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Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse (14 June 1753 in Prenzlau – 6 April 1830 in Darmstadt) was Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (as Louis X) and later the first Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.
Louis was the son of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and succeeded his father in 1790. He presided over a significant increase in territory for Hesse-Darmstadt during the imperial reorganizations of 1801–1803, most notably the Duchy of Westphalia, hitherto subject to the Archbishop of Cologne. Allied to Napoleon I of France, Louis in 1806 was elevated to the title of a Grand Duke of Hesse and joined the Confederation of the Rhine, leading to the dissolution of the Empire. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15, Louis had to give up his Westphalian territories, but was compensated with the district of Rheinhessen on the left bank of the Rhine. Because of this addition, he amended his title to Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.
Early life
Louis was born on 14 June 1753 as the third child and eldest son of the later Landgrave Louis IX of Hessen-Darmstadt, and his spouse Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken, a daughter of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. He was born in the town of Prenzlau in Brandenburg, where his father, who was in Prussian military service, was stationed. The children grew up with the mother in the town of Buchsweiler, which had previously been the residence of the Counts of Hanau-Lichtenberg, while the father stayed mainly in the town of Pirmasens to attend his military career.[1] In 1766, when Louis was 13, his mother's court moved from Buchsweiler to Darmstadt.[2] At the death of his grandfather on 17 October 1768, his father succeeded as landgrave, and Louis himself became heir to the landgraviate with the title of hereditary prince.
Louis succeeded as Landgrave of Hessen-Darmstadt on the death of his father in 1790. He presided over a significant increase in territory for Hesse-Darmstadt during the imperial reorganizations of 1801–1803, most notably the Duchy of Westphalia, hitherto subject to the Archbishop of Cologne.
Grand duke of Hesse
Allied to Napoleon I of France, Louis was elevated to the title of a Grand Duke of Hesse in 1806 and joined the Confederation of the Rhine, leading to the dissolution of the Empire. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15, Louis had to give up his Westphalian territories, but was compensated with the district of Rheinhessen, with his capital Mainz on the left bank of the Rhine. Because of this addition, he amended his title to Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.
Grand Duke Louis I died at the age of 76 on 6 April 1830 in his capital Darmstadt. He was succeeded as Grand Duke by his eldest son Louis II.
In 1844, a 33-meter column called Langer Ludwig (meaning Long Louis), was set up in his commemoration in the middle of the Luisenplatz, the largest square of Darmstadt.
Ludwig Georg Karl Friedrich (31 August 1780 – 17 April 1856). Married, morganatically to Hungarian noblewoman, Caroline Török de Szendrö, later created Princess of Nidda and had issue.
Friedrich August Karl (14 May 1788 – 16 March 1867) Never married or had issue.
^Bröcker, Carl (1894). "Die Freimaurer-Logen Deutschlands von 1737 bis einschliesslich 1893" (in German). Berlin: 92. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)