Person

Frederick William, Elector of Hesse

1802–1875 · 19th century · Also known as Frederick William I of Hesse-Kassel

Frederick William I was the last Elector of Hesse, co-regent from 1831 and sole ruler from 1847 to 1866. His quarrel with the Hessian parliament over the constitution of 1831, pursued through his minister Hassenpflug, led to the crisis of 1850 that nearly brought war between Prussia and Austria. Siding with Austria in 1866, he lost his throne when Prussia annexed the electorate.

Frederick William, Elector of Hesse
Image: Unidentified painter · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Electorate of Hesse

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Frederick William, Elector of Hesse. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-william-elector-of-hesse
MLA
“Frederick William, Elector of Hesse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-william-elector-of-hesse. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Frederick William, Elector of Hesse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-william-elector-of-hesse.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Frederick William, Elector of Hesse’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-william-elector-of-hesse (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻