Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel (28 May 1689 – 8 May 1753) was a prince of

Hesse-Kassel The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel (german: Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel), spelled Hesse-Cassel during its entire existence, was a state in the Holy Roman Empire that was directly subject to the Emperor. The state was created in 1567 when the Lan ...

and a Generalfeldzeugmeister, Generalfeldmarschall and finally Reichsgeneralfeldmarschall in the army 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 ...

Life

Maximilian was the ninth son of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (1654–1730), and his wife, Marie Amalia (1653–1711), daughter of

Jacob Kettler Jacob Kettler (german: link=no, Jakob von Kettler) (Latvian: Hercogs Jēkabs Ketlers) (28 October 1610 – 1 January 1682) was one of the greatest Baltic German Dukes of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1642–1682). He was intelligent, sp ...

, Duke of Kurland. In 1720, he married

Friederike Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt Friederike Charlotte of Hessen-Darmstadt (8 September 1698 Darmstadt – 22 March 1777, Darmstadt) was a princess of Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Darmstadt and through her marriage a princess of Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-K ...

(1698–1777), a daughter of

Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Ernest Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt (german: Ernst Ludwig) (15 December 1667 – 12 September 1739) was Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1678 to 1739. His parents were Landgrave Louis VI of Hesse-Darmstadt and Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Alte ...

. The marriage was meant to symbolise the new harmony between

and

Hesse-Darmstadt The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt (german: Landgrafschaft Hessen-Darmstadt) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a younger branch of the House of Hesse. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse betwee ...

, but was complicated by the two families' annoyance over his lavish lifestyle. In 1723, his father gave Maximilian the domain of

Jesberg Jesberg is a municipality in the Schwalm-Eder district in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Jesberg lies from 210 to 675 m high in the Gilsa river valley east-southeast of the Wüstegarten, which at 675 m above sea level is both the Kellerw ...

, which included the Richerode estate. In Jesberg, Maximilian built the

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

Schloss Jesberg and in nearby woodland built the 'Prinzessingarten' for his daughters. He was a passionate musician, maintaining a separate court-orchestra of his own, but this plunged him into debt.

Marriage and issue

He had eight children: #Prince Karl of Hesse-Kassel (30 September 1721 – 23 November 1722) #

Princess Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel , title = Countess/Duchess of Oldenburg , image = , caption = , spouse = Frederick Augustus I, Duke of Oldenburg , issue = Wilhelm, Duke of OldenburgPrincess Luise Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte, Queen of Swede ...

(31 October 1722 – 28 February 1787); married in 1752

Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg , title = Duke of Oldenburg , image = Friedrich August von Oldenburg.jpg , caption = , succession = Duke of Oldenburg , predecessor = Kings of Denmark as counts , successor = William I , reign = ...

. #

Princess Christine Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel Princess Christine Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel (11 February 1725 – 4 June 1782) was a Hessian princess who lived as a secular canoness before becoming a coadjutor princess-abbess of Herford Abbey. Biography Princess Christina Charlotte of H ...

(11 February 1725 – 4 June 1782), from 17 April 1765 canoness of Herford Abbey, from 12 July 1766

coadjutor The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadj ...

abbess of Herford. #Princess Maria of Hesse-Kassel (25 February 1726 – 14 March 1727) #

Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Kassel (25 February 1726 – 8 October 1808) was a Prussian princess, married to Prince Henry of Prussia. Wilhelmina was the daughter of Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel and Friederike Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt ...

(1726–1808); married in 1752 Prince Henry of Prussia, younger brother 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 ...

. #A stillborn child (born and died October 1729) #Princess Elisabetha Sophia Louisa of Hesse-Kassel (10 November 1730 – 4 February 1731) #

Princess Caroline Wilhelmina Sophia of Hesse-Kassel Caroline, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst (née Princess Caroline Wilhelmina Sophia of Hesse-Kassel; 10 May 1732 – 22 May 1759) was the first wife and consort of Frederick Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst. Biography Princess Caroline Wilhelmina S ...

(10 May 1732 – 22 May 1759 in Zerbst); married in 1753

Frederick Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst Frederick Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (8 August 1734 in Alt Stettin – 3 March 1793 in Luxembourg), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and the last ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. Life He was the second and sole s ...

, younger brother of

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

Bibliography

*Eckhardt G. Franz, ''Das Haus Hessen'',

Kohlhammer Verlag W. Kohlhammer Verlag GmbH, or Kohlhammer Verlag, is a German publishing house headquartered in Stuttgart. History Kohlhammer Verlag was founded in Stuttgart on 30 April 1866 by . Kohlhammer had taken over the businesses of his late father-in-law ...

, 2005, S. 93. , *Hans Philippi, ''Die Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel 1648–1806'' = Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Hessen 46 = Kleine Schriften 8, Marburg 2007, S. 45f. {{DEFAULTSORT:Maximilian 1689 births 1753 deaths House of Hesse-Kassel Generals of the Holy Roman Empire 18th-century German military personnel