Charles (German: ''Karl''; 1 August 1713,

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

– 26 March 1780, Braunschweig), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Bevern line), reigned as Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1735 until his death.

Life

Charles was the eldest son of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. He fought under

Prince Eugene of Savoy Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy-Carignano (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736), better known as Prince Eugene, was a distinguished Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the Army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty durin ...

against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

before inheriting the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from his father in 1735. Through his mother he was first cousins with Empress Maria Theresa On the suggestion of his court-preacher, Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Jerusalem, in 1745 he founded the '' Collegium Carolinum'', an institute of higher education which is today known as the Technical University of Brunswick. He also hired

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (; ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the dev ...

as the librarian for the ''Bibliotheca Augusta'', the ducal library. Lorenz Heister of the University of Helmstedt named the botanical genus '' Brunsvigia'' in his honour, in recognition of his encouragement of

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and the study of ''B. orientalis''. Charles attempted to promote the economic development of his state; for example, he founded the Fürstenberg Porcelain Company, and he installed mandatory fire insurance. However, he did not manage to keep the state finances in check. As a consequence, in 1773 his eldest son Charles William Ferdinand took over government. When the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

began in 1775, Prince Charles saw an opportunity to replenish the duchy's treasury by renting its army to Great Britain. In 1776, Duke Charles signed a treaty with his cousin

George III of the United Kingdom George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great ...

to supply troops for service with the British armies in America. 4,000 soldiers were dispatched under General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel. The Brunswick troops fought in General John Burgoyne's army at the Battles of Saratoga (1777), where they were taken prisoner as part of the Convention Army. Although the terms of surrender allowed the troops to return to Europe, the American

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

cancelled the convention. The Convention Army was held prisoner in America until the war ended in 1783.

Marriage and children

In 1733, Charles married Philippine Charlotte, daughter of King

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the Soldier King (), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuchâtel. Born in Berlin, he was raised by the Hugu ...

and sister of Frederick the Great. They had the following children that reached adulthood: * Charles William Ferdinand (1735–1806), father of Queen

Caroline of Brunswick Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Caroline Amelia Elizabeth; 17 May 1768 – 7 August 1821) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until her ...

, wife of George IV of Great Britain. * Sophie Caroline Mary (1737–1817), married Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth * Anna Amalia (1739–1807), married Ernest Augustus II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach * Frederick Augustus (1740–1805) * Albert Henry (26 February 1742 – 8 August 1761), died childless * William Adolf (18 May 1745 – 24 August 1770), died childless * Elizabeth Christine Ulrike (1746–1840), married King Frederick William II of Prussia (divorced). She was the mother of Frederica, Duchess of York. * Augusta Dorothea, Abbess of Gandersheim (1749–1803) * Maximilian Jules Leopold (1752–1785), died childless Charles also had a child out of wedlock, Christian Theodor (1750–1824), who later took the name de Pencier after his step-father.

Ancestry

References

At the House of Welf site

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Charles 01, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1713 births 1780 deaths Princes of Wolfenbüttel Nobility from Braunschweig House of Brunswick-Bevern Protestant monarchs Generals of the Holy Roman Empire Military personnel from Braunschweig Burials at Brunswick Cathedral