Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
| Louis IX | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt | |
| Reign | 12 October 1768 – 6 April 1790 |
| Predecessor | Louis VIII |
| Successor | Louis X |
| Born | 15 December 1719 Darmstadt |
| Died | 6 April 1790 (aged 70) Pirmasens |
| Spouses | Marie Adelaide of Cheirouze, Countess of Lemberg
(m. 1775) |
| Issue | |
| House | Hesse-Darmstadt |
| Father | Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt |
| Mother | Countess Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg |
Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt (German: Ludwig) (15 December 1719 – 6 April 1790) was Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1768 to 1790.
After his military service in the army of Frederick the Great, Louis was involved in freemasonry and interested theosophy and alchemy. He corresponded with Emanuel Swedenborg in 1771, as Swedonborg hoped that Louis would take over leadership of Swedish Rite freemasonry in Germany.[1]
As of 2025, Louis, along with his wife Caroline, are the most recent common ancestors of all currently reigning hereditary monarchs in Europe.
Early life
Louis IX was born in Darmstadt on 15 December 1719 to Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg and Müntzenberg.
Biography
His main residence was his palace in Pirmasens, Schloss Pirmasens.
Personal life
On 12 August 1741, Louis married Caroline, daughter of Christian III, Duke of Zweibrücken. They had three sons and five daughters, including:
- Princess Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt (1746–1821), married Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
- Princess Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (1751–1805), married King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and became Queen of Prussia
- Prince Louis X (1753–1830), later Grand Duke Louis I, married his first cousin Princess Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt
- Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1754–1832), married her first cousin Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden
- Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hessen-Darmstadt (1755–1776), married Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich of Russia, later emperor
- Princess Luise Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt (1757–1830), married Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- Prince Frederick (10 June 1759 – 11 March 1802) Never married and had no issue.
- Prince Christian of Hesse-Darmstadt (1763–1830)
- A stillborn son on 3 May 1742
In 1775, Louis IX married Marie Adelaide of Cheirouze, countess of Lemberg. On 6 April 1790, Louis died in Pirmasens.[2]
Additionally Louis had an extramarital son with Ernestine Rosine Doll:
- Ernest Louis von Hessenzeig (10 November 1761 - 22 December 1774) Died young.
Ancestry
| Ancestors of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt[3] |
|---|
See also
- John William Friso and Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel – Most recent common ancestors of all reigning hereditary European monarchs from the end of World War II until 2022
- Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel – Common ancestors of many reigning hereditary European monarchs
References
- ^ Schuchard, Marsha Keith (2012). Emanuel Swedenborg, secret agent on earth and in heaven: Jacobites, Jews, and Freemasons in early modern Sweden. Leiden Boston: Brill. p. 719. ISBN 9789004183124. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Burke, John (1831). The Official Kalendar, by J. Burke.
- ^ Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 68.
External links
Media related to Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt at Wikimedia Commons- Wikisource: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie "Ludwig (Landgraf von Hessen-Darmstadt)" (in German)
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