Frederick William Eugene of Saxe-Hildburghausen (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Eugen von Sachsen-Hildburghausen; 8 October 1730 - 4 December 1795) was a Prince of

Saxe-Hildburghausen Saxe-Hildburghausen () was an Ernestine duchy in the southern side of the present State of Thuringia in Germany. It existed from 1680 to 1826 but its name and borders are currently used by the District of Hildburghausen. History After the Duk ...

Life

Eugene was born on 8 October 1730 in

Hildburghausen Hildburghausen (IPA adapted from: ) is a town in Thuringia in central Germany, capital of the district Hildburghausen. Geography It is situated in the Franconian part of Thuringia south of the Thuringian Forest, in the valley of the Werra river ...

. He was the younger son of the Duke Ernest Frederick II of Saxe-Hildburghausen and his wife Countess Caroline of Erbach-Fürstenau (1700–1758). His godfather was, in addition to other princes, Prince

Eugene of Savoy Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th and 18th centuries. He ...

. At the wedding of his brother Ernest Frederick III Charles with the only daughter of the Danish royal couple, he was awarded the

Ordre de l'Union Parfaite The Ordre de l'Union Parfaite was created by Queen consort Sophie Magdalene of Denmark and Norway on 7 August 1732 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her happy marriage with King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway. It was given to both men ...

. In Danish royal service he attained the rank of lieutenant-general of the infantry and in Hildburghausen, he was commander of the Artillery Corps. In 1765, Eugene founded the porcelain factory at Kloster Veilsdorf. His brother and the Duke, gave the factory many privileges. Economic success, however, remained low. Eugene was the owner of the manor Weitersroda where he founded a new parish and built a new church and a royal villa. In Hildburghausen, he was the tenant of the mint and builder of the so-called , one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Eugene was a skilled mechanic and gunner. In 1769, Eugene and his great-uncle

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

and Duchess Charlotte Amalie of Saxe-Meiningen were appointed Commissioner for the completely indebted Principality of Saxe-Hildburghausen by Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

. He misappropriated assets, leading to the dispute with Prince Joseph.Schöppl: ''The Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg'', Bolzano, 1917, reprint Altenburg, 1992, p. 89 Following Eugene’s disgrace for misappropriation of money, he needed a place to stay. His sister Amalie and her husband Prince Louis of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein-Oehringen (23 May 1723 – 27 July 1805) invited him to live with them at Castle Öhringen. He accepted their offer and moved in 1770 to

Öhringen Öhringen (East Franconian: ''Ähringe'') is the largest town in Hohenlohe (district) in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in southwest Germany, near Heilbronn. Öhringen is on the railline to Schwäbisch Hall and Crailsheim. With a population o ...

. A few years later, on 13 March 1778, Eugene married his niece, the Princess Chrstiane (1761–1790), daughter of his brother

Ernest Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen Ernest Frederick III Karl, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (10 June 1727 in Königsberg, Bavaria, Königsberg in Bayern – 23 September 1780 in Straufhain, Seidingstadt), was a duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Biography Ernest Frederick was born on 1 ...

. They had no children. Eugene and his wife resided at Öhringen, in the principality ruled by his brother-in-law Louis, and on a modest property belonging to him, until their respective deaths. Eugene's wife Christiane died in 1790 and he died in 1795.

Ancestry

References

* Heinrich Ferdinand Schoeppl: ''Die Herzoge von Sachsen-Altenburg'', Bozen, 1917, reprinted Altenburg, 1992 * Dr. Rudolf Armin Human: ''Chronik der Stadt Hildburghausen'', Hildburghausen, 1886

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eugene of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Prince House of Saxe-Hildburghausen Dukes of Saxe-Hildburghausen House of Wettin 1730 births 1795 deaths Sons of monarchs