Margraves of Baden - History

History

During Middle Ages, the Duchy of Swabia was ruled by various counts and dukes, prominent among whom were the House of Zähringen. In 1112, Herman II, son of Herman I and grandson of Berthold II, was the first to be called Margrave, and from this date the separate history of Baden may be said to begin. He ruled the area around Baden-Baden, by a balance of power between the House of Zähringen and the House of Hohenstaufen inside the Duchy of Swabia he inherited the March of Verona from his father — in conjunction with the new center of power, the Hodenhagen Castle in Baden-Baden.

The original center of power in the middle Neckar around Backnang, Besigheim and the newly acquired territories in the Upper Rhine until 1219 could be connected with the acquisition of Pforzheim from the heritage of Henry V. His son and grandson, both named Hermann, added to their territories, which about 1200 were divided, and the lines of Baden-Baden and Baden-Hochberg were founded, the latter of which was divided about a century later into the branches of Baden-Hochberg and Baden-Sausenberg.

In the 12th and 13 Century were the supporters of the Baden House of Hohenstaufen, between Backnang and Stuttgart, Karlsruhe area, in the Murg and in Breisgau took place the territorial expansion of the Margraviate. The family of Baden-Baden was very successful in increasing the area of its possessions, which after several divisions were united by the margrave Bernard I. in 1391. Bernard, a soldier of some renown, continued the work of his predecessors, and obtained other districts, including Baden-Hochberg, the ruling family of which died out in 1418. From 1190 there was a Markgrafen of Hachberg, which was bought back in 1415 by Bernard I, Margrave of Baden-Baden, but without the Markgrafen of Hachberg-Sausenberg country rule, which was only in 1503 come back to the main line. Important for the consolidation of the marquisate was the acquisition of half of the dominions Lahr and Mahlberg in 1442, creating a link has been obtained between the southern part of the Breisgau and the northern area around Baden-Baden. The late Middle Ages saw the development of through to Baden princely territorial state (administration, finance), Baden became an important territory between the House of Habsburg possessions in Breisgau and Ortenau and the Duchy of Württemberg.

During the 15th century a war with the Count Palatine of the Rhine deprived Margrave Charles I (d. 1475) of a part of his territories, but these losses were more than repaired by his son and successor, Christopher I In 1503 the family of Baden-Sausenberg became extinct, and the whole of Baden was united by Christopher, who divided it, however, before his death in 1527 among his three sons. One of these died childless in 1533, and in 1535 his remaining sons, Bernard and Ernest, having shared their brother's territories, made a fresh division and founded the lines of Baden-Baden and Baden-Pforzheim, called Baden-Durlach after 1565. Further divisions followed, and the weakness caused by these partitions was accentuated by a rivalry between the two main branches of the family. This culminated in open warfare, and from 1584 to 1622 Baden-Baden was in the possession of one of the princes of Baden-Durlach. Religious differences added to this rivalry. During the period of the Reformation some of the rulers of Baden adhered to the older and some adopted the newer faith, and the house was similarly divided during the Thirty Years' War. Baden suffered severely during this struggle, and both branches of the family were exiled in turn. The treaty of Westphalia in 1648 restored the status quo, and the family rivalry gradually died out. During the wars of the reign of Louis XIV, the margraviate was ravaged by the French troops, and the margrave of Baden-Baden, Louis William (d. 1707), was prominent among the soldiers who resisted the aggressions of France. In 1771 Augustus George of Baden-Baden died without sons, and his territories passed to Charles Frederick of Baden-Durlach, who thus became ruler of the whole of Baden.

Although in 1771 Baden was united under a single ruler it did not form a compact territory, and its total area was only about 1350 sq. m. Consisting of a number of isolated districts lying on either bank of the upper Rhine, it was the work of Charles Frederick to acquire the intervening stretches of land, and so to give territorial unity to his country. Beginning to reign in 1738 and coming of age in 1746, this prince is the most notable of the rulers of Baden. He was interested in the development of agriculture and commerce; sought to improve education and the administration of justice, and was in general a wise and liberal ruler. His opportunity for territorial aggrandizement came during the Napoleonic wars. When war broke out between France and Austria in 1792 the Badenese fought for Austria; consequently their country was devastated and in 1796 the margrave was compelled to pay an indemnity, and to cede his territories on the left bank of the Rhine to France. Fortune, however, soon returned to his side. In 1803, largely owing to the good offices of Alexander I., emperor of Russia, he received the bishopric of Constance, part of the Rhenish Palatinate, and other smaller districts, together with the dignity of a prince elector.