Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg (16 December 1614, in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

– 2 July 1674, in Stuttgart) ruled as Duke of

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...

from 1628 until his death in 1674. Eberhard III became the heir under guardianship in 1628 during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

at the age of 14 after the death of his father, Johann Frederick, 7th Duke of Württemberg. His guardian at first was his father's brother

Louis Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard Louis Frederick of Württemberg-Montbéliard (29 January 1586 in Montbéliard – 26 January 1631 in Montbéliard) was the founder of a cadet line of the House of Württemberg known as the Dukes of Württemberg-Montbéliard. Louis Frederick o ...

and after his death in 1631

Julius Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Weiltingen Duke Julius Frederick of Württemberg-Weiltingen (3 June 1588 in Montbéliard – 25 April 1635 in Strasbourg), was the first duke of Württemberg-Weiltingen. Life Julius Frederick was the third son of the Duke Frederick I of Württemberg a ...

. Württemberg lost around one third of its territory in 1629. Julius Frederick was removed as guardian in 1633 when Eberhard was declared of full age at which point he assumed full rule of the Duchy. Following a major defeat of Württemberg troops in the battle of Nördlingen on 6 September 1634, Württemberg was severely looted and plundered. Eberhard fled to

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

where he married in 1637, returning to Württemberg in 1638 after long negotiations with Ferdinand III of the Holy Roman Empire. By this time many territories had already been passed on by the Emperor to other parties to push forward Catholicism in the region. The

Duchy of Württemberg The Duchy of Württemberg (german: Herzogtum Württemberg) was a duchy located in the south-western part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a member of the Holy Roman Empire from 1495 to 1806. The dukedom's long survival for over three centuries ...

was reinstated after long negotiations resulting in the

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...

of 1648, despite or maybe because of the effects of war, poverty, hunger and the

Bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...

all of which reduced the population from 350,000 in 1618 to 120,000 in 1648. Eberhard III entered into an inheritance agreement with his younger brother

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

thereby handing over ownership of the Duchy of Württemberg-Neuenstadt and thus establishing a new branch line of the duchy. In 1651, Eberhard came to a similar agreement with another brother, Ulrich affecting the Castle of

Neuenbürg Neuenbürg is a town in the Enz district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Enz, 10 km southwest of Pforzheim. History Neuenbürg originated as a village around a castle built by the in the 12th century. Betwee ...

Family and children

Eberhard III was the second son of John Frederick, 7th Duke of Württemberg and

Barbara Sophie of Brandenburg Barbara Sophia of Brandenburg (16 November 1584 – 13 February 1636) was duchess of Württemberg by marriage to Duke John Frederick of Württemberg and acted as regent of the Duchy of Württemberg for their minor son, Duke Eberhard III of Würt ...

. He married twice, first on 26 February 1637 with Anna Katharina, Wild- and Rheingräfin of

Salm-Kyrburg Salm-Kyrburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire located in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, one of the various partitions of Salm. It was twice created: the first time as a Wild- and Rhinegraviate (partitioned from Upper Salm), and se ...

(27 January 1614 – 27 June 1655). They had fourteen children: * John Frederick of Württemberg-Stuttgart (9 September 1637 – 2 August 1659). * Louis Frederick of Württemberg-Stuttgart (2 November 1638 – 18 January 1639). * Christian Eberhard of Württemberg-Stuttgart (29 November 1639 – 23 March 1640). * Eberhard of Württemberg-Stuttgart (12 December 1640 – 24 February 1641). * Sophie Louise of Württemberg-Stuttgart (19 February 1642 – 3 October 1702); married on 8 February 1671 to

Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Christian Ernst of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (6 August 1644 in Bayreuth – 20 May 1712 in Erlangen) was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. He was the only son of Erdmann August, Hereditary Margrave (''E ...

. * Dorothea Amalie of Württemberg-Stuttgart (13 February 1643 – 27 March 1650). * Christine Fredericka of Württemberg-Stuttgart (28 February 1644 – 30 October 1674); married on 28 May 1665 to Count

Albert Ernest I of Oettingen-Oettingen Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

and had issue, among which was the Duchess consort of Brunswick-Lüneburg. * Christine Charlotte of Württemberg-Stuttgart (21 October 1645 – 16 May 1699), married 8 May 1662 to Prince

George Christian, Prince of East Frisia George Christian (6 February 1634, Aurich – 6 June 1665, Aurich) was a member of the Cirksena family and succeeded his brother Enno Louis as ruler of East Frisia. He ruled from 1660 to 1665. Under his reign, the Cirksena family acquired ...

. * Duke William Louis of Württemberg (7 January 1647 – 23 June 1677). * Anna Katharine of Württemberg-Stuttgart (27 November 1648 – 10 November 1691). * Karl Christof of Württemberg-Stuttgart (28 January 1650 – 2 June 1650). * Eberhardine Katharine of Württemberg-Stuttgart (12 April 1651 – 19 August 1683); married on 30 April 1682 to Count

. * Duke Frederick Charles of Württemberg-Winnental (September 1652 – December 1698). * Karl Maximilian of Württemberg-Stuttgart (28 September 1654 – 9 January 1689). Secondly, he married on 20 July 1656 with Countess Marie Dorothea Sofie of Oettingen (29 December 1639 – 29 June 1698). They had eleven children: * George Frederick of Württemberg-Stuttgart (24 September 1657 – 18 October 1685), killed in the

Battle of Kassa The Battle of Kassa was fought on October 18, 1685, in the city of Kassa in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Košice in Slovakia), between the armies of the Ottoman Empire and of the Holy Roman Empire. The Austrian Commander, Field Marshal Aeneas ...

against the Ottomans. * Stillborn son (12 April 1659). * Albrecht Christian of Württemberg-Stuttgart (13 June 1660 – 20 January 1663). * Louis of Württemberg-Stuttgart (14 August 1661 – 30 November 1698). * Joachim Ernst of Württemberg-Stuttgart (28 August 1662 – 16 February 1663). * Philipp Siegmund of Württemberg-Stuttgart (6 October 1663 – 23 July 1669). * Karl Ferdinand of Württemberg-Stuttgart (13 October 1667 – 13 June 1668). * John Frederick of Württemberg-Stuttgart (10 June 1669 – 15 October 1693). Died in duel with count

János Pálffy Johann Bernhard Stephan, Graf Pálffy de Erdőd ( hu, Pálffy V. János Bernard István, hr, Ivan Pálffy; 20 August 1664 – 24 March 1751) was a Hungarian noble, Imperial Field marshal and Palatine of Hungary. A troop commander at the time of ...

near

Herrenberg Herrenberg ( Swabian: ''Härrabärg'' or ''Haerebärg'') is a town in the middle of Baden-Württemberg, about 30 km south of Stuttgart and 20 km from Tübingen. After Sindelfingen, Böblingen, and Leonberg, it is the fourth largest t ...

. * Sophie Charlotte of Württemberg-Stuttgart (22 February 1671 – 11 September 1717); married on 20 September 1688 to

John George II, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach Johann Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (24 July 1665, in Friedewald – 10 November 1698, in Eisenach), was a duke of Saxe-Eisenach. He was the second son of Johann Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach and Johannetta of Sayn-Wittgenstein (1632-1701), J ...

. * Eberhard of Württemberg-Stuttgart (1 July 1672 – 27 November 1672). * Emanuel Eberhard of Württemberg-Stuttgart (posthumously, 11 October 1674 – 1 July 1675).

Ancestry

Notes

External links

*
Article in the ADB
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Eberhard 03, Duke Of Wurttemberg 1614 births 1674 deaths 17th-century dukes of Württemberg Nobility from Stuttgart Modern child rulers Burials at Stiftskirche, Stuttgart German people of the Thirty Years' War