George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

George II of Hesse-Darmstadt, German: Georg II von Hessen-Darmstadt (17 March 1605 – 11 June 1661) was the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1626 to 1661.

George II
Posthumous portrait, 1666
Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Reign	27 July 1626 – 11 June 1661
Predecessor	Louis V
Successor	Louis VI
Born	17 March 1605 Darmstadt
Died	11 June 1661 (aged 56) Darmstadt
Spouse	Sophia Eleonore of Saxony ​ ​ (m. 1627)​
Issue Detail	Louis VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Princess Magdalena Sybilla George III, Landgrave of Hesse-Itter Sophia Eleonore, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg Elisabeth Amalie, Electress Palatine Louise Christine, Countess of Stolberg-Stolberg Anna Sophia II, Abbess of Quedlinburg Henrica Dorothea, Countess of Waldeck-Landau Princess Augusta Philippina Marie Hedwig, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen
House	Hesse-Darmstadt
Father	Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Mother	Magdalene of Brandenburg

Early life and ancestry

Born into the House of Hesse, George was the eldest son of Ludwig V and his wife, Magdalene of Brandenburg.

Biography

On 1 April 1627 in Torgau, he married Sophia Eleonore of Saxony. Together, they had 15 children, three sons and twelve daughters.

From 1645 to 1648 he led the Hessenkrieg against the Landgravine Amalie Elizabeth of Hesse-Kassel over the inheritance of the extinct line of Hesse-Marburg. This conflict resulted in the loss of Hesse-Marburg to Hesse-Kassel.

Children

• Louis VI (1630–1678), married Maria Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
• Magdalena Sybilla (3 September 1631 – 5 August 1651), never married
• George (1632–1676), married Duchess Dorothea Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
• Sophia Eleonore (1634–1663), married Landgrave William Christoph of Hesse-Homburg
• Elisabeth Amalie (1635–1709), married Philip William, Elector Palatine
• Louise Christine (15 January 1636 – 11 November 1697), married Christoph Ludwig I, Count of Stolberg-Stolberg and had issue.
• Anna Maria (9 February 1637 – 21 April 1637), died young
• Anna Sophia II, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg (1638–1683)
• Amalia Juliana (28 November 1639– 20 December 1639), died young
• Stillborn daughter (1640)
• Henrica Dorothea (14 October 1641 – 22 December 1672), married Count John II of Waldeck-Landau
• John (24 November 1642 – 22 February 1643), died young
• Augusta Philippina (29 December 1643 – 4 February 1672), never married.
• Agnes (11 November 1645 – 12 November 1645), died young
• Marie Hedwig (1647–1680), married Duke Bernhard I of Saxe-Meiningen

References

• Georg II., Landgraf von Hessen-Darmstadt (Biography in German) Archived 2012-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
• Wikisource: Allgemeine Deutsch Biographie "Georg II. (Landgraf von Hesse-Darmstadt)" (in German)