Charles Paul Ernest, Count Of Bentheim-Steinfurt
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Charles Paul Ernest of Bentheim-Steinfurt (30 August 1729 – 30 June 1780) was a Count of Steinfurt. He was the son of the reigning Count Frederick of Bentheim und Steinfurt (1703–1733) and his wife Countess Franziska Charlotte of
Lippe-Detmold Lippe (later Lippe-Detmold and then again Lippe) was a state in Germany, ruled by the House of Lippe. It was located between the Weser river and the southeast part of the Teutoburg Forest. It originated as a state during the Holy Roman Empire, an ...
(1704–1738). His father died young and Charles Paul Ernest became Head of the
Bentheim-Steinfurt Bentheim-Steinfurt was a historical county located in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia in the region surrounding Steinfurt, Germany. Bentheim-Steinfurt was a partition of Bentheim-Bentheim, itself a partition of the County of Bentheim. Benthei ...
family in 1733. Initially, he had to share power in the territories of
Steinfurt Steinfurt (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt. From –1806, it was the capital of the County of Steinfurt. Geography Steinfurt is situated north-west of Münster, North Rhine-Westp ...
and Alpen with his great-uncle Statius Philip (1668–1749). Under the guardianship of his great-uncle, he enjoyed an excellent education. His Hofmeister Johann Christoph Buch accompanied him on several long journeys to perfect his foreign language skills. In 1748, he married Princess Charlotte Sophia Louise of
Nassau-Siegen Nassau-Siegen was a principality within the Holy Roman Empire that existed between 1303 and 1328, and again from 1606 to 1743. From 1626 to 1734, it was subdivided into Catholic and Protestant parts. Its capital was the city of Siegen, found ...
, the eldest daughter of Frederick William II, Prince of Nassau-Siegen (1706–1734) and Countess Sophie Polyxena Concordia of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (1709–1781). In 1749, his great-uncle and regent Statius Philip died, and Charles Paul Ernest took up the business of government. At times, he lived in Paris, where he became acquainted with
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
. Charles Paul Ernest had a strong interest in history and collected rare books,
incunable An incunable or incunabulum (: incunables or incunabula, respectively) is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. The specific date is essentially arbitrary, but the ...
s, manuscripts, images, coins and natural history curiosities. In 1765, he began creating the Steinfurter Bagno Park. He had the welfare of his subjects at heart; his subjects liked and revered him. In 1770, he joined the Palatinate Academy of Sciences in
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
.Acta Academiae Theodoro-Palatinae, vol. 3, Historical department, 1773, p. 14 His youngest daughter, Caroline of Bentheim-Steinfurt was active as a writer. Charles Paul Ernest died on 30 June 1780 and was succeeded by his son who became Prince Louis William Geldricus Ernest of Bentheim and Steinfurt (1756-1817), who was described as highly educated, intellectual and interested in scientific and economical issues.


Footnotes


External links


Biography of Charles Paul Ernest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles Paul Ernest of Bentheim-Steinfurt House of Bentheim Counts of Bentheim Counts of Steinfurt 1729 births 1780 deaths People from Steinfurt