Adelaide of Brunswick-Lüneburg I 1263 seven children
Matilda of Cleves 1276 seven children
Son of Henry II of Brabant, founded the House of Hesse.
John
1278
1308–1311
14 February 1311
Lower Hesse
Adelaide of Brunswick-Lüneburg II 1306 one child
Divided Hesse with his brother.
Otto I the Elder
1272
1308–1311
17 January 1328
Upper Hesse
Adelaide of Ravensberg 1297 Marburg five children
Divided Hesse with his brother. After the latter’s death with no descendants, he reunited Hesse.
1311–1328
Landgraviate of Hesse
Henry II the Iron
1299
1328–1376
3 June 1376
Landgraviate of Hesse
Elisabeth of Thuringia 1321 five children
Sons of Otto I, ruled jointly.
Louis (I) the Junker
1305
1336–1345
2 February 1345
Landgraviate of Hesse
Elisabeth of Sponheim-Kreuznach 15 October 1340 three children
Herman I the Elder
1305
1336–1370
1370
Landgraviate of Hesse
Unmarried
Otto II the Younger
1322
1336–1366
December 1366
Landgraviate of Hesse
Elisabeth of Cleves 1338 no children
Herman II the Learned
1341
1376–1413
24 May 1413
Landgraviate of Hesse
Joanna of Nassau-Weilburg 3 February 1377 no children
Margaret of Nuremberg 15 October 1383 Kulmbach eight children
Louis I the Peaceful
6 February 1402
1413–1458
17 January 1458
Landgraviate of Hesse
Anna of Saxony 8 September 1433 Kassel five children
At his death divided Hesse again.
Louis II the Frank
7 September 1438
1458–1471
8 November 1471
Lower Hesse
Matilda of Württemberg-Urach (1438–1495) 1454 four children
Children of Louis I, divided Hesse between them. Henry III associated his son Louis III in a co-rulership.
Henry III the Rich
15 October 1440
1458–1483
13 January 1483
Upper Hesse
Anna of Katzenelnbogen 1458 six children
Louis III the Younger
November 1461
1474–1478
2 July 1478
Upper Hesse
Unmarried
William I the Elder
4 July 1466
1471–1493
8 February 1515
Lower Hesse
Anna of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 17 February 1488 Münden five children
Didn’t have male heirs. Abdicated in 1493 and his possession passed to his brother, also named William.
Regency of Herman IV, Archbishop of Cologne and Hans Hofman of Dörnberg (1483-1489)
Died without heirs.
William III the Younger[2]
8 September 1471
1483–1500
17 February 1500
Upper Hesse
Elisabeth of the Palatinate 12 February 1496 Heidelberg no children
William II the Middle[2]
29 April 1469
1493–1500
11 July 1509
Lower Hesse
Yolande of Vaudémont 9 November 1497 one child
Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 20 October 1500 Kassel three children
In 1500 reunited Hesse after the death of his cousin William II.
1500–1509
Landgraviate of Hesse
Regencies of the Estates of Hesse (1509-1514) and Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1514-1518)
After his death Hesse was divided between his legitimate sons.
Philip I the Magnanimous
13 November 1504
1509–1567
31 March 1567
Landgraviate of Hesse
Christine of Saxony 11 December 1523 Kassel ten children
Margarethe von der Saale 14 March 1540 Rotenburg (bigamous and morganatic) nine children
William IV the Wise
24 June 1532
1567–1592
25 August 1592
Hesse-Kassel
Sabine of Württemberg 11 February 1566 Marburg eleven children
Children of Philip I, divided the land between them:
William IV received Kassel
Louis IV received Marburg, which after his childless death was divided between his brothers;
Philip II received Rheinfels, which after his childless death was divided between his brothers;
George I received Darmstadt.
Louis IV the Elder
27 May 1537
1567–1604
9 October 1604
Hesse-Marburg
Hedwig of Württemberg 10 May 1563 Stuttgart no children
Maria of Mansfeld 4 July 1591 Marburg no children
Philip II the Younger
22 April 1541
1567–1583
20 November 1583
Hesse-Rheinfels
Anna Elisabeth of Palatinate-Simmern 18 January 1569 Heidelberg no children
George I the Pious
10 September 1547
1567–1596
7 February 1596
Hesse-Darmstadt
Magdalene of Lippe 17 August 1572 Kassel ten children
Eleonora of Württemberg 25 May 1589 one child
Marburg and Rheinfels redivided between Kassel and Darmstadt
Maurice the Learned
25 May 1572
1592–1632
15 March 1632
Hesse-Kassel
Agnes of Solms-Laubach 23 September 1593 Kassel four children
Juliane of Nassau-Siegen 22 May 1603 Dillenburg fourteen children
Louis V the Faithful
24 September 1577
1596–1626
27 July 1626
Hesse-Darmstadt
Magdalene of Brandenburg 5 June 1598 Berlin eleven children
Children of George I, redivided the land:
Louis V kept Darmstadt;
Philip III received Butzbach, which after his death was reannexed to Darmstadt;
Frederick I received Homburg.
Philip III
26 December 1581
1596–1643
28 April 1643
Hesse-Darmstadt (at Butzbach)
Anna Margaretha von Diepholz 29 July 1610 Darmstadt no children
Christina Sophia of East Frisia 2 June 1632 Aurich no children
Frederick I
5 March 1585
1596–1638
9 May 1638
Hesse-Homburg
Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg 10 August 1622 Butzbach six children
Butzbach reannexed to Darmstadt
George II
17 March 1605
1626–1661
11 June 1661
Hesse-Darmstadt
Sophia Eleonore of Saxony 1 April 1627 Torgau fifteen children
Children of Louis V, redivided the land:
George II kept Darmstadt;
John received Braubach, which after his childless death returned to Darmstadt.
John
17 June 1609
1626–1651
1 April 1651
Hesse-Darmstadt (at Braubach)
Johannetta of Sayn-Wittgenstein 30 September 1647 Friedewald no children
Braubach reannexed to Darmstadt
William V the Stable
13 February 1602
1632–1637
21 September 1637
Hesse-Kassel
Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg 21 September 1619 twelve children
Children of Maurice, redivided the land:
William V kept Kassel;
Frederick received Eschwege, which after his childless death returned to Kassel;
Herman IV received Rotenburg, which after his childless death merged in Rheinfels;
Ernest received Rheinfels, which after Herman IV’s death merged with Rotenburg, retaining the name Rotenburg.
Frederick
9 May 1617
1632–1655
24 September 1655
Hesse-Kassel (at Eschwege)
Eleonora Catherine of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken 8 September 1646 Stockholm six children
Herman IV
15 August 1607
1627–1658
25 March 1658
Hesse-Rotenburg
Sophie Juliane of Waldeck 31 December 1633 Waldeck one child
Kunigunde Juliane of Anhalt-Dessau 2 February 1642 Weimar no children
Ernest
8 December 1623
1649–1658
2 May 1693
Hesse-Rheinfels
Maria Eleonore of Solms-Lich June 1647 Frankfurt two children
1658–1693
Hesse-Rotenburg
Eschwege reannexed to Kassel; Rheinfels merged in Rotenburg
Regency of Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg (1637-1650)
William VI
23 May 1629
1637–1663
16 July 1663
Hesse-Kassel
Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg 19 July 1649 Cölln seven children
Regency of Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg (1638-1648)
Sold his lands to his brother, George Christian.
William Christoph
13 November 1625
1638–1669
27 August 1681
Hesse-Darmstadt-Homburg
Sophia Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt 21 April 1650 Darmstadt twelve children
Anna Elisabeth of Saxe-Lauenburg 2 April 1665 Lübeck (annulled 1672) no children
Louis VI
25 January 1630
1661–1678
24 April 1678
Hesse-Darmstadt
Maria Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp 24 November 1650 Gottorp eight children
Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 5 December 1666 Gotha eight children
Children of George II, redivided the land:
Louis VI kept Darmstadt;
George III received Itter, which after his childless death was reannexed to Darmstadt
George III
29 September 1632
1661–1676
19 July 1676
Hesse-Darmstadt (at Itter
Dorothea Auguste of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Franzhagen 5 May 1661 one child
Juliane Alexandrine of Leinigen-Heidenheim 21 July 1667 three children
Regency of Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg (1663-1677)
Children of William VI. With their mother as regent, they redivided the land:
William VII kept Kassel, which after his sudden death was inherited by his brother, Charles I;
Philip received Philippsthal.
William VII
21 June 1651
1663–1670
21 November 1670
Hesse-Kassel
Unmarried
Charles I
3 August 1654
1670–1730
23 March 1730
Hesse-Kassel
Maria Amalia of Courland 21 May 1673 Kassel fourteen children
Philip
14 December 1655
1663–1721
18 June 1721
Hesse-Philippsthal
Catherine of Solms-Laubach 14 April 1680 eight children
George Christian
13 November 1625
1669–1671
27 August 1681
Hesse-Homburg
Anna Catharina Pogwitsch 11 October 1666 Hamburg no children
Retained his brother’s land. Hesse-Homburg became under mortgage to two merchants (1671–1673) and to the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt (1673–1679). Hesse-Homburg returned then to George Christian’s brother, Frederick.
Louis VII
22 June 1658
1678
31 August 1678
Hesse-Darmstadt
Unmarried
Regency of Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1678-1688)
Ernest Louis
15 December 1667
1678–1739
12 September 1739
Hesse-Darmstadt
Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach 1 December 1687 Darmstadt five children
Frederick II
13 November 1625
1679–1708
27 August 1681
Hesse-Homburg
Margareta Brahe 12 May 1661 Stockholm no children
Louise Elisabeth of Courland 23 October 1670 Cölln twelve children
Sophie Sybille of Leiningen-Westerburg 1691 three children
The land returned to the Hesse-Homburg-branch in 1679.
William the Elder
15 May 1648
1693–1725
20 November 1725
Hesse-Rotenburg
Maria Anna of Löwenstein-Wertheim 3 March 1669 Rochefort eight children
Children of Ernest, redivided the land:
William kept Rotenburg;
Charles received Wanfried.
Charles
19 July 1649
1693–1711
3 March 1711
Hesse-Wanfried
Sophie Magdalene of Salm-Reifferscheid before 1675 five children
Alexandrine Juliane of Leiningen-Dagsburg before 1703 eleven children
Frederick III Jacob
19 May 1673
1708–1746
8 June 1746
Hesse-Homburg
Elisabeth Dorothea of Hesse-Darmstadt 14 February 1700 Butzbach nine children
Christiane Charlotte of Nassau-Ottweiler 17 October 1728 Saarbrücken no children
William II the Younger
25 August 1671
1711–1731
1 April 1731
Hesse-Wanfried
Ernestine of the Palatinate-Sulzbach 19 September 1719 no children
Left no heirs. His lands were inherited by his brother, Christian.
Charles I
23 September 1682
1721–1770
8 May 1770
Hesse-Philippsthal
Caroline Christine of Saxe-Eisenach 24 November 1725 Eisenach five children
Children of Philip, redivided the land:
Charles I kept Philippsthal;
William received Barchfeld.
William
1 April 1692
1721–1761
13 May 1761
Hesse-Barchfeld
Charlotte Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym 31 October 1724 Hoym fifteen children
Ernest Leopold
15 June 1684
1725–1749
29 November 1749
Hesse-Kassel-Rotenburg
Eleonore of Löwenstein-Wertheim 9 November 1704 Frankfurt ten children
Frederick I
28 April 1676
1730–1751
5 April 1751
Hesse-Kassel
Louise Dorothea of Prussia 31 May 1700 Berlin no children
Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden 24 March 1715 Stockholm no children
Also King of Sweden. Left no heirs. Hesse-Kassel under the regency of his brother, William, later Landgrave William VIII.
Christian
17 July 1689
1731–1755
21 October 1755
Hesse-Wanfried
Maria Franziska of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein c.1730 no children
Left no heirs. His lands reverted to Hesse-Rotenburg.
Wanfried reannexed to Rotenburg
Louis VIII
5 April 1691
1739–1768
17 October 1768
Hesse-Darmstadt
Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg 5 April 1717 Hanau six children
Frederick IV Charles
15 April 1724
1746–1751
7 February 1751
Hesse-Darmstadt-Homburg
Ulrike Louise of Solms-Braunfels 10 October 1746 Hungen two children
Nephew of Frederick IV.
Constantine
24 May 1716
1749–1778
30 December 1778
Hesse-Rotenburg
Sophia von Starhemberg 1745 eleven children
Jeanne Henriette de Bombelles 27 May 1775 no children
William VIII
10 March 1682
1751–1760
1 February 1760
Hesse-Kassel
Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz 27 September 1717 Zeitz three children
Brother of Frederick V; already regent from 1730
Regency of Ulrike Louise of Solms-Braunfels (1751-1766)
Between 1806 and 1815 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Frederick V
30 January 1748
1751–1820
20 January 1820
Hesse-Homburg
Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt 27 September 1768 Darmstadt eleven children
Frederick II
14 August 1720
1760–1785
31 October 1785
Hesse-Kassel
Mary of Great Britain 8 May 1740 London (by proxy) 28 June 1740 Kassel (in person) four children
Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt 10 January 1773 Berlin no children
Frederick
1727
1761–1777
1777
Hesse-Barchfeld
Sophia Henrietta of Salm-Grunbach 1772 no children
Left no heirs. His brother Adolf inherited the land.
Louis IX
15 December 1719
1768–1790
6 April 1790
Hesse-Darmstadt
Caroline of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken 12 August 1741 Zweibrücken eight children
Children of Louis VIII, divided their inheritance:
Louis IX received his father’s inheritance;
Caroline Louise received his mother’s inheritance in Hanau-Lichtenberg,[3] which then passed to Baden.
Caroline Louise
11 July 1723
1768–1783
8 April 1783
Hesse-Darmstadt (at Hanau-Lichtenberg)
Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden 28 January 1751 five children
William
29 August 1726
1770–1806
8 August 1810
Hesse-Philippsthal
Ulrika Eleonora of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld 22 June 1755 Tournai nine children
Between 1806 and 1813 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Adolph
29 June 1743
1777–1803
17 July 1803
Hesse-Barchfeld
Louise of Saxe-Meiningen 18 October 1781 Meiningen six children
Charles Emmanuel
5 June 1746
1778–1806
23 March 1812
Hesse-Kassel-Rotenburg
Leopoldina of Liechtenstein 1 September 1771 Felsberg two children
Between 1806 and 1813 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Rotenburg briefly annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia (1806-1813)
William I
3 June 1743
1785–1807
1813–1821
27 February 1821
Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel
Electorate of Hesse-Kassel
Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark 1 September 1764 Copenhagen four children
Created Prince-elector of Hesse as His Royal and Serene Highness in 1803. Between 1807 and 1813 the Grand-Duchy was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Louis I
14 June 1753
1790–1830
6 April 1830
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt 19 February 1777 Darmstadt seven children
Created Grand Duke of Hesse in 1806.
Charles
27 June 1784
1803–1854
17 July 1854
Hesse-Barchfeld
Auguste of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen 19 July 1816 Öhringen two children
Sophie of Bentheim and Steinfurt 10 September 1823 Steinfurt four children
Between 1806 and 1813 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Louis
29 August 1726
1813–1816
8 August 1810
Hesse-Philippsthal
Marie Franziska Berghe of Trips 21 January 1791 Susteren two children
Landgraviate recovered in 1813 by the hand of the Elector of Hesse.
Victor Amadeus
2 September 1779
1813–1834
12 November 1834
Hesse-Rotenburg
Leopoldine of Fürstenberg 20 October 1799 Prague no children
Elisabeth of Hohenlohe-Langenburg 10 September 1812 Langenburg one child
Eleonora of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Krautheim and Gerlachsheim 19 November 1831 Gerlachsheim no children
In 1834, Hesse-Rotenburg reunited with Hesse-Kassel.
Rotenburg annexed to the Electorate of Kassel
Ernest Constantine
8 August 1771
1816–1849
25 December 1849
Hesse-Philippsthal
Louise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 10 April 1796 Rudolstadt five children
Caroline of Hesse-Philippsthal 17 February 1812 Kassel two children
Landgraviate recovered in 1813 by the hand of the Elector of Hesse.
Frederick VI
30 July 1769
1820–1829
2 April 1829
Hesse-Homburg
Elizabeth of the United Kingdom 7 April 1818 London no children
Left no heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
William II
28 July 1777
1821–1847
20 November 1847
Electorate of Hesse Kassel
Augusta of Prussia 13 February 1797 Berlin six children
Emilie Ortlöpp 8 July 1841 (morganatic) eight children
Caroline of Berlepsch 8 July 1841 Hanau (morganatic) no children
Louis William
29 August 1770
1829–1839
19 January 1839
Hesse-Homburg
Augusta Amalia of Nassau-Usingen 1804 (annulled 1805) no children
Left no heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
Louis II
26 December 1777
1830–1848
16 June 1848
Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
Wilhelmine of Baden 19 June 1804 Karlsruhe seven children
Philip
11 March 1779
1839–1846
15 December 1846
Hesse-Homburg
Rosalie Antonie Pototschnig 1838 (morganatic) no children
Left no heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
Gustav
17 February 1781
1846–1848
8 September 1848
Hesse-Homburg
Louise of Anhalt-Dessau 12 February 1818 Dessau three children
Left no male heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
Frederick William
20 August 1802
1847–1866
6 January 1875
Electorate of Hesse Kassel
Gertrude von Hanau 26 June 1831 (morganatic) nine children
In 1866 the Electorate was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.
Electorate of Kassel annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Louis III
9 June 1806
1848–1877
13 June 1877
Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria 26 December 1833 Munich no children
Magdalene of Hochstadten 1868 (morganatic) no children
Ferdinand
26 April 1783
1848–1866
24 March 1866
Hesse-Homburg
Unmarried
Left no male heirs. At his death the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg was briefly added to the territory of Louis III (Hesse-Darmstadt) before being annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia later in 1866.
Homburg annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Charles II
22 May 1803
1849–1866
12 February 1868
Hesse-Philippsthal
Marie of Württemberg 9 October 1845 Pokój two children
In 1866 the Landgraviate was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.
Philippsthal annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Alexis
13 September 1829
1854–1866
16 August 1905
Hesse-Barchfeld
Louise of Prussia 17 June 1854 Berlin no children
In 1866 the Landgraviate was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.
Barchfeld annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Louis IV
12 September 1837
1877–1892
13 March 1892
Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
Alice of the United Kingdom 1 July 1862 East Cowes seven children
Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska 30 April 1884 Darmstadt (morganatic, annulled 1884) no children
Ernest Louis
25 November 1868
1892–1918
9 October 1937
Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt
Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 19 April 1894 Coburg (annulled 21 December 1901) two children
Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich 2 February 1905 Darmstadt two children
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