Louis VIII (German: ''Ludwig''; 5 April 1691 – 17 October 1768) was the
Landgrave of
Hesse-Darmstadt from 1739 to 1768. He was the son of
Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Ernest Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt () (15 December 1667 – 12 September 1739) was Landgrave of Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Darmstadt from 1678 to 1739. His parents were Landgrave Louis VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, Louis VI of Hesse- ...
and Margravine
Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
Life
In 1717, he was married to his maternal first cousin's daughter,
Countess Charlotte Christine of Hanau-Lichtenberg and he received
Hanau-Lichtenberg as an addition to his dominions. His mistress was
Helena Martini. Because of his passion for hunting, he is known as the "Hunting Landgrave" (German: ''Jagdlandgraf''). During the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
he stood on the side of the Emperor and received the rank of General Field Marshal.
Like his father, Louis was not a gifted economist and only his good relationship with Empress
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...
and her intervention at the
Imperial Court Council kept the Landgraviate from bankruptcy. However, his caring for his country is documented by the establishment of a textile house in 1742 and a state orphanage in the 1746.
Issue
Children:
*
Landgrave Louis IX, married in 1741
Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken, had issue
*
Prince George William, married in 1748
Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg, had issue
*
Princess Caroline Louise; married in 1751
Charles Frederick, Margrave of Baden, later first Grand Duke of Baden, had issue
Ancestors
External links
The Age of Absolutism in Hesse-Darmstadt (German)
Sources
* ''Die Geschichte Hessens'', Gerd Bauer, Heiner Boencke, Hans Sarkowicz; Eichborn, 2002, p. 193-194
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Louis 08 of Hesse-Darmstadt, Landgrave
1691 births
1768 deaths
Nobility from Darmstadt
Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt
Generals of the Holy Roman Empire