Maurice of Hesse-Kassel (; 25 May 1572 – 15 March 1632), also called Maurice the Learned or Moritz, was the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

from 1592 to 1627.

Life

Maurice was born in Kassel as the son of William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and of his wife Sabine of Württemberg. Although Maurice had been raised in the

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

faith, he converted to

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

in 1605. On the principle '' Cuius regio eius religio'', Maurice's subjects were also required to convert to Calvinism. Maurice's conversion was controversial since the Peace of Augsburg had only settled religious matters betweens Roman Catholics and Lutherans and had not considered Calvinists. Maurice tried to introduce Calvinism to the lands which he had inherited from the extinct Hesse-Marburg branch of his family. Such a change of faith was contrary to the inheritance rules, and resulted in an ongoing conflict with the Hesse-Darmstadt branch. It also brought him into conflict with the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. Notable people Notable people named Matthias include the following: Religion * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Isca ...

. English strolling players ('Die Englische Comoedianten') were frequent visitors to, and performers in, towns and cities in Germany and other European countries, including Kassel, during the 16th and 17th centuries. Landgraf Moritz (to use his German nomenclature) was a great supporter of the performing arts and even built the first permanent theatre in Germany, named the Ottoneum, in 1605. This building still exists today but as a Natural History Museum. In 1609, Maurice played a leading role in mediating the Treaty of Dortmund, which aimed to determine the succession of Julich-Cleves-Berg. He did so with support from King Henry IV of France. Maurice's actions (though not necessarily the Ottoneum) ruined Hesse-Kassel financially. In 1627 he abdicated in favour of his son

William V William V may refer to: * William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969–1030) * William V of Montpellier (1075–1121) * William V, Marquess of Montferrat (1191) * William V, Count of Nevers (before 11751181) * William V, Duke of Jülich (1299–1361) * Will ...

. Five years later he died in

Eschwege Eschwege (), the district seat of the Werra-Meißner-Kreis, is a town in northeastern Hesse, Germany. In 1971, the town hosted the eleventh ''Hessentag'' state festival. Geography Location The town lies on a broad plain tract of the river Wer ...

. He was not only a serious musician but an expert composer (a ''Pavane'' of his, for the lute, has several times been recorded by both lutenists and guitarists). The leading musical figures whom he supported included

Heinrich Schütz Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque music, Baroque composer and organ (music), organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and one of the most important composers of ...

and John Dowland.

Marriages and issue

On 23 September 1593, Maurice married Agnes of Solms-Laubach (7 January 1578 – 23 November 1602). They had six children: * Otto, Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Kassel (b. Kassel, 24 December 1594 – Hersfeld, 7 August 1617). * Elisabeth (b. Kassel, 24 March 1596 – d. Güstrow, 16 December 1625), married John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg. *Stillborn child (24 January 1597). *Stillborn child (August 1599). *Maurice (b. Kassel, 14 July 1600 – d. Kassel, 11 August 1612). *

William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel William V () (13 February 1602 – 21 September 1637), a member of the House of Hesse, was List of rulers of Hesse, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1627 to 1637. Having come to rule in unfavorable circumstances and in the midst of the Thirty Years' ...

(b. Kassel, 13 February 1602 – d. Leer, Ostfriesland, 21 September 1637). On 22 May 1603, Maurice married Countess Juliane of Nassau-Siegen (3 September 1587 – 15 February 1643). They had fourteen children: *Philipp (b. Kassel, 26 September 1604 – killed in battle, Lutter am Barenberge, 17 June 1626). * Agnes (b. Kassel 14 May 1606 – d. Dessau, 28.5.1650), married John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau. * Herman (b. Kassel, 15 August 1607 – d. Rotenburg, 25 March 1658), inherited Rotenburg. *Juliane (b. Marburg, 7 October 1608 – d. Kassel, 11 December 1628). *Sabine (b. Kassel, 5 July 1610 – d. Kassel, 21 May 1620). *Magdalene (b. Kassel, 25 August 1611 – d. Bedburg, 12 February 1671), married Erich Adolf, Count of Salm-Reifferscheid. *Maurice (b. Kassel, 13 June 1614 – d. Kassel, 16 February 1633). * Sophie (b. Kassel, 12 September 1615 – d. Bückeburg, 22 November 1670), married Philip I, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe. * Frederick (b. Kassel, 9 May 1617 – killed in battle, Kosten, 24 September 1655), inherited Eschwege. *Christian (b. Kassel, 5 February 1622 – d. Bückeburg, 14 November 1640), Swedish colonel, died after an altercation with General Johan Banér and some other officers; he was probably poisoned.Schlotter, Acta, p. 327. - also
Thirty Years' War (in German)
etrieved 15 June 2014 *

Ernest Ernest is a given name derived from the Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious", often shortened to Ernie. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), ...

(b. Kassel, 17 December 1623 – d. Köln, 12 May 1693), inherited Rheinfels. *Christine (b. Kassel, 9 July 1625 – d. Kassel, 25 July 1626). *Philipp (b. Kassel, 28 September 1626 – d. Rotenburg, 8 July 1629). *Elisabeth (b. Kassel, 23 October 1628 – d. Kassel, 10 February 1633).

Ancestry

Notes

References

* * Bruce T. Moran: ''The alchemical world of the German court. Occult philosophy and chemical medicine in the circle of Moritz of Hessen (1572 - 1632)''. Stuttgart, Steiner 1991.

External links

* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Maurice, Landgrave Of Hesse-Kassel Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel German Baroque composers German classical composers Musicians from Kassel People from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel 1572 births 1632 deaths House of Hesse-Kassel Landgraves of Hesse Converts to Calvinism from Lutheranism German Calvinist and Reformed Christians 16th-century German nobility 17th-century classical composers German male classical composers 17th-century German composers