Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg

Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg (11 February 1728 – 24 October 1793) was the eldest son of Duke Karl I Alexander and Maria Augusta Anna of Thurn and Taxis (11 August, 1706 – 1 February, 1756).

Maternal ancestry

His maternal grandparents were Anselm Franz, Fürst of Thurn und Taxis (30 January, 1681 – 8 November, 1739) and Maria Ludovika Anna von Lobkowicz (20 October, 1683 – 20 January, 1750). Maria Ludovika was daughter of Ferdinand August Leopold von Lobkowicz zu Saganand Maria Anna Wilhelmine of Baden-Baden.

Maria Anna was a daughter of Wilhelm, Marquess of Baden-Baden (1593 - 1677) and Maria Magdalena von Oetingen-Baldern (c. 1619 - 1688). Her paternal grandparents were Edward Fortunatus of Baden (1565 - 1600) and Maria, Baroness of Eicken (c. 1569 - 1636).

Edward was a son of Christoph, Marquess of Baden-Rodemachern (1537 - 1575) and Cecilia of Sweden. (1540 - 1627).

Life

Born in Brussels, he succeeded his father as ruler of Württemberg at the age of 9. He was educated at the court of Frederick II of Prussia. In the Seven Years' War against Prussia Karl Eugen advanced into Saxony.de icon Brockhaus Geschichte Second Edition] He ruled until his death in 1793, when he was succeeded by his younger brother.

He was an early patronFact|date=October 2007 of Friedrich Schiller. In 1765, Karl Eugen founded a public library in Ludwigsburg (now the Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart) and was responsible for the construction of a number of other key palaces and buildings in the area including the New Palace which still stands at the centre of Schlossplatz, Castle Solitude and Castle Hohenheim.

Karl Eugen married twice, first to Elisabeth Fredericka Sophie of Brandenburg-Bayreuth with whom he had one daughter who died after 13 months. Elisabetha left Karl Eugen in 1756 to return to her parents' court in Bayreuth although they never divorced. In the meantime Karl Eugen had fathered 11 children through a string of "mistresses", the last of whom, Franziska of Hohenheim he raised to the status of Countess. She became his second wife in 1785.

Karl Eugen was known for his interest in agriculture and travel and is considered the inspiration behind today's Hohenheim university.

In his early years he ruled with an iron fist. For example in 1744 he ordered that the corpse of his father's executed financial advisor - Joseph Süß Oppenheimer - be suspended in an iron cage as a warning to others. The decaying corpse was suspended by Stuttgart's Prag gallows for six years.

Karl Eugen died in Hohenheim.

References