The House of Nassau-Weilburg , a branch of the House of Nassau , ruled a division of the County of Nassau , which was a state in what is now Germany , then part of the Holy Roman Empire , from 1344 to 1806.
6-706: On 17 July 1806, upon the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the principalities of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg both joined the Confederation of the Rhine . Under pressure from Napoleon , both principalities merged to become the Duchy of Nassau on 30 August 1806, under the joint rule of Prince Frederick August of Nassau-Usingen and his younger cousin, Prince Frederick William of Nassau-Weilburg . As Frederick August had no heirs, he agreed that Frederick William should become
12-429: A principality in 1688. The origin of the county lies in the medieval county of Weilnau that was acquired by the counts of Nassau-Weilburg in 1602. That county was divided in 1629 into the lines of Nassau-Weilburg , Nassau-Idstein and Nassau-Saarbrücken . However, the division became effective only thirty years later, in 1659. The emerging counties were Nassau-Saarbrücken, Nassau-Ottweiler and Nassau-Usingen. At
18-620: The Christian denomination of the house changed after Grand Duke Guillaume IV's marriage to Marie Anne de Braganza , who was Catholic . Compiled from Misplaced Pages and these references. For ancestors of the House of Nassau-Weilburg, see House of Nassau#Family Tree Nassau-Usingen Nassau-Usingen was a county of the Holy Roman Empire in the Upper Rhenish Circle that became
24-482: The Confederation of the Rhine . Under pressure from Napoleon , both counties merged to become the Duchy of Nassau on August 30, 1806, under joint rule of Prince Frederick August of Nassau-Usingen and his younger cousin Prince Frederick William of Nassau-Weilburg . As Frederick August had no heirs, he agreed that Frederick William should become sole ruler after his death. However, Frederick William died from
30-454: The beginning of the 18th century, three of the Nassau lines died out and Nassau-Usingen became their successor (1721 Nassau-Idstein, 1723 Nassau-Ottweiler und 1728 Nassau-Saarbrücken). In 1735, Nassau-Usingen was divided again into Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Saarbrücken. In 1797, Nassau-Usingen inherited Nassau-Saarbrücken. On July 17, 1806, the counties of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg joined
36-552: The sole ruler after his death. However, Frederick William died from a fall on the stairs at Schloss Weilburg on 9 January 1816 and it was his son William who later became duke of a unified Nassau. The sovereigns of this house afterwards governed the Duchy of Nassau until 1866. Since 1890, they have reigned over the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg . The first two Grand Dukes of Luxembourg , Adolphe and Guillaume IV, were Protestants, however,
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