 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(April 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Peter von Biron | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Courland and Semigallia | |
 Portrait byFriedrich Hartmann Barisien,c. 1782 | |
| Duke of Courland and Semigallia | |
| Reign | 1769–1795 |
| Predecessor | Ernst Johann von Biron |
| Successor | None |
| Born | (1724-02-15)15 February 1724 Mitau,Duchy of Courland and Semigallia |
| Died | 13 January 1800(1800-01-13) (aged 75) Gellenau Palace,Gellenau,Kingdom of Prussia |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| House | Biron |
| Father | Ernst Johann, Duke of Courland and Semigallia |
| Mother | Benigna Gottlieb von Trotha gt Treyden |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Peter von Biron (15 February 1724 – 13 January 1800) was the last duke ofCourland and Semigallia from 1769 to 1795, when it was annexed by theRussian Empire.
Peter was born inJelgava (German:Mitau) as the oldest son ofErnst Johann von Biron, future Duke of Courland, and his wifeBenigna von Trotha. From 1730 until 1740, he and his family lived inMoscow andSt. Petersburg, where his father was a lover and favorite ofAnna of Russia.
When he was 16 years old, he was forced to follow his family into their exile, first toTobolsk Governorate inSiberia, then from 1742 until 1762 inYaroslavl. In 1765, he marriedPrincess Caroline of Waldeck and Pyrmont, but the union produced only one son, who was stillborn, in 1766.
In 1769, he was given theDuchy of Courland and Semigallia by his father. However, he had acted asde facto duke for several years already. In 1770, he gave an oath to theCourland Knighthood. He was also elected aFellow of the Royal Society in 1771.[1]
In 1775, he founded theAcademia Petrina inJelgava. Hoping that the school would grow into a university, he addressedImmanuel Kant andJohann Gottfried Herder to become professors, but both refused.
In 1774, he marriedYevdokiya Yusupova, but the marriage was unsuccessful and they divorced in 1778. In 1779, he marriedDorothea von Medem, a marriage that produced 6 children. He was known to have been abusive to at least two of his wives.
He ceded the government of the duchy and then its territory to theRussian Empire in 1795, and received in return a highappanage. This helped him to buy and refurbish for his purposes a palace inBerlin's street ofUnter den Linden (Palais Kurland, bought in 1782). In 1785, he boughtthe park and palace inFriedrichsfelde (part of today'sTierpark Berlin), which he rebuilt in luxurious beauty.
In April 1786, he purchased the Duchy ofSagan from theBohemianLobkovic family, then additionally used the title of Duke of Żagań. In 1795, Russia determined the further fate of Courland when, with its allies, it began thethird division of Poland. Given a "nice recommendation" by Russia, Duke Peter von Biron gave up his rights to Russia. With the signing of the final document on 28 March 1795, the Duchy of Courland ceased to exist.
Five years later, after several months of illness, Peter died inGellenau. First, he was buried in anAugustinian abbey church, but in 1847, he was reburied in a Lutheran church inŻagań.
.jpg)
Peter married:
Media related toPeter von Biron at Wikimedia CommonsPeter von Biron Born: 15 February 1724 Died: 13 January 1800 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke of Courland 1769–1795 | Title abolished Duchy incorporated intoRussian Empire |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Loss of title | — TITULAR — Duke of Courland 1795–1800 | Succeeded by Charles II |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
