Louis William, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

Louis William, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (29 August 1770 in Homburg – 19 January 1839 in Luxembourg), was Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg from 1829 until his death.

Biography

Louis was the second son of Landgrave Frederick V and his wife Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt, a daughter of Landgrave Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken, "the Great Landgravine".

Louis, as he was usually called, was educated together with his elder brother Frederick VI. They studied together in Geneva, and in 1788, they joined the Royal Prussian Army together.

In 1793, he fought in the Battle of Pirmasens. In 1798, he was promoted to major. In 1804, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and he married Princess Augusta Amalia of Nassau-Usingen, daughter of Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau. This "dynastic marriage" with the daughter of a neighbouring prince was an unhappy one, as she was in love with Count Frederick William of Bismarck. The marriage ended in divorce. Augusta Amalia married Frederick William; Louis William did not marry again. Ricarda Huch gives more details in her Count Mark and the Princes of Nassau-Usingen. A tragic biography of 1925.

In 1806, he fought in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt and was taken prisoner by the French. After his release, he became major general of the infantry in Königsberg. Here, he reorganized the army in the framework of the Prussian reforms. In 1810, he was transferred to Berlin. In 1813, he fought in the German campaign with his own "Hesse-Homburg Brigade". In the Battle of Leipzig, his troops stormed the Grimma gate and he was injured.

In 1813, he was promoted to lieutenant general and Supreme Commander of the Reserve Corps. During the Hundred Days, he again fought Napoleon's army. After the Second Peace of Paris, he was appointed governor of Luxembourg.

Louis rarely visited Homburg. Hesse-Homburg was administered between 1828 and 1832 by Carl von Ibell. A wealthy man, Louis travelled to many European countries; however, he was always interested in the situation in his own small country. He supported the education reform Ibell was implementing, which provided for a single school system with Protestant, Catholic and Jewish students. The building for a shared school was inaugurated in 1831, and it is now called ("Landgrave Louis School").

He also promoted the creation of a spa in Bad Homburg. He renovated the springs in the town, and added a small spa hall, which today houses a casino.

The district of Meisenheim joined the German Customs Union in 1829; the rest of Hesse-Homburg joined in 1835.

The July Revolution of 1830 sparked unrest in Hesse-Homburg. The army mutinied and several youths from Homburg participated in the Frankfurter Wachensturm.

In 1838, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his career as a Prussian officer. He paid a two-week visit to Homburg and returned to Luxembourg, where he died on 19 January 1839. He was buried in the crypt of Bad Homburg Castle.

Ancestry