Johann Friedrich Alexander of Weid (November 18, 1706 - August 7, 1791) was a
German
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* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
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**Ger ...
ruler. He was the son of
Friedrich Wilhelm of Wied Friedrich may refer to:
Names
* Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich''
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Other
* Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Year ...
and
Luise Charlotte Dohna-Schlobitten
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Arts Songs
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. He was Count of
Wied-Neuwied
Wied-Neuwied was a German statelet in northeastern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, located northeast of the Rhine River flanking the northern side of the city of Neuwied. Wied-Neuwied emerged from the partitioning of Wied. Its status was elevate ...
from September 17, 1737 to May 29, 1784, when he was elevated to Prince and continued to rule in that capacity until his death on August 8, 1791. He was married to
Karoline von Kirchburg
Karoline is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
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*Karoline Dyhre Breivang (born 1980), N ...
. They had three children
Frederich Karl of Wied, who succeeded him as Prince,
Alexander August of Wied
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
and
Sophie Karoline of Wied
Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia, meaning "wise".
People with the name Born in the Middle Ages
* Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson
* Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess o ...
.
Life
In 1737, after his studies in Strasbourg and Königsberg, he was instrumental in the negotiation of the Vienna peace, which ended the War of the Polish Succession. When the title of prince was offered to him in 1738, however, he declined for financial reasons. In 1739 he married Caroline of Kirchberg (1720-1795), Countess of Sayn-Hachenburg.
During his reign he sought to advance, socially and economically, the small territory of Wied-Neuwied. In the effort to win new citizens for the city of Neuwied, he permitted the establishment of numerous factories and workshops. He also organised a lottery, which allowed players to win houses in today's city dike. His governance was characterised by openness and religious tolerance. In 1750 he also permitted the establishment of the Moravian Church. He promoted the construction of a Mennonite church and a synagogue in Neuwied and wholly implemented the grandfather Frederick III's tolerant religious policy. For this reason, historian Max Braubach has described him as "one of the best representatives of enlightened absolutism in the realm."
As Chairman of the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Count College, Johann Friedrich Alexander was able to play a role in national politics. His success in mediating the dispute between the Protestant and Catholic Imperial Count led to his elevation to the rank of prince.
References
*
Family tree of Johann Friedrich Alexander Christian zu WiedFürst Johann Friedrich Alexander Christian zu Wied-Neuwied b. 18 Nov 1706 d. 7 Aug 1791: Geneagraphie - Families all over the worldAncestry Library EditionJohann Friedrich Alexander von Wied: ein deutscher Reichsgraf in der Politik des 18. Jahrhunderts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johann Friedrich Alexander Of Wied
1706 births
1791 deaths
Counts of Wied
House of Wied-Neuwied