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Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (May 25, 1572, Kassel - March 15, 1632 Eschwege) was the ruler of Kassel in Germany from 1592 to 1627.
Maurice was the son of William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and of his wife Sabine of Württemberg.
On September 23, 1593 Maurice married Agnes of Solms-Laubach (died November 23, 1602). They had one son:
- William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
On May 22, 1603 Maurice married Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg.
Although Maurice had been raised in the Lutheran faith, he converted to Calvinism in 1605. On the principle Cuius regio eius religio, Maurice's subjects were also required to convert to Calvinism. Maurice's conversion was controversial since the Peace of Augsburg had only settled religious matters betweens Catholics and Lutherans and had not considered Calvinists. Maurice tried to introduce Calvinism to the lands which he had inherited from the extinct Hesse-Marburg branch of his family. Such a change of faith was contrary to the inheritance rules and resulted in an ongoing conflict with the Hesse-Darmstadt branch. It also brought him into conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor Matthias.
Maurice's actions ruined Hesse-Kassel financially. In 1627 he abdicated in favour of his son William V.