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County of Nassau-Usingen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1659–1806 | |||||||
 Flag | |||||||
| Status |
| ||||||
| Capital | Usingen | ||||||
| Government | County/Principality | ||||||
| Count/Prince | |||||||
• 1659-1702 | Walrad(first) | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | 1659 | ||||||
• Became principality | 1688 | ||||||
• Joined the Confederation of the Rhine | July 17, 1806 | ||||||
• Inherited byNassau-Weilberg to form theDuchy of Nassau | August 30, 1806 | ||||||
| Currency | Guilder | ||||||
| |||||||
| Today part of | Germany | ||||||
Nassau-Usingen was acounty of theHoly Roman Empire in theUpper Rhenish Circle that became aprincipality in 1688.
The origin of the county lies in the medieval county of Weilnau that was acquired by the counts ofNassau-Weilburg in 1602. That county was divided in 1629 into the lines ofNassau-Weilburg,Nassau-Idstein andNassau-Saarbrücken. However, the division became effective only thirty years later, in 1659.
The emerging counties were Nassau-Saarbrücken,Nassau-Ottweiler and Nassau-Usingen. At the beginning of the 18th century, three of the Nassau lines died out and Nassau-Usingen became their successor (1721 Nassau-Idstein, 1723 Nassau-Ottweiler und 1728 Nassau-Saarbrücken). In 1735, Nassau-Usingen was divided again into Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Saarbrücken. In 1797, Nassau-Usingen inherited Nassau-Saarbrücken.
On July 17, 1806, the counties of Nassau-Usingen andNassau-Weilburg joined theConfederation of the Rhine. Under pressure fromNapoleon, both counties merged to become theDuchy of Nassau on August 30, 1806, under joint rule of Prince Frederick August of Nassau-Usingen and his younger cousinPrince Frederick William of Nassau-Weilburg. As Frederick August had no heirs, he agreed that Frederick William should become sole ruler after his death. However, Frederick William died from a fall on the stairs atSchloss Weilburg on 9 January 1816, and it was his sonWilliam who became duke of a unified Nassau.
The title has been carried in pretense by Prince Frederick August's half-brother Karl Philip's line.
| Ruler | Born | Reign | Ruling part | Consort | Death | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walrad |  | 25 February 1635 Roermond Seventh son ofWilliam Louis, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken andAnna Amalia of Baden-Durlach | 1659 – 17 October 1702 | County of Usingen (1659–88) Principality of Usingen (1688–1702) | Catherine Françoise of Croÿ-Roeulx 16 June 1678 Mechelen three children Magdalena Elizabeth of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort 1686 no children | 17 October 1702 Usingen aged 66 | |
| William Henry |  | 2 May 1684 's-Hertogenbosch Son ofWalrad andCatherine Françoise of Croÿ-Roeulx | 17 October 1702 – 14 February 1718 | Principality of Usingen | Charlotte Amalia of Nassau-Dillenburg 15 April 1706 Dillenburg nine children | 14 February 1718 Usingen aged 33 | |
| Regency ofCharlotte Amalia of Nassau-Dillenburg (1718–1734) | Charles was the only heir, but in 1741 he divided the inheritance, and gave Saarbrücken to his brother (raised as a principality), and retained Usingen. | ||||||
| Charles |  | 31 December 1712 Usingen First son ofWilliam Henry, Prince of Nassau-Usingen andCharlotte Amalia of Nassau-Dillenburg | 14 February 1718 – 21 June 1775 | Principality of Usingen | Christine Wilhelmine of Saxe-Eisenach 26 December 1734 four children Magdalene Gross of Wiesbaden after 1740 (morganatic) four children | 21 June 1775 Biebrich aged 62 | |
| Charles William |  | 9 November 1735 Usingen First son ofCharles andChristina Wilhelmina of Saxe-Eisenach | 21 June 1775 – 17 May 1803 | Principality of Usingen | Caroline Felizitas of Leiningen-Dagsburg 16 April 1760 one child | 17 May 1803 Biebrich aged 67 | Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother. |
| In 1783, the heads of various branches of the House of Nassau sealed theNassau Family Pact (Erbverein) to regulate future succession in their states, and to establish a dynastic hierarchy whereby the Prince of Orange-Nassau-Dietz was recognised as President of the House of Nassau.[1] | |||||||
| Frederick Augustus | .jpg) | 23 April 1738 Usingen Second son ofCharles andChristine Wilhelmine of Saxe-Eisenach | 17 May 1803 – 24 March 1816 | Principality of Usingen | Louise of Waldeck 9 June 1775 seven children | 24 March 1816 Wiesbaden aged 77 | |
| 30 August 1806 – 24 March 1816 | Duchy of Nassau | ||||||
| Nassau-Usingen united withNassau-Weilburg to form theDuchy of Nassau | |||||||
