Ferdinand Kettler
| Ferdinand Kettler | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Courland and Semigallia | |
 |
|
| Reign | 1730–1737 |
| Predecessor | Friedrich Wilhelm Kettler |
| Successor | Ernst Johann Biron |
| Spouse(s) | Johanna Magdalene of Saxe-Weissenfels |
| Father | Jacob Kettler |
| Mother | Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg |
| Born |
1 November 1655 Mitau, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia |
| Died | 4 May 1737 (aged 81) Danzig, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Ferdinand Kettler (November 1, 1655 - May 4, 1737) was the Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1730 to 1737.
He was the son of Jacob Kettler and Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg and married Johanna Magdalene of Saxe-Weissenfels in 1730.
Ferdinand Kettler was born on November 1, 1655, in Jelgava, Latvia. He and his family, who had been held captive by the Swedes in Riga. They were moved to Ivangorod, then part of Swedish Ingermanland and held there between 1658 and 1660.
After the death of his father, Jacob Kettler, in 1682, the duchy passed to Ferdinand's older brother, Frederick Casimir Kettler. Frederick was in the Polish army, where he reached the rank of Lieutenant-General and participated in many battles against the Ottoman Empire. After Frederick's death in 1698, his widow and Ferdinand became guardians of the minor, Friedrich Wilhelm, and ruled the duchy in his name.
When the Great Northern War started in 1700, Ferdinand Kettler fought in battles near Riga. After his defeat in the Battle of Daugava, he fled to Danzig, where he stayed until his death. The council of the duchy (Landtag) under Swedish occupation refused to recognize Ferdinand as duke.
Meanwhile, Friedrich Wilhelm had married Anna of Russia. When Friedrich died, he left Kettler as the last heir to the throne of Courland from the House of Kettler. However, Kettler was reluctant to return and the duchy was instead ruled by Anna of Russia, who acted as regent. In 1725, the Council of the Duchy elected Maurice de Saxe as the new duke. However, he soon left Courland because of friction with the Russian imperial administration.
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