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Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

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Louis VIII
Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Portrait of Louis VIII
by Johann Christian Fiedler
Born(1691-04-05)5 April 1691
Darmstadt
Died17 October 1768(1768-10-17) (aged 77)
Darmstadt
SpouseCountess Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg
IssueLouis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
George William of Hesse-Darmstadt
Caroline Louise, Grand Duchess of Baden
HouseHesse-Darmstadt
FatherErnest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
MotherDorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach

Louis VIII (German: Ludwig) (5 April 1691, Darmstadt – 17 October 1768) was the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1739 to 1768. He was the son of Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Margravine Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

Life

A deer hunt near Darmstadt. Painting by Georg Adam Eger 1755

In 1717, he was married to Countess Charlotte Christine Magdalene Johanna of Hanau and he received Hanau-Lichtenberg as an addition to his dominons. Because of his passion for hunting, he is known as the "Hunting Landgrave" (German: Jagdlandgraf). During the Seven Years' War 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 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:

Ancestors

Family of Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
16. Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
8. George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
17. Magdalene of Brandenburg
4. Louis VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
18. John George I, Elector of Saxony
9. Sophia Eleonore of Saxony
19. Duchess Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia
2. Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
20. John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
10. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha
21. Dorothea Maria of Anhalt
5. Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
22. John Philip, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
11. Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg
23. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
1. Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
24. John George, Elector of Brandenburg
12. Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
25. Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst
6. Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
26. John George I of Solms-Laubach
13. Sophie of Solms-Laubach
27. Margarethe of Schönburg-Glauchau
3. Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach
28. Louis Eberhard, Count of Oettingen-Oettingen
14. Joachim Ernst of Oettingen-Oettingen
29. Margaret of Erbach
7. Sofie Margarete of Oettingen-Oettingen
30. Henry William I, Count of Solms-Sonnewalde
15. Anna Sibylle of Solms-Sonnewalde
31. Sophia Dorothea of Mansfeld-Arnstein

Sources

  • Die Geschichte Hessens, Gerd Bauer, Heiner Boencke, Hans Sarkowicz; Eichborn, 2002, p. 193-194
Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Born: 5 April 1691 Died: 17 October 1768
Preceded by Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
1739–1768
Succeeded by