This is a list of monarchs of Hesse () during the history of Hesse on west-central Germany. These monarchs belonged to a dynasty collectively known as the House of Hesse and the House of Brabant,Burke's Royal Families of the World Volume I Europe & Latin America , London 1977 p. 202 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 monarchs was "landgrave" () unless otherwise noted.
Landgraviate of Hesse
In the early Middle Ages the Hessengau territory (named after the Germanic Chatti tribes) formed the northern parts of the German stem duchy of Franconia along with the adjacent Lahngau. Upon the extinction of the ducal Conradines, these Rhenish Franconian counties were gradually acquired by Landgrave Louis I of Thuringia and his successors.
After the War of the Thuringian Succession upon the death of Landgrave Henry Raspe in 1247, his niece Duchess Sophia of Brabant secured the Hessian possessions for her minor son Henry the Child, who would become the first landgrave of Hesse and founder of the House of Hesse in 1246. The remaining Thuringian landgraviate fell to the Wettin margrave Henry III of Meissen. Henry I of Hesse was raised to princely status by King Adolf of Germany in 1292.
Rulers of Hesse
Ludovingian dynasty and House of Hesse
Partitions of Hesse under Ludowingian and Hesse families
+ Lordship of Hesse-GudensbergAs part of the Landgraviate of Thuringia, inherited through marriageGudensberg separated in 1140-1157, 1172-1180 and 1227-1240)(1123-1264)War of the Thuringian Succession (1247-1264): Hesse was separated from ThuringiaLandgraviate of HesseLudovingian matrilineal line;Briefly divided in Lower Hesse and Upper Hesse in 1308-1311 and 1458-1500(1264–1567)Landgraviateof CasselBetter known as Hesse-Kassel(1567–1803) Landgraviateof RheinfelsBetter known as Hesse-Rheinfels(1st creation)(1567–1583)Landgraviateof MarburgBetter known as Hesse-Marburg(1567–1604)Landgraviateof DarmstadtBetter known as Hesse-Darmstadt(1567–1806) Landgraviateof Rheinfels(2nd creation)(1627–1658) Landgraviateof HomburgBetter known as Hesse-Homburg(1st creation)(1622–1806) Raised to:Electorate ofHesse(1st creation)(1803–1807) Landgraviateof BarchfeldBetter known as Hesse-Barchfeld(1st creation)(1721–1807)Landgraviateof PhilippsthalBetter known as Hesse-Philippsthal(1st creation)(1663–1807) Landgraviateof WanfriedBetter known as Hesse-Wanfried(1700–1755) Landgraviateof RotenburgBetter known as Hesse-Rotenburg(1st creation)(1627–1807) Raised to:Grand Duchy ofHesse(1806–1918)Annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia Landgraviateof Barchfeld (2nd creation)(1813–1866) Landgraviateof Philippsthal (2nd creation)(1813–1866) Electorateof Hesse(2nd creation)(1813–1866)Landgraviateof Rotenburg(2nd creation)(1813–1834)Landgraviateof Homburg(2nd creation)(1815–1866) Annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Table of rulers