Charles II of Wurtemberg

Charles II Eugene of Wurtemberg , born the February 11th 1728 with Brussels, deceased the October 24th 1793 with Hohenheim, was duke of Wurtemberg and count de Montbéliard of 1737 with 1793.

It was elder wire of Charles-Alexandre of Wurtemberg and Marie-Auguste von Thurn und Taxis.

He married in 1748 Elisabeth de Brandebourg-Bayreuth (1732 - 1780), (girl of Frederic de Brandebourg-Bayreuth) which he divorced in 1754, (House of Hohenzollern)

A child was born from this union:

Frederique of Wurtemberg (1750 - 1751)

In 1785, Charles II of Wurtemberg married Francoise von Hohenheim, (without posterity).

Biography

Charles-Eugene succeeded his father in 1737. Being only nine years old, it was put under supervision of his mother and the duke Charles-Rodolphe of Wurtemberg, his more close relative. Declared major by the Emperor Joseph Ier, Charles-Eugene took in hand his states of Wurtemberg and the Principality. Incompetent to face in France, it gave up the sovereign rights of his house on all the seigniories which depended on the county of Montbeliard. He concludes with Versailles the May 10th 1748 with the king from France a treaty in these terms:

the king of France grants the lifting of the sequestration put of its share in 1723 on the Grounds of Héricourt, Châtelot, Blamont and Clémont and on the seigniories of Barns, Clerval and Gangway located in Franche-Comté, as on those of Horbourg and of Riquewihr, located in Alsace, coming all from the succession of prince Léopold-Eberhard, and it grants to the duke of Wurtemberg, to count de Montbéliard, the possession full and whole of the nine historical seigniories to hold them and enjoy it with their rights and prerogatives. On his side the duke of Wurtemberg, for him and his successors recognize the sovereignty of king de France, on all the grounds and seigniories having belonged to his house, and it is committed to lend or be making lend by duly authorized officers, faith and homage to the king. In addition, the king grants the maintenance of the tolerance of the Protestant religion in the Four Grounds where she is professed, heard that all that would be done of opposite to the principle of this tolerance would be illicit.

The Four Grounds, Héricourt, Châtelot, Blamont and Clémont were joined together in France. In this moment, the Principality was reduced to shagreen; it counted nothing any more but 56 localities. The duke Charles-Eugene of Wurtemberg thus made lend to Besancon by a manager, oath with the king for the seigniories located in Franche-Comté, as it did it with Colmar for the seigniories of Horbourg and Riquewihr located in Alsace. From now on, all the dependences and strongholds having belonged to the house of Wurtemberg without restriction under the administration of France, therefore were disengaged from the Holy roman Empire.

In compensation, the duke recovered his rights and seigneuriaux incomes of the grounds of Héricourt, Châtelot, Blamont and Clémont, like those of the other grounds mentioned in the treaty. Under the terms of the treaty of 1748, France should also have returned the castle of Blamont to him; it kept it between its hands because it considered it likely by its position, to be an important military station.

In this time, the landscape of Montbeliard changed; with the disappearance of the ramparts which had been demolished 75 years earlier, of new streets, new masonries were born. Part of the castle was renovated on the initiative of the baron de Gemmingen, governor of the Principality; it made rebuild the antique Châtel-Behind.

But the way of life of Charles-Eugene, duke of Wurtemberg and count de Montbéliard was enormous. Constantly involved in debt, it made loans near obliging characters. Mister " de" Voltaire, man of letters, good so philosophical and extremely advised courtier but in businesses, made him a considerable loan of money. Charles-Eugene who cannot honor his debts, failed well to offer the to him Château of Montbeliard in compensation. Voltaire died in 1778 before the prince cannot sponge the remainder of his debts.

In July 1769, the city saw the arrival of the prince Frederic-Eugene of Wurtemberg, younger brother of the reigning prince. Since the death of Léopold-Eberhard in 1723, none the family members of Wurtemberg had come to reside at Montbeliard (German Mömpelgard). Also, enthusiasm was large when it settled with the castle with his children. This prince, as the family tradition required it, had been useful in the Prussian army, and he had married in 1735 the niece of the king Frederic II, Dorothée-Sophie, girl of the margrave Frederic-Guillaume de Brandebourg-Schwedt. The couple had twelve children, eight boys and four girls. It was going later to be named “Staathalter” (governor) with life of the Principality by his brother.

Charles II Eugene of Wurtemberg belonged to the elder branch of the Maison of Wurtemberg.

Sources

the Novel of a Principality , D. Seigneur. Editions Cêtre - Besancon.

Internal bonds

List of the counts de Montbéliard
List of the dukes of Wurtemberg

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