II !STORY. (See preceding article.) The line of Hesse-Darmstadt. the second main branch of the House of Ilesse. is derived from George 1., the fourth son of Philip the Nla.rnaninions. Land grave of Hesse, who, on the death of his father in 1507, obtained the Principality of eltilmgen, with the town of Darmstadt for his residence• and received in I5s3, on the death of his brother Philip without heirs. a third of the patrimonyof the latter. (See Ilt:ssi...-C,Asse.t.) At his death. in 1590, he was succeeded in the greater part of his possessions by his eldest son, Louis V. (1596.1626), while another son, Frederick, became the founder of the Hesse Homburg line. Louis V. acquired a portion of Upper Hesse, and is noted as the founder of the University of Giessen (1607). His son, George II. (1626-61), and grandson, Louis VI. (1661 78) did much to promote learning and the arts. Under Ernest Louis (1078-1739) the country was laid waste by the French armies. The finances became disorganized. and Louis who succeeded and ruled until 176S, did little to mend them. Louis IX. (1768-90) was a wise and able ruler, a patron of art and letters. As a result of the French Revolutionary wars, under Louis X. (1790-1830). Hesse-Darmstadt changed its boundaries materially, on the whole to its gain. Louis X. joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806, and assumed the title of Grand Duke as such (Louis I.). At the Congress of Vienna (1814-15) lie was obliged to make large cessions of territory to Prussia and Bavaria, re ceiving, however, by way of indemnification, a large district on the Rhine, including the towns of Worms and Mainz, in right of which he as sumed the traditional title of Rhenish Grand Duke. At this time Hesse-Darmstadt became a member of the German Confederation. In 1820 Louis promulgated a constitution establish ing a parliamentary form of government. lie instituted Various reforms and joined the Zoll verein (q.v.) in 1S28. The reactionary policy of Louis II. (1830-4S) evoked a strong opposi tion in the Landtag, but the Grand Duke finally succeeded in subordinating the Chambers to his will. The February Revolution of IS-IS in
France, however, lent renewed strength to the Liberal Party. In answer to the popular de mand for constitutional reform, the heir to the throne was named co-regent with the King; Gagern, the great leader and apostle of Ger man unity, was made Minister of the Interior; and a far-reaching programme of reform adopted, many features of which were carried out only to be abrogated in the reaction which followed the revolutionary wave of IS4S-49. Louis III. succeeded his father in 1848. His chief adviser, Dahvigk. was a hitter enemy of Prussia, and in 1860 Hesse-Darmstadt sided with Austria against the former. The Grand Duke made a vain appeal to Napoleon Ill., of whom he was a personal friend, for assistance. The Ilessians were de feated at Laufach. July 13th. and Prussian troops occupied the grand duchy. The Grand Duke was forced to cede some territory, including the recently acquired Hesse-Homburg, to pay a heavy war indemnity, to receive a garrison in Mainz, and to enter into an offensive and defensive alliance with Prussia. The Hessian troops played a conspieums part in the war against France. and Ilesse-Darmstadt became a part of the new German Empire. Louis IV. (1877-92) did much to restore the finances and increase the prosper ity of the duchy. He was succeeded by his son, Ernest Louis.
IlmmockArnv. Tiirekheim. Histoirc gemalo gigue de la maison do Hesse (S'trassburg. 1819 20) : Rommel. Gesehiehte ran Hessen (10 vols., Gotha, 1820-50) ; Ewald, Historisrhc rehrr.sicht der Territorialreranderunoen der Landgrafsehaft Hessen find des Grosshcrzogtums Hessen (Darm stadt, 1S72) : Hessler. Gesehiehte ron (Cassel. 1891) : Ktichler, Forfa.ssungs- and waltungsreeht des Grossherzogrums Hessen (Darmstadt. 1894-96) ; Kuenzel. Des Grosshcr zogturn Hessen (Giessen, 1593) ; Zeller, Hand buch der l'erfassung and 1 erwaltung iaz Gross herzogtum Ilcsstn ( Darmstadt. 1885.93) ; Begrandung des dentschen Reiehs (Munich, 1889 94; trans., New York, 1890-92). Sec GERMANY.