Count Josias II of Waldeck-Wildungen (31 July 1636
Jul. – 8 August 1669
Greg.), german: Josias II. Graf von Waldeck-Wildungen, official titles: ''Graf zu Waldeck und Pyrmont, Herr zu Tonna'', was since 1660
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
of . However, he was primarily a military man.
Biography
Josias was born in
Wildungen[Dek (1970), p. 88.][Dek (1968), p. 276.][Dek (1968), p. 297.] on 31 July 1636
Jul.[Von Poten (1896), p. 676.][Dek (1970), p. 88, Dek (1968), p. 276 and 297, Hoffmeister (1883), p. 63 and Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 117 mention the date 31 July 1636 without specification of the calendar they used.] as the second son of Count
Philip VII of Waldeck-Wildungen and Countess
Anne Catherine of Sayn-Wittgenstein
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 ...
.
[Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 117.] After his father's death in 1645,
Christian Louis, Josias’ eldest brother, succeeded him. Christian Louis was under the regency of his mother until 1660.
[Hoffmeister (1883), p. 65.] In that year Josias was granted the district of Wildungen as an
appanage
An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...
, later also the districts of and .
[Hoffmeister (1883), p. 63.][The grant of the district of Landau must have been after the death of Josias’ uncle Count John II of Waldeck-Landau, 10 October 1668.]
Josias was first in the service of
Elector
Elector may refer to:
* Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors
* Elector, a member of an electoral college
** Confederate elector, a member of ...
Frederick William of Brandenburg
Frederick William (german: Friedrich Wilhelm; 16 February 1620 – 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1640 until his death in 1688. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is ...
, under whom he was
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
in 1655 and fought as a
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 ...
in the
Battle of Warsaw in 1656.
[According to Dek (1970), p. 88, Dek (1968), p. 297 and Hoffmeister (1883), p. 63 Josias was '']Rittmeister
__NOTOC__
(German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...
'' in the service of Brandenburg in 1656. In 1660 he was ''
Överste
Colonel (Col) ( sv, Överste, Öv) is the most senior field grade military officer rank in the Swedish Army and the Swedish Air Force, immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general. It is equivalent ...
'' in
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
service.
In 1663 he took part in the
Austro-Turkish War as imperial ''
Generalfeldwachtmeister
''Generalfeldwachtmeister'' is a historical military rank of general officer level in the armies of the German and Scandinavian countries, corresponding to the rank of ''maréchal de camp'' in France.
A Generalfeldwachtmeister ranked above a brig ...
'' and was wounded by an arrow at
Fünfkirchen.
In 1665, as major general, Josias took over the command of the
Brunswick-Lüneburg armed forces – consisting of four
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
s of
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
, two regiments of infantry, some
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
and some guard companies – from
Duke
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 ran ...
George William of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
Subsequently, in 1668 George William transferred three infantry regiments to the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
for the war on the island of
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
, whose
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
Kandia was under heavy
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
by the
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
. Josias was given the supreme command of these 3300 men and
marched to
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
late in the autumn of that year. On 28 March 1669 he embarked and on 12 May he landed on the island. During the defence against the attacks of the besiegers, after having previously been wounded in the arm, he suffered another dangerous wound in the leg due to a shrapnel on 6/16 July.
[Von Poten (1896), p. 677 mentions the date 6 July. Dek (1970), p. 88, Dek (1968), p. 276 and 297 mention the date 16 July. Presumably, the former author calculated the date according to the ]Julian calendar
The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...
and the latter according to the Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
. The prevailing heat and the state of mind, resulting from quarrels with the Commander-in-Chief, Captain General Morosini, aggravated his condition and on 8 August
[Von Poten (1896), p. 677 mentions the date 29 July. Dek (1970), p. 88, Dek (1968), p. 276 and 297, Hoffmeister (1883), p. 63 and Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 117 mention the date 8 August. Presumably, the former author calculated the date according to the Julian calendar and the latter authors according to the Gregorian calendar.] around midnight he died in Kandia. His body was first buried in the
St. Catherine’s Church in Kandia
[Von Poten (1896), p. 677.] and then moved to Wildungen.
The tomb for Josias, made by
Heinrich Papen in 1674, is in the in Bad Wildungen.
As his sons had already died, after Josias' death, the districts of Wildungen, Wetterburg and Landau came back into the possession of his brother Christian Louis.
Bad Wildungen De Merian Hassiae.jpg, Wildungen in 1655. Engraving by Matthäus Merian Matthäus is a given name or surname. Notable people with the name include:
;Surname
* Lothar Matthäus, (born 1961), German former football player and manager
;Given name
* Matthäus Aurogallus, Professor of Hebrew at the University of Wittenberg ...
.
BelagerungCandia.jpg, The Siege of Kandia. Anonymous engraving, 1669.
Josias II van Waldeck-Wildungen.jpg, Count Josias II of Waldeck-Wildungen. Copper engraving by Matthäus Merian Matthäus is a given name or surname. Notable people with the name include:
;Surname
* Lothar Matthäus, (born 1961), German former football player and manager
;Given name
* Matthäus Aurogallus, Professor of Hebrew at the University of Wittenberg ...
, 1680.
Stadtkirche Bad Wildungen fd (4).JPG, The tomb in the ''Evangelische Stadtkirche'' in Bad Wildungen. Photo: Friedhelm Dröge, 2018.
Marriage and issue
Josias married at
Arolsen Castle
Arolsen Castle (german: Residenzschloss Arolsen) is a baroque-style ''schloss'' in Bad Arolsen, Hesse, Germany. The castle is now a museum, and is still inhabited by Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his family.
As a result, it contin ...
on 26 January 1660
[Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 273.] to Countess
Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen
Countess Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen (1629 – 22 January 1700), german: Wilhelmine Christine Gräfin von Nassau-Siegen, official titles: ''Gräfin zu Nassau, Katzenelnbogen, Vianden und Diez, Frau zu Beilstein'', was a countess fr ...
(1629
–
Hildburghausen
Hildburghausen (IPA adapted from: ) is a town in Thuringia in central Germany, capital of the district Hildburghausen.
Geography
It is situated in the Franconian part of Thuringia south of the Thuringian Forest, in the valley of the Werra river ...
, 22 January 1700
), the youngest daughter of Count
William of Nassau-Siegen and Countess
Christiane of Erbach
Countess Christiane of Erbach (5 June 1596 – 6 July 1646), german: Christiane Gräfin zu Erbach, was a countess from the and through marriage Countess of Nassau-Siegen.
Biography
Christiane was born on 5 June 1596 as the daugh ...
.
Josias and Wilhelmine Christine were closely related.
Elisabeth of Nassau-Siegen
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, Josias’ grandmother, was the eldest sister of Wilhelmine Christine’s father. Also from his mother’s side, Josias was related to Wilhelmine Christine. His great-grandmother, also named
Elisabeth of Nassau-Siegen
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, was a younger sister of Count
John VI ‘the Elder’ of Nassau-Siegen, the great-grandfather of Wilhelmine Christine.
Agnes of Wied, the great-great-grandmother of Josias, was a daughter of yet another
Elisabeth of Nassau-Siegen
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, a younger sister of Count
William I ‘the Rich’ of Nassau-Siegen, who was also the great-great-grandfather of Wilhelmine Christine. Finally, both Wilhelmine Christine and Josias descended from Count
Wolrad I of Waldeck-Waldeck, Wilhelmine Christine through her grandmother
Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen
Countess Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen (1558 – 9 September 1599), german: Magdalena Gräfin zu Waldeck-Wildungen, was a countess from the House of Waldeck and through marriage successively Countess of Hanau-Münzenberg and Countess ...
.
From the marriage of Josias and Wilhelmine Christine, the following children were born:
# Eleonore Louise (Arolsen Castle, 9 July 1661 – Arolsen Castle, 25 August 1661).
# William Philip (Arolsen Castle, 27 September 1662 – Arolsen Castle, 29 December 1662).
# Charlotte Dorothy (Arolsen Castle, 9 October 1663 – Arolsen Castle, 10 December 1664).
#
Charlotte Joanne (Arolsen Castle, 13 December 1664 – Hildburghausen, 1 February 1699), married in
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 ...
on 2 December 1690 to Duke
John Ernest of Saxe-Saalfeld (
Gotha
Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
, 22 augustus 1658 – Saalfeld, 17 December 1729).
# Sophie Wilhelmine (Arolsen Castle, 24 September 1666 – 13 February 1668).
# Maximilian Frederick (Arolsen Castle, 25 April 1668 – Arolsen Castle, September 1668).
# William Gustavus (Arolsen Castle, 25 April 1668 – Arolsen Castle, 21 May 1669).
Wilhelmina Christina van Nassau-Siegen.jpg, Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen. Portrait by Gerard van Honthorst
Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painting, Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickn ...
, ca. 1640
Foundation Historical Collections of the House of Orange-Nassau
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
.
CharlotteJohannaWaldeckPiermont.jpg, Charlotte Joanne of Waldeck-Wildungen. Engraving by Johann Alexander Böner, 1698. Bildarchiv Austria.
Known descendants
Josias has several known descendants. Among them are:
* the
monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
s
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Edward VII,
George V,
Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
,
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...
,
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
and
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...
of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
[Bastiaensen (1999), p. 59–93.][Huberty, et al. (1976).]
* the
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
s
Leopold I,
Leopold II,
Albert I,
Leopold III,
Baudouin I,
Albert II and
Philippe I of the
Belgians
Belgians ( nl, Belgen; french: Belges; german: Belgier) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultur ...
.
* the
tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
s
Ferdinand I,
Boris III
Boris III ( bg, Борѝс III ; Boris Treti; 28 August 1943), originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver (Boris Clement Robert Mary Pius Louis Stanislaus Xavier) , was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until h ...
and
Simeon II of
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
.
* the kings
Ferdinand II,
Pedro V,
Luís I,
Carlos I Carlos I may refer to:
*Carlos I of Spain (1500–1558), also Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
*Carlos I of Portugal (1863–1908), King of Portugal
*Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I (;,
* ca, Joan Carles I,
* gl, Xoán Carlos I, ...
and
Manuel II of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
*
Grand Duke
Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...
Henri I of
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
.
Ancestors
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (1882). ''Het vorstenhuis Oranje-Nassau. Van de vroegste tijden tot heden'' (in Dutch). Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff/Utrecht: J.L. Beijers.
External links
Descendants of Wolrad I Gf von Waldeck in Waldeck In
by Miroslav Marek.
In
by Paul Theroff.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waldeck-Wildungen, Josias 02
1636 births
1669 deaths
Josias 02
German generals
People from Bad Wildungen
17th-century German military personnel
Military personnel from Hesse