Hermann (Hessen) von Hessen (abt. 1342 - 1413)

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Hermann II, Landgrave of Hesse, (c.1342-1413)

Biography

Early life

Herman II, Landgrave of Hesse, was born about 1342,^[1]supposedly in Grebenstein Castle,^[2] though there appears to be no primary sources that support this as his birthplace.

He was the second and youngest son of Ludwig II, Landgrave of Hesse in Grebenstein, and his wife, Elisabeth von Sponheim. As the children of a younger brother, of Heinrich II, reigning Landgrave of Hesse, Hermann, his brother Otto, and sister Agnes, were all destined for a life, perhaps even high office, in the Church. The death of their father (1345) when they were still young children probably confirmed this fate.^[3]

In preparation for this Hermann was apparently well-educated; studying in Paris and Prague,^[4] and received a number of minor appointments, including possibly Propst im Petersstift Nörten^[5] and Canon (Domherr) of Magdeburg Cathedral (and Trier?) in 1367.^[6]

However when his cousin Otto (II) joint Landgrave of Hesse, died childless in December 1366, Herman was left as the only male heir of his uncle Heinrich II (Hermann's brother Otto, having died in 1357). As such he was released from any vows made to the Church and deemed successor to, and co-Landgrave with, his uncle in 1367.

Family

He married firstly Johanna von Nassau, daughter of Johann I, Count of Nassau-Weilburg, and his first wife, Johanna of Saarbrücken. It seems they were married or perhaps a contract was signed 6 March 1368, when Johanna was still a young child, and then married in person either 30 January or 11 February 1377 at Kassel. She died childless on 1 January 1383 at Marburg, and was possibly buried at St Elisabethkirche, Marburg.

Hermann II married secondly at Plassenburg bei Kulmbach, 15 October 1383, Margarete von Nürnberg, daughter of Friedrich III, Burgrave von Nürnberg, and Elisabeth von Meissen. She died 15 January 1406 at Spangenberg, and was buried at St Elisabethkirche, Marburg.

With his second wife, Hermann had eight children:^[7]

1. Anna, probably the eldest child, died young (Wikipedia, has born 1385, died 1386, but there seems to be no primary source for these dates);
2. Heinrich, born 1387, possibly 10 November, at Marburg, died young 13 July 1394, buried at St Elisabethkirche, Marburg;
3. Elisabeth, born 1388, died young 22 July 1394, buried St Elisabethkirche, Marburg;
4. Margarete, born 1389 at Marburg, married 30 January 1409 at Kassel (as his second wife), Heinrich II, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, and died at Rotenburg an der Fulda in 1446;
5. Agnes, born 1391, married 26 September 1406 at Marburg, Otto 'de Einäugige', Duke of Brunswick-Göttingen, and died at Münden 16 January 1471, and was buried at St Martins, Kassel;
6. Hermann, born 18 October 1396 (or possibly 13 October) perhaps at Kassel,^[8] died 15 January 1406 at Gudensberg, buried St Elisabethkirche, Marburg;
7. Friedrich, born 7 March 1398, died 25 November 1402 at Spangenberg;
8. Ludwig III, born 6 February 1402 Spangenberg, succeeded his father as Landgrave.

Death and burial

Hermann II died 10 June 1413 according to most sources accessed; ^[9] the Wikipedia articles states he died 24 May 1413 but there are no references cited and it is difficult to judge whether this is a mistake or a valid alternate date.

He was buried at St Elisabethkirche, Marburg.

Sources

1. ↑ Cawley, Heinemeyer & Schwennicke have this date, Wikipedia has 1341 and 1345, Brenner about 1340
2. ↑ This is in the Wikipedia article, without a reference, but not in any other source accessed
3. ↑ Cawley; Schwennicke
4. ↑ Schwennicke; Wikipedia (English & German)
5. ↑ German Wikipedia
6. ↑ Cawley; Schwennicke; Wikpedia (only German Wikipedia mentions Trier
7. ↑ Details from Brenner, p. 164; Cawley; Schwennicke, unless otherwise indicated
8. ↑ Schwennicke has born 18 October 1396, possibly at Kassel, as does Cawley, though he doesn't name a source; Brenner, p. 109 has possibly 13 October at Kassel
9. ↑ Brenner, p. 109; Cawley; Heinemeyer; Schwennicke

• Brenner, S. Otto. Nachkommen Gorms Des Alten. DK 2800 Lyngby: Danks Historisk Haandbogsforlag, 1978.

• Cawley, Charles, 'Hessen', version 3.0, 12 June 2014, Medieval Lands: A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families, (http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/Hessen.htm : accessed 21 March 2015).

• Heinemeyer, Walter, ‘Hermann II Der Gelehrte’, Neue Deutsche Biographie, 1969, pp. 633–34 (http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/ppn137946635.html : accessed 21 March 2015)

• ‘Hermann II, Landgrave of Hesse’, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 9 June 2014 (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hermann_II,_Landgrave_of_Hesse&oldid=612192139 : accessed 21 March 2015).

• ‘Hermann II. (Hessen)’, Wikipedia, die freie Enzyklopädie, 25 October 2014 (http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hermann_II._(Hessen)&oldid=135198015 : accessed 21 March 2015).

• Schwennicke, Detlev, (ed.), Europäische Stammtafeln: Premysliden, Askanier, Herzoge von Lothringen, Di Häuser Hessen, Württemberg Und Zähringen', Neue folge, 1.2, Tafel 239, Frankfurt am Main: Vittorio Klostermann, 1999.

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