List of rulers of Hesse

This is a list of rulers of Hesse (Hessen) during the history of Hesse on west-central Germany. These rulers belonged to a dynasty collectively known as the House of Hesse and the House of Brabant, originally the Reginar. Hesse was ruled as a Landgraviate, Electorate and later as a Grand duchy until 1918.

The title of all of the following rulers was "Landgrave" (Landgraf) unless otherwise noted.

Hesse, 1264–1458

 * Henry I the Child, 1264–1308
 * Otto the Elder, son of Henry I, 1308–1328 in Upper Hesse (Marburg), reunited Hesse in 1311
 * John, son of Henry I, 1308–1311 in Lower Hesse (Kassel)
 * Henry II the Iron, son of Otto I, 1328–1376
 * Louis the Junker, son of Otto I, 1336–1345 residing in Grebenstein
 * Herman I the Elder, son of Otto I, 1336–1370 residing in Nordeck
 * Otto the Younger, son of Henry II the Iron, co-regent 1340–1366
 * Hermann II the Learned, son of Louis the Junker, 1376–1413, co-regent since 1367
 * Louis I the Peaceful 1413–1458

Lower Hesse (Kassel), 1458–1500

 * Louis II the Frank, eldest son of Louis the Peaceful, 1458–1471
 * William I the Elder, son of Louis II, 1471–1493
 * William II the Middle, son of Louis II, 1493–1509, reunited Hesse in 1500

Upper Hesse (Marburg), 1458–1500

 * Henry III the Rich, younger son of Louis the Peaceful, 1458–1483
 * Louis III the Younger (died 1478)
 * William III the Younger, 1483–1500


 * 1500 reunited with Lower Hesse under William II

Hesse, 1500–1567

 * Philip I the Magnanimous, son of William II, 1509–1567. Eldest son William IV the Wise, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel; second son Louis IV Landgraves of Hesse-Marburg; third son Philip the Younger Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels; fourth son George I Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Hesse-Rotenburg, 1627–1834

 * Herman, third son of Maurice, 1627–1658
 * Ernest, fifth son of Maurice, 1658–1693
 * William, 1693–1725
 * Ernest Leopold, 1725–1749
 * Constantine, 1749–1778, inherited Eschwege in 1755
 * Emanuel, 1778–1806 (died 1812)


 * 1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse


 * Victor Amadeus, 1813–1834


 * 1834 extinct, reunited with Hesse-Kassel

Hesse-Eschwege, 1632-1655

 * Frederick, eighth son of Maurice, 1632–1655
 * 1655 extinct, fell to Hesse-Rotenburg

Hesse-Wanfried, ~1700–1755

 * Charles, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried-(Rheinfels) (1649–1711); sovereign ~1700–1711
 * William II, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried-(Rheinfels) (1671–1731); sovereign 1711–1731
 * Christian, Landgrave of Hesse-Wanfried-(Rheinfels) (1689–1755); sovereign 1731–1755


 * 1755 united with Hesse-Rotenburg

Hesse-Rheinfels, 1627–1658

 * Ernest, fifth son of Maurice, 1627–1658


 * 1658 united with Hesse-Rotenburg

Hesse-Philippsthal

 * Philip, son of William VI, 1663–1721
 * Charles I, 1721–1770
 * William, 1770–1806 (died 1810)


 * 1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse


 * Louis, 1813–1816
 * Ernest Constantine, 1816–1849
 * Charles II, 1849–1866


 * 1866 annexed by Prussia

Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld

 * William, son of Philip, 1721–1761
 * Frederick, 1761–1772
 * Adolph, 1772–1803
 * Charles, 1803–1806


 * 1806 annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1813 restored under the supremacy of the Elector of Hesse


 * Charles, 1813–1854 (restored)
 * Alexis, 1854–1866


 * 1866 annexed by Prussia

Hesse-Marburg, 1567–1604

 * 1604 extinct and disputed between Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt, 1648 divided between the two lines

Hesse-Rheinfels, 1567–1583

 * 1583 extinct and divided between Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Marburg and Hesse-Darmstadt

Hesse-Butzbach, 1609–1643

 * Philip III, second son of George I of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1609–1643

Hesse-Homburg, 1622–1866

 * Frederick I, third son of George I of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1622–1638
 * William Christoph, 1638–1681, sold Homburg to his brother George Christian in 1669, but retained Bingenheim (Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg-Bingenheim)
 * Margareta Elisabetha of Leiningen-Westerburg-Schaumburg, Regent 1638–1648
 * George Christian, 1669–1671 Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg


 * Under mortgage to two merchants (1671–1673) and the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt (1673–1679)


 * Frederick II, son of Fredrick I, 1679–1708, Commander general of the army of Brandenburg (The Prince of Homburg), redeemed Homburg in 1679, regained Bingenheim in 1681
 * Frederick III Jacob, 1708–1746, Cavalry general in the Netherlands
 * Frederick IV, 1746–1751
 * Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, 1751–1806
 * Ulrike Louise of Solms-Braunfels, Regent 1751–1766


 * 1806 Annexed by Hesse-Darmstadt, 1815 restored by the Congress of Vienna


 * Frederick V, 1815–1820 (restored)
 * Frederick VI, 1820–1829, Cavalry general in Austria
 * Louis William, 1829–1839, Infantry general in Prussia
 * Philip, 1839–1846, Field marshal in Austria
 * Gustav, 1846–1848, Cavalry general in Austria
 * Ferdinand, 1848–1866, Cavalry general in Austria


 * 1866 annexed by Prussia

Hesse-Braubach, 1625–1651

 * John, son of Louis V, 1626–1651

Hesse-Itter, 1661–1676

 * George III, second son of George II, 1661–1676

Electors of Hesse (-Kassel), 1803–1866

 * 1866 annexed by Prussia

Hesse-Kassel since 1866

 * Frederick William I, the former Elector, 1866–1875
 * Landgrave Frederick William II of Hesse-Kassel, 1875–1884, son of Prince William of Hesse-Kassel.
 * Landgrave Frederick William III of Hesse, 1884–1888
 * Landgrave Alexander Frederick, 1888–1925 (abdicated, d. 1945)
 * Landgrave Frederick Charles, 1925–1940, elected King of Finland with the name Fredrik Kaarle I in 1918 but renounced the throne the same year
 * Landgrave Philip, 1940–1980
 * Landgrave Moritz, 1980–2013
 * Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse (born 1966), 2013–present

Hesse-Philippsthal 1866-1925
1925 the Line of Hesse-Philippsthal became extinct
 * Charles II the former Landgrave, 1866–1868
 * Ernest 1868-1925

Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld since 1866, Hesse-Philippsthal since the extinction of the main line 1925

 * Alexis the former Landgrave, 1866–1905
 * Chlodwig 1905-1954, head of the house of Hesse-Philippsthal since 1925
 * Wilhelm 1954–present

Hesse-Darmstadt 1918–1968

 * Ernest Louis the former Grand Duke, 1918–1937
 * George Donatus 1937
 * Louis 1937–1968


 * In 1968 the Line of Hesse-Darmstadt became Hesse-Nassau and Hesse-Kassel (1969 - present)