Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
| Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg | |
|---|---|
Frederick II of Hesse-Homburg, about 1670
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| Spouse(s) |
Margarethe Brahe Louise Elisabeth of Courland Sophie Sybille of Leiningen-Westerburg |
| Noble family | House of Hesse |
| Father | Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg |
| Mother | Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg |
| Born |
30 March 1633 Homburg |
| Died | 23 January 1708 (aged 74) Homburg |
Frederick II of Hesse-Homburg (German: Friedrich II. von Hessen-Homburg), also known as the Prince of Homburg (30 March 1633–24 January 1708) was Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. He was also a successful and experienced general for the crowns of both Sweden and of Brandenburg, but is best remembered as the eponymous hero of Heinrich von Kleist's play Der Prinz von Homburg.
Frederick was born in Homburg (the present Bad Homburg vor der Höhe), the seventh and youngest child of Landgrave Frederick I of Hesse-Homburg, who died in 1638, leaving the children to be brought up under the care of their mother, Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg.
At his mother's wish Frederick was educated by private tutors together with the sons of his cousin, George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, in Marburg. In 1648 he broke his leg and spent some time convalescing in Bad Pfäfers.
When Field-Marshal Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne, appeared in the vicinity, Frederick was sent by his mother to conduct negotiations for the safety of Homburg. Turenne found the prince so engaging that he wanted to take him straight away into his army and to pay for his military education. Frederick's mother however opposed the idea, and it came to nothing.
At the age of 16 he made the Grand Tour through Italy and France, and was then signed up as a student at the University of Geneva, although he did not follow a real course of academic study: he learned dancing, riding and fencing, and polished his knowledge of the French language.
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