier van Haren Onno is a Dutch masculine given name of unclear origin. People with the name include:
*Onno Boelee (1945–2003), Dutch-born New Zealand professional wrestler, actor, and stuntman
*Onno J. Boxma (born 1952), Dutch mathematician
* (born ca. 1943), ...
opposed Louis Ernest. Simultaneously, Louis Ernest began reforming the stadholder system that had previously appointed qualified persons to the regions in reward for their loyalty. Such favorites had been supposed to take care of local disputes independently. As a result, there was no efficient administrative device in the Republic, nor an equitable apportioning of offices. The prince, losing himself in the details, made it known that he valued advice, which, however, he usually sent back by return of post without any alterations. For over a dozen years he had been drilled by Brunswick and Fagel to believe that his only job was to sign the documents they placed in front of him (and judging from his signature, he was not very good at that).
William's coming of age
After 1766, the Duke was kept on at the irresolute William's request as his
privy councillor
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
and as a Dutch field-marshal, with the object, it is thought by some, to keep William's older sister Carolina in check. The ''
Acte van Consulentschap
The Acte van Consulentschap (; in English historiography variously known as Act of Advisership, or less correctly, as Act of Consultation) was a secret, private contract between stadtholder William V, Prince of Orange of the Dutch Republic and his ...
'' (Act of Advisorship) had been set up in secret by the
Grand Pensionary,
Pieter van Bleiswijk
Pieter van Bleiswijk (1724, Delft – 29 October 1790, The Hague) was grand pensionary of Holland from 1 December 1772 to November 1787. He was an opponent of Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Be ...
, and under this Act Ludwig was to furnish advice by request only. Earlier plans to put in place an advisory council were thus frustrated and in addition, several jealous Dutch noblemen were passed over in favour of the Duke.
Louis Ernest was instrumental in arranging the marriage of Prince William V with the Duke's niece, Princess
Wilhelmina of Prussia. He immediately observed that the princess craved joint rule, and so was starting to undermine Louis Ernest's dominant position. In long letters she complained about Louis Ernest to her uncle, King
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
.
Problems and exile
Louis Ernest's accumulated positions and tangled interests led to problems. As early as 1771 there was talk of an attempt on his life in the Hague, but the bullet fired at him passed between his widespread legs. (Rumour had it that an earlier bullet had hit him in his private parts.)
Pieter Paulus
Pieter Paulus (9 April 1753 – 17 March 1796) was a Dutch jurist, fiscal (prosecutor) of the Admiralty of the Maze and politician. He was one of the ideologues of the Dutch Patriot movement and is considered by many Dutch as the founder of their ...
in 1773 gained national recognition through his book about the
stadholder
In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
ian system, in which he blamed the Duke of Brunswick for the abuses of that system. In December 1780 Great Britain declared
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
on the Republic. The war went badly for the Dutch and many blamed the Duke. The opposition against the stadtholderian system would rise to a crescendo during the
Patriottentijd
The (; ) was a period of political instability in the Dutch Republic between approximately 1780 and 1787. Its name derives from the Patriots () faction who opposed the rule of the stadtholder, William V, Prince of Orange, and his supporters who ...
(named after the political faction that opposed the stadtholder). But even his partisans knew that things had to change for the better. The Amsterdam ''
burgemeester
Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...
''
Joachim Rendorp
Joachim Rendorp, ''Vrijheer'' of Marquette (19 January 1728 in Amsterdam – 21 September 1792 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch politician of the Patriottentijd in the Dutch Republic.
Personal life
Rendorp was the son of Amsterdam brewer and ''burgemees ...
pleaded for an advisory council for the prince.
The anti-stadholder party, which gave him the nickname of "the Bulky Duke" (consistent with
Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
's habit of calling him "Fat Louis") recognised the decline of the fleet, the growing importance of the
Dutch States Army
The Dutch States Army ( nl, Staatse leger) was the army of the Dutch Republic. It was usually called this, because it was formally the army of the States-General of the Netherlands, the sovereign power of that federal republic. This mercenary army ...
, the outbreak of the
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War ( nl, Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, contemporary with the War of American Independence (1775-1783), broke out over ...
and the loss of the
Barrier Treaty
The "Barrier Treaties" (, ) were a series of agreements signed and ratified between 1709 and 1715 that created a buffer zone between the Dutch Republic and France by allowing the Dutch to occupy a number of fortresses in the Southern Netherlands, ...
towns in the
Austrian Netherlands
The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
, and apportioned the blame for all these to Louis Ernest first and foremost. The Patriots argued that Louis Ernest had outrageously neglected the education of the stadholder, so that the stadholder was now unable to take decisions on his own. On 24 May 1782, the duke voluntarily left the Hague and retreated to Government House (the "Gouvernementshuis") in
's-Hertogenbosch
s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...
. (It is now the
Noordbrabants Museum
Het Noordbrabants Museum is an art museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
History
The Provincial Society for Arts and Sciences
''Het Provinciaal Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen in Noord-Brabant'' (Provincial society for arts and ...
).
The disputes with
Austrian Emperor Joseph II (another relative of the Duke), reopened an earlier argument over the Barrier towns, the closure of the
Scheldt
The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corr ...
to shipping on
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, , and free trade on the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
. Louis Ernest was mistrusted due to his family ties with the emperor and accused of high treason and of selling out on the fortress city of
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
. In Issue no. 214 of the Patriot magazine ''
De Post van den Neder-Rhijn
''De Post van den Neder-Rhijn'' ("The Post of the Nether Rhine") was a Patriot magazine from 1781 to 1787, at the end of the Dutch Republic. It was one of the first opinion weeklies in the Netherlands, and was edited by Pieter 't Hoen (1744–1 ...
'', the ''Acte of Consulentschap'' was made public. Because of the ensuing scandal, on 14 October 1784, Louis Ernest resigned all his offices and left 's-Hertogenbosch to its new governor, Robert Douglas. The
Kettle War
The Kettle War ( nl, Keteloorlog Marmietenoorlog) was a military confrontation between the troops of the Holy Roman Empire and the Republic of the Seven Netherlands on 8 October 1784. It was named the Kettle War because the only shot fired hit ...
was seen by the Patriots as the emperor's revenge.
Exile
![Jacobus Vrijmoet - Lodewijk Ernst van Brunswijk-Lüneburg-Bevern and Robert Douglas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Jacobus_Vrijmoet_-_Lodewijk_Ernst_van_Brunswijk-L%C3%BCneburg-Bevern_and_Robert_Douglas.jpg)
In 1785, the duke lived in
Aachen
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
for a short time. The patriots tried to get hold of his correspondence, using both intrigue and force.
[Schlözer, A.L. (1786) Lodewijk Ernst, hertog van Brunswyk en Lunenburg ... Echte bescheiden Van het gedrag ten opzigte zijner aanzienlijke waardigheden, als Veldmaarschalk, Voogd en Reprezentant van ... den Heere Erfstadhouder P.W. de V. van Oranje; in de Vereenigde Nederlanden.] Throughout Europe, the nobility came under heavy criticism, and some of the Patriots (anticipating the fate of the nobility and its privileges) followed suit, making public all records relating to the duke so as to broadcast news of his fall right across the continent. The patriots were also energetic that year in organizing provincial armies and exercising
free corps {{short description, None
This is a list of "Free Corps" (german: Freikorps), various military and/or paramilitary units raised from the civilian population.
Habsburg monarchy
* Freikorps, pre-1754 German units
* Serbian Free Corps (1787–92)
* P ...
and ''
exercitiegenootschap
An exercitiegenootschap (, ''exercise company'') or militia was a military organisation in the 18th century Netherlands, in the form of an armed private organization with a democratically chosen administration, aiming to train the citizens and the ...
pen'' (military societies) with democratically chosen officers, leading to the first democratically elected city government in the city
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
, but also to the occupation of
Elburg
Elburg () is a municipality and a city in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands.
History
There is evidence of a Neolithic settlement at Elburg consisting of stone tools and pottery shards. From Roman times there are names and shards of earthenw ...
and
Hattem
Hattem () is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands. The municipality had a population of in . The municipality includes the hamlet of 't Zand.
Name origin
The name “Hattem” is a typical farmyard name. The exact origin of “H ...
by the
Stadtholderian troops in September 1786.
Louis Ernest stayed in
Eisenach
Eisenach () is a town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, located west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia and bordering northeastern Hessian regions, situat ...
from 1786, where, with the help of
August Ludwig von Schlözer
August Ludwig von Schlözer (5 July 1735, in Gaggstatt – 9 September 1809, in Göttingen) was a German historian and pedagogist who laid foundations for the critical study of Russian medieval history. He was a member of the Göttingen School ...
, he wrote his ''Autobiography'' and its sequel, his ''Defence''. Both works were soon translated from their original German into Dutch. He was in close contact with the court at
Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
, especially with his niece, Duchess
Anna Amalia, and with Duke
Charles August
Charles J. August (January 28, 1919 – November 3, 2009) was an American businessman who founded Monro Muffler Brake.
Biography
August's career in automotive maintenance and repair began as a Midas Muffler franchisee in 1957 in Rochester, Ne ...
. Louis Ernest's nephew, the
Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, occupied the Dutch Republic on 13 September 1787, forcing many Patriots to flee the country.
Louis Ernest died in Eisenach in 1788 and was buried in the
Welf Welf is a Germanic first name that may refer to:
*Welf (father of Judith), 9th century Frankish count, father-in-law of Louis the Pious
*Welf I, d. bef. 876, count of Alpgau and Linzgau
*Welf II, Count of Swabia, died 1030, supposed descendant of W ...
family vault in
Brunswick Cathedral
Brunswick Cathedral (german: Dom St. Blasii (et Johannis), lit. in en, Collegiate Church of Ss. St. Blaise, Blaise and John the Baptist) is a large Lutheran Church (building), church in the City of Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany.
The church ...
. His diaries, written by his secretary, the 180 pamphlets and publications in the Niedersächsisches Staatsarchiv in
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest c ...
, are studied.
Ancestry
Notes
* ''This article is based entirely or partially on its equivalent on Dutch Wikipedia''.
Bibliography
*
External links
Entryin ADB
by
Kornelis ter Laan
Kornelis ter Laan ( Gronings: ''Knelis ter Loan'') (8 July 1871 – 6 March 1963), also referred to as Kees ter Laan and Klaas ter Laan, was a Dutch politician and linguist.
He published as K. ter Laan.
Biography
Ter Laan was born on 8 July 1871 ...
, online at the
Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren
The Digital Library for Dutch Literature (Dutch: Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren or DBNL) is a website (showing the abbreviation as dbnl) about Dutch language and Dutch literature. It contains thousands of literary texts, second ...
Ernst Ludwig on the website ''Die Welfen''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunswick-Luneburg-Bevern, Ludwig
1718 births
1788 deaths
Field marshals of Austria
18th century in the Dutch Republic
People of the Patriottentijd
Ludwig
Ludwig
Generals of the Holy Roman Empire
Dukes of Courland
Burials at Brunswick Cathedral
Sons of monarchs