, house =

House of Mecklenburg The House of Mecklenburg, also known as Nikloting, is a North German dynasty of Slavic origin that ruled until 1918 in the Mecklenburg region, being among the longest-ruling families of Europe. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909–2004), ...

, father = Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin , mother =

Duchess Gustave Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Duchess Gustave Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (12 July 1694 – 13 April 1748) was a daughter of Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg and Princess Marie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Family Gustave Caroline was the fourth daughter and young ...

, birth_date = , birth_place =

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...

, death_date = , death_place =

Ludwigslust Ludwigslust () is a central castle town of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. Since 2011 it has been part of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. Ludwigslust is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The former royal re ...

Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, called ''the Pious'' (german: Friedrich II Herzog von Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 9 November 171721 April 1785) was

Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...

from 1756 until his death.

Early life

Frederick was born at

, the son of Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg, and his wife,

. In his childhood and youth his great-aunt Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Güstrow had great influence on the intellectual and spiritual development of Frederick, essentially in instilling the beliefs of

Pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy and ...

Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

After the death of his father in 1756, Frederick assumed the government of the Duchy. Shortly after his accession the country was involved in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. Frederick, was a supporter of Pietism. He encouraged the school system, promoted the textile manufacturing and abolished torture. In 1764 he moved his residence from Schwerin to

Schloss Ludwigslust Ludwigslust Palace (german: Schloss Ludwigslust) is a stately home or ''schloss'' in the town of Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. It was built as a hunting lodge, rebuilt as a luxurious retreat from the ducal capital, Schweri ...

. In 1765 he ordered the construction of the Imperial Church (completed in 1770, now the City Church) by architect Johann Joachim Busch, and he continued the expansion of Schloss Ludwigslust between 1772 and 1776.

Marriage

Frederick married on 2 March 1746 at

Schwedt Schwedt (or Schwedt/Oder; ) is a town in Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany. With the official status of a ''Große Kreisstadt, Große kreisangehörige Stadt'' (major district town), it is the largest town of the Uckermark (district), Uckermark ...

to Duchess Louise Frederica of Württemberg, daughter of Frederick Louis, Hereditary Prince of Württemberg, and his wife

Margravine Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Em ...

Henrietta Maria of Brandenburg-Schwedt. They had four children, who died young. At his death, the dukedom was inherited by his nephew

Frederick Francis Friedrich Franz (1783–1860) was a photography pioneer and university teacher of Gregor Mendel. Friedrich Franz (or ''Frederick Francis'') was also the name of several members of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin: *Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke ...

, a son of his brother

Louis Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ( ...

Ancestry

References

*Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Reference: 1956 *Het Groothertogelijk Huis Mecklenburg, Bergen-op-Zoom, 1901–1902, Juten, W. J. F., Reference: 106 {{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick 02 Of Mecklenburg 1717 births 1785 deaths People from Schwerin House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin German landowners