William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

William VIII (10 March 1682 – 1 February 1760) ruled the German Landgraviate Hesse-Kassel from 1730 until his death, first as regent (1730–1751) and then as landgrave (1751–1760).

William VIII
Portrait of William VIII with the Order of the White Eagle, 1729 (Royal Castle in Warsaw)
Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Reign	5 April 1751 – 1 February 1760
Predecessor	Frederick I
Successor	Frederick II
Born	10 March 1682 Kassel
Died	1 February 1760 (aged 77) Rinteln
Burial	St Martin's Church, Kassel
Spouse	Dorothea Wilhelmina of Saxe-Zeitz
Issue	Charles Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Maria Amalia
House	Hesse
Father	Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Mother	Maria Amalia of Courland
Religion	Calvinism

Life

Born in Kassel, he was the seventh son of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Maria Amalia of Courland. After his elder brother Frederick became King of Sweden in 1720 and his father died in 1730, he became de facto ruler of Hesse-Kassel. He officially became landgrave after his brother's death on 25 March 1751.

Five years later, the Seven Years' War began and William joined with the Prussian and British forces. Hesse-Kassel became an important battlefield and was occupied by France on several occasions. He had a deep, personal friendship with Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, and Roman-German emperor Charles VII.

His second son and successor, Frederick, became a Catholic, which led to restrictions on Catholicism in the Calvinist landgraviate and the transfer of the Principality of Hanau to his Protestant grandson William.

During his reign, William started building Schloss Wilhelmsthal in Calden and collected paintings, including works by Rembrandt.

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  Schloss Wilhelmsthal

Family

In 1717, William married Dorothea Wilhelmina (20 March 1691 – 17 March 1743), eldest daughter of Maurice William, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz.
They had three children: Charles (21 August 1718 – 17 October 1719); Frederick, his successor; and Maria Amalia (7 July 1721 – 19 November 1744). He died at Rinteln in 1760.

Ancestry

Ancestors of William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

16. Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 8. William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 17. Agnes of Solms-Laubach 4. William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 18. Philip Louis II, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg 9. Countess Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg 19. Catherine-Belgica of Orange-Nassau 2. Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 20. John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg 10. George William, Elector of Brandenburg 21. Anna of Prussia 5. Margravine Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg 22. Frederick IV, Elector Palatine 11. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate 23. Louise Juliana of Nassau 1. William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel 24. Gotthard Kettler, Duke of Courland 12. Wilhelm Kettler, Duke of Courland 25. Anna of Mecklenburg 6. Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland 26. Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia 13. Duchess Sophie of Prussia 27. Marie Eleonore of Cleves 3. Maria Amalia of Courland 28. John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg (= 20) 14. George William, Elector of Brandenburg (= 10) 29. Anna of Prussia (= 21) 7. Margravine Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg 30. Frederick IV, Elector Palatine (= 22) 15. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (= 11) 31. Louise Juliana of Nassau (= 23)

References

• Hugo Brunner (1898), "Wilhelm VIII.", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) (in German), 43, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 60–64
• Reinhard Dietrich (1996) (in German). Die Landesverfassung in dem Hanauischen = Hanauer Geschichtsblätter 34. Hanau. ISBN 3-9801933-6-5
• Bernhard Schnackenburg (2000) (in German). Landgraf Wilhelm VIII. von Hessen-Kassel, Gründer der Kasselerer Gemäldegalerie. In: Heide Wunder (Ed.): Kassel im 18. Jahrhundert. Kassel. S. 71–87.
• Wolf von Both/Hans Vogt (Ed.) (1964) (in German). Landgraf Wilhelm VIII. von Hessen-Kassel. Ein Fürst der Rokokozeit = Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Hessen und Waldeck, Bd. 27,1/ Schriften zur Hessischen Kulturgeschichte, Bd. 1. Munich.
• Franz Carl Theodor Piderit (1844) (in German). Geschichte der Haupt- und Residenzstadt Kassel S. 304 ff.