LIST OF DUKES OF COURLAND 1561-1795

 

DUCHY OF COURLAND AND SEMIGALLIA 1561-1795 (Polish fief):

HOUSE OF KETTLER (Kettlerowie)

1561-1587: GOTTHARD KETTLER (Gothards Ketlers)

Born in c. 1517 in Eggeringhausen near Soest, Westphalia.

Father: Gotthard Kettler. Mother: Sibylla Sophia von Nesselrode.

Married in 1566 in Königsberg (Królewiec) Princess ANNE of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (*1533,+1602).

His issue who reigned:

-FREDERICK (*1569,+1642),

-WILLIAM (*1574,+1640).

Died in 1587 in Jelgava (Mitawa).

Buried with his consort Duchess Anne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle.

 

 

1587-1642: FREDERICK (Fridrihs/Fryderyk/Friedrich; ruled together with his brother Duke William)

Born in 1569 in Jelgava (Mitawa), Courland.

Father: Duke Gotthard Kettler of Courland. Mother: Duchess Anne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Married in 1600 Princess ELIZABETH MAGDALEN of Pomerania (*1580 Wolgast,+1649).

Died in 1642 in Jelgava (Mitawa).

Buried with his consort Duchess Elizabeth Magdalen of Pomerania in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle.

 

 

1587-1617: WILLIAM (Vilhelms/Wilhelm; ruled together with his brother Duke Frederick)

Born in 1574 in Jelgava (Mitawa), Courland.

Father: Duke Gotthard Kettler of Courland. Mother: Duchess Anne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Married in 1609 in Königsberg (Królewiec) Princess ELIZABETH SOPHIA of Brandenburg-Prussia (*1582,+1610 Kuldīga).

His issue who reigned: JAMES (*1610,+1682).

Deposed in 1617 and exiled in various European countries.

Died in 1640 in Kukułowo Abbey, Pomerania.

Buried in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle in 1643.

His consort Duchess Elizabeth Sophia was firstly buried in the vault of Kuldīga Castle.

In 1643 she was reburied in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle.

 

 

1640-1681: JAMES (Jekabs/Jakub/Jacob)

Born in 1610 in Kuldiga (Goldynga), Courland.

Father: Duke William of Courland. Mother: Duchess Elizabeth Sophia of Brandenburg-Prussia.

Married in 1645 in Königsberg (Królewiec) Princess LOUISE CHARLOTTE of Brandenburg (*1617 Berlin,+1676 Jelgava).

His issue who reigned:

-FREDERICK CASIMIR (*1650,+1698),

-FERDINAND (*1655,+1737).

Died in 1681 in Jelgava (Mitawa).

Buried with his consort Duchess Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle.

 

 

1682-1698: FREDERICK CASIMIR (Fridrihs Kazimirs/Fryderyk Kazimierz/Friedrich Kasimir)

Born in 1650 in Jelgava (Mitawa), Courland.

Father: Duke James of Courland. Mother: Duchess Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg.

Married firstly in 1675 in The Hague SOPHIA AMALIA of Nassau-Siegen (*1650 Wisch, the Netherlands,+1688 Jelgava).

Married secondly in 1691 in Berlin Princess ELIZABETH SOPHIA of Brandenburg (*1674 Cölln,+1748 Römhild, Thuringia).

His issue who reigned: FREDERICK WILLIAM (*1692,+1711; son of Elizabeth Sophia).

Died in 1698 in Jelgava (Mitawa).

Buried with his first consort Duchess Sophia Amalia of Nassau-Siegen in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle.

His second consort Duchess Elizabeth Sophia of Brandenburg was buried in the Castle Church in Meiningen, Thuringia (no tomb).

 

 

1698-1711: FREDERICK WILLIAM (Fridrihs Vilhelms/Fryderyk Wilhelm/Friedrich Wilhelm)

Born in 1692 in Jelgava (Mitawa), Courland.

Father: Duke Frederick Casimir of Courland. Mother: Duchess Elizabeth Sophia of Brandenburg.

Married in 1710 in St Petersburg Princess ANNE of Russia (*1693 Moscow,+1740 St Petersburg).

Died in 1711 in Kippinghof near St Petersburg.

Buried in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle.

His consort Duchess Anna of Russia was buried in St Peter and Paul's Cathedral in St Petersburg.

 

 

1711-1730: ANNE (Anna Ioannovna; ruled with Duke Ferdinand. Later Empress of Russia)

Born in 1693 in Moscow.

Father: Czar Ivan V of Muscovy. Mother: Czarina Praskovia Saltykova.

Married in 1710 in St Petersburg Duke FREDERICK WILLIAM of Courland (*1692 Jelgava,+1711 Kippinghof).

She abdicated the throne of Courland when she became empress of Russia in 1730.

Died in 1740 in St Petersburg.

Buried in St Peter and Paul's Cathedral in St Petersburg.

 

 

1711-1737: FERDINAND (Ferdinands; ruled with Duchess Anna until 1730)

Born in 1655 in Jelgava (Mitawa), Courland.

Father: Duke James of Courland. Mother: Duchess Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg.

Married in 1730 in Gdańsk Princess JOHANNA MAGDALENA of Saxony-Weissenfels (*1708 Weissenfels,+1760 Leipzig).

Died in 1737 in Gdańsk, Poland.

He was firstly buried in St Anne's Church in Liepāja (Lipawa), in 1743 reburied in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle. His consort Duchess Johanna Magdalena was buried in the vault of Castle Neu-Augustusburg in Weissenfels, Saxony.

 

 

HOUSE OF BIRON (Bironowie)

1737-1741: ERNEST JOHN BIRON (Ernsts Johans/Ernest Jan/Ernst Johan; 1st time)

Born in 1690 in Kalnciems, Courland.

Father: Karl von Buehren. Mother: Katharina Hedwig von Raab-Thuelen.

Married in 1723 in Jelgava BENIGNA Gottlieb von Trotha (*1703,+1782 Jelgava).

His issue who reigned: PETER (*1724,+1800).

Deposed by Russians in 1741 and deported to Siberia.

Regained the throne of Courland in 1762 but abdicated in favour of his son in 1769.

Died in 1772 in Jelgava (Mitawa).

Buried with his consort Duchess Benigna in the Ducal Vault of Jelgava Castle.

 

 

1741-1759: INTERREGNUM

 

 

HOUSE OF WETTIN (Wettynowie)

1759-1763: CHARLES CHRISTIAN OF SAXONY (Karlis Kristjans/Karol Chrystian/Carl Christian)

Born in 1733 in Dresden, Saxony.

Father: King Augustus III of Poland. Mother: Queen Maria Josepha of Poland.

Married in 1760 in Warsaw FRANCISCA Krasińska (*1742 Maleszowa,+1796 Dresden).

Deposed in 1763 by invading Russian armies.

Died in 1796 in Dresden.

Buried with his consort Duchess Francisca in the Abbey of Marijna Hwězda in Pančicy-Kukow, Upper Lusatia (no tombs).

 

 

HOUSE OF BIRON (Bironowie)

1763-1769: ERNEST JOHN BIRON (Ernsts Johans/Ernest Jan/Ernst Johan; 2nd time)

 

 

1769-1795: PETER (Peteris/Piotr)

Born in 1724 in Jelgava (Mitawa).

Father: Duke Ernest John of Courland. Mother: Duchess Benigna of Courland.

Married firstly in 1765 in Arolsen Princess Caroline of Waldeck-Pyrmont (*1748 Arlosen,+1782 Lausanne). Divorced in 1772.

Married secondly in 1774 in Jelgava Princess Eudoxia Yusupova (*1743 Moscow,+1780 St Petersburg). Divorced 1778.

Married thirdly in 1779 in Jelgava Countess Anna Dorothea von Medem (*1761 Mežotne/Courland,+1821 Altenburg).

His issue who reigned: Louise Pauline (*1782,+1845; Princess of Hohenzollern-Hechingen).

Abdicated in 1795 and exiled in Lower Silesia.

Died in 1800 in Jeleniów, Lower Silesia (now Poland).

Buried with his third consort Duchess Anna Dorothea in the vault of the Protestant Church in Żagań, Lower Silesia.

His second consort Duchess Eudoxia was buried in the Holy Trinity Church of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St Petersburg, Russia.

 

 

1795: COURLAND ANNEXED TO RUSSIA

 

 

Select Bibliography

Libietis D., Lancmane L.: The Family Vault of the Dukes of Courland, Rundāle 2002