Hesse-Homburg was formed into a separate landgraviate in 1622 by the landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt; it was to be ruled by his son, although it did not become independent of Hesse-Darmstadt until 1668. It was briefly divided into Hesse-Homburg and

Hesse-Homburg-Bingenheim Hesse-Homburg was formed into a separate landgraviate in 1622 by the landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt; it was to be ruled by his son, although it did not become independent of Hesse-Darmstadt until 1668. It was briefly divided into Hesse-Homburg and ...

; but these parts were reunited in 1681.

History

In 1806, Hesse-Homburg was incorporated with Hesse-Darmstadt; but in 1815, by the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

, the latter state was compelled to recognize the independence of Hesse-Homburg, which was increased by the addition of Meisenheim. The landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg consisted of two parts, the district of Homburg on the right side of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

, and the district of

Meisenheim Meisenheim () is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', and is also its seat. Meisenheim is a state-recognized recreational resort (''Erholungsort'') and it is s ...

, added in 1815, on the left side of the same river. Hesse-Homburg joined the German Confederation as a sovereign state on July 7, 1817. The Landgraviate was the only principality that was not one of the founding members of the Confederation, apart from the Duchy of Limburg ruled by the King of the Netherlands (added in 1839) and the Duchy of Schleswig (1848-1851) ruled by the Danish king. In 1848, the Landgraviate had a population of 22,800 and a total land area of 166 square miles, thus making it one of the smallest states in the German Confederation. Hesse-Homburg was represented by the Grand Duchy of Hesse in the Inner Council of the Confederate Diet, but had a seat of its own on the Plenary Council. The state joined the

Zollverein The (), or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories. Organized by the 1833 treaties, it formally started on 1 January 1834. However, its foundations had b ...

in 1835. In 1833, baths were opened in Homburg, which brought unexpected wealth and attention to the landgraviate. A casino and gambling saloons soon opened, which also contributed greatly to the state's burgeoning economy. Several legal overtures were made by the diet in an attempt to end gambling, but all attempts failed until after Hesse-Homburg passed into Prussian hands. On 24 March 1866, Hesse-Homburg was inherited by the Grand-duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, while

fell to

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 ...

. On 20 September of that same year, these territories were taken from Hesse-Darmstadt again, and the former landgraviate was combined with the

Electorate of Hesse The Electorate of Hesse (german: Kurfürstentum Hessen), also known as Hesse-Kassel or Kurhessen, was a landgraviate whose prince was given the right to elect the Emperor by Napoleon. When the Holy Roman Empire was abolished in 1806, its p ...

, Duchy of Nassau, and the Free City of Frankfurt to form the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau. Today, it forms a part of the German state of Hesse.

Government and administration

The most important administrative body in Hesse-Homburg was the Privy Council (Geheimrat), the members of which were appointed by the Landgrave. On 18 February 1818,

Frederick V Frederick V or Friedrich V may refer to: * Frederick V, Duke of Swabia (1164–1170) *Frederick V, Count of Zollern (d.1289) *Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg (c. 1333–1398), German noble *Frederick V of Austria (1415–1493), or Frederick III ...

founded the State Government, which combined all formerly independent state colleges (consistories, chamber, forestry college, college medicum, and court) into a central authority, divided into three deputations. Hesse-Homburg did not adopt a constitution until 1850, in the wake of the

1848 Revolutions The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europe ...

References

{{Authority Control Hesse Former states and territories of Rhineland-Palatinate Hesse-Homburg Hesse-Homburg Taunus Upper Rhenish Circle Early Modern history of Germany Modern history of Germany States and territories established in 1622 States and territories disestablished in 1866 1622 establishments in Europe 1866 disestablishments in Europe 1622 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1866 disestablishments in Germany Former monarchies of Europe

History

Government and administration

See also

References