Louise Elisabeth von Kurland

Louise Elisabeth of Courland (12 August 1646 in Jelgava – 16 December 1690 in Weferlingen) was a princess of Courland from the Ketteler family by birth and by marriage Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg.

Louise Elisabeth was a daughter of Duke Jacob of Courland (1610-1662) from his marriage to Charlotte Louise (1617-1676), eldest daughter of Elector George William of Brandenburg.

On 23 October 1670 in Cölln, she married the later Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Homburg, the famous Prince of Homburg.

Frederick had converted to the Calvinist faith for the sake of their marriage.

This conversion brought him into closer relations with the princely houses in Brandenburg and Hesse-Kassel, who were also Calvinist.

Louise Elisabeth's sister Maria Amalia married Landgrave Charles of Hesse-Kassel in 1673. Louise Elizabeth was a niece of Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg.

This relationship allowed Frederick to join the Prussian army and become commander of all the troops of the Electorate only two years later, in 1672.

The Calvinist Louise Elisabeth played a significant role in the settlement of displaced Huguenots and Waldenses in Friedrichsdorf and Dornholzhausen in as well as in the formation of Calvinist congregations in Weferlingen and Bad Homburg.

Issue

• Charlotte (1672-1738), married in 1694 Duke John Ernest III of Saxe-Weimar (1664-1707)

• Frederick III James (1673-1746), Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, married

  1. in 1700 with Princess Elisabeth Dorothea of Hesse-Darmstadt (1676-1721)

  2. in 1728 with Princess Christiane Charlotte of Nassau-Ottweiler (1685-1761)

• Charles Christian (1674-1695), killed during the Siege of Namur

• Hedwig Louise (1675-1760), married in 1718 Count Adam Frederick of Schlieben (1677-1752)

• Philip (1676-1703), killed in the Battle of Speyerbach

• Wilhelmina Maria (1678-1770), married in 1711 Count Anton II of Aldenburg (1681-1738)

• Eleanor Margaret (1679-1763)

• Elisabeth Franziska (1681-1707), married in 1702 Prince Frederick William Adolf of Nassau-Siegen (1680-1722)

• Johanna Ernestine (1682-1698)

• Ferdinand (1683-1683)

• Charles Ferdinand (1684-1688)

• Casimir William (1690-1726), married in 1722 Countess Christine Charlotte of Solms-Braunfels (1690-1751)