Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

Maurice
Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Portrait of Maurice of Hesse-Kassel from the work Theatrum Europaeum (1662).
Spouse(s)	Agnes of Solms-Laubach Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg
Issue
Otto, Hereditary Prince Elisabeth Maurice William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Philipp Agnes, Princess of Anhalt-Dessau Herman, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg Sofie, Countess of Schaumburg-Lippe Friedrich, Landgrave of Hesse-Eschwege Christian Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels
Detail Titles and styles
The Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Noble family	House of Hesse-Kassel
Father	William IV, Landgrave of Hesse
Mother	Sabine of Württemberg
Born	25 May 1572
Died	15 March 1632

Maurice of Hesse-Kassel (German: Moritz) (25 May 1572 – 15 March 1632), also called Maurice the Learned,^[1] was the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) in the Holy Roman Empire from 1592 to 1627.

Life

Maurice was born in Kassel as the son of William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and of his wife Sabine of Württemberg.

Although Maurice had been raised in the Lutheran faith, he converted to Calvinism in 1605. On the principle Cuius regio eius religio, Maurice's subjects were also required to convert to Calvinism. Maurice's conversion was controversial since the Peace of Augsburg had only settled religious matters betweens Roman Catholics and Lutherans and had not considered Calvinists. Maurice tried to introduce Calvinism to the lands which he had inherited from the extinct Hesse-Marburg branch of his family. Such a change of faith was contrary to the inheritance rules and resulted in an ongoing conflict with the Hesse-Darmstadt branch. It also brought him into conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor, Matthias.

Maurice's actions ruined Hesse-Kassel financially. In 1627 he abdicated in favour of his son William V. Maurice died in Eschwege. He was an expert composer and serious musician. He discovered and supported Heinrich Schütz and employed John Dowland.

Marriages and issue

On 23 September 1593, Maurice married Agnes of Solms-Laubach (1578-23 November 1602). They had six children.

• Otto (24 December 1594-7 August 1617)
• Elisabeth (24 March 1596-16 December 1625)
• Child (24 January 1597)
• Child (August 1599)
• Maurice (14 July 1600-11 August 1612)
• William V (13 February 1602-21 September 1637).

On 22 May 1603, Maurice married Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg (3 September 1587-15 February 1643). They had 14 children.

• Philipp (26 November 1604-17 June 1626)
• Agnes (13 May 1606-28 May 1650), married John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
• Herman (15 August 1607-25 March 1658)
• Juliane (7 October 1608-11 December 1628)
• Sabine (5 July 1610-21 May 1620)
• Magdalene (25 August 1611-12 February 1671)
• Maurice (13 June 1614-16 February 1633)
• Sofie (12 September 1615-22 November 1670) married Philip, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe
• Friedrich (9 May 1617-24 September 1655)
• Christian (5 February 1622-14 November 1640)
• Ernest (17 December 1623-12 May 1693)
• Christine (9 July 1625-25 July 1626)
• Philipp (28 September 1626-8 July 1629)
• Elisabeth (23 October 1628-10 February 1633)

Ancestors

16. Louis II, Landgrave of Lower Hesse

8. William II, Landgrave of Hesse

17. Mechthild of Württemberg

4. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse

18. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg

9. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

19. Sophia of Pomerania-Stettin

2. William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

20. Albert III, Duke of Saxony

10. George, Duke of Saxony

21. Sidonie of Poděbrady

5. Christine of Saxony

22. Casimir IV Jagiellon

11. Barbara Jagiellon

23. Elisabeth of Austria

1. Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

24. Henry, Count of Württemberg

12. Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg

25. Elisabeth of Zweibrücken-Bitsch

6. Christoph, Duke of Württemberg

26. Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria

13. Sabina of Bavaria

27. Kunigunde of Austria

3. Sabine of Württemberg

28. Frederick I of Brandenburg-Ansbach

14. Georg of Brandenburg-Ansbach

29. Sophia of Poland

7. Anna Maria of Brandenburg-Ansbach

30. Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels

15. Hedwig of Münsterberg-Oels

31. Anna of Sagan

Notes

1. ^ Anonymous 1911, p. 410.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Anonymous (1911). "Hess-Cassel". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 410. http://www.archive.org/stream/encyclopaediabrit13chisrich#page/410/mode/1up. 

External links

• Free scores by Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Free scores by Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)

Preceded by William IV

Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 1592–1627

Succeeded by William V

Persondata
Name	Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Alternative names	Mortitz, Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel (German)
Short description	Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, musician
Date of birth	25 May 1572
Place of birth	Kassel
Date of death	15 March 1632
Place of death	Eschwege