Leopold Eberhard, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard

Leopold Eberhard of Württemberg-Montbéliard (21 May 1670, Montbéliard – 25 March 1723, Montbéliard) was the last ruler of the Duchy of Württemberg-Montbéliard from 1699 until his death.

Life

Leopold Eberhard was the eighth and youngest child of Duke George II of Württemberg-Montbéliard by his wife, Comtesse Anne de Coligny. He was the third son of his parents but the only one who survived infancy: his older brothers, Otto Frederick and Conrad Louis, died in infancy in 1653 and 1659 respectively, long before his birth. In 1680, the 10-year-old Leopold Eberhard became Comte de Coligny after the death of his mother, the sole surviving heiress of Comte Gaspard III de Coligny.

During his early youth, Leopold Eberhard followed the military career in Austria. Emperor Leopold I named him Colonel and made several campaigns in Hungary. Later, he commanded the place of Torkay when the Turks advance to Europe, and successfully he drove them of the country.

It was during his long permanence in Silesia that Leopold Eberhard met his first mistress, Anna Sabine von Hedwiger, lady-in-waiting at the court of Württemberg-Olesnica where the Hereditary Duke resided at that point; seduced by him, they secretly married in the town of Rejowiz near Poznań on 1 June 1695; this was completely ignored by his father George II, who was already prepared a marriage for him with a princess of royal blood.

In order to make this morganatic marriage more respectable, Leopold Eberhard urged the Emperor to give his wife a title. In order to obtain this, he showed proofs that the Hedwiger family had noble origins and served the Empire with loyalty and dedication during generations; even a genealogy was constructed to support the claim. However, the case remained in suspense for the next six years.

In the meanwhile, Anna Sabina bore her husband four children, of whom only two survive infancy:

However, soon the marriage failed, mostly because of Leopold Eberhard's unfaithfulness. During his campaigns against the Turks, the prince developed a friendship with Richard Curie, also known as "l'Espérance" (the Hope, a war nickname), Captain of the Imperial army and son of a sergeant of justice in Montbéliard. Richard had five children, one son and four daughters; the Curie sisters (in particular Henriette Hedwig and Elisabeth Charlotte) were able to seduce Anna Sabine's husband.

When the Ducal family returned to Montbéliard after the Peace of Ryswick (1697), Leopold Eberhard persuaded his wife to take the two Curie sisters as ladies-in-waiting. This situation lasted until 1700, when Anna Sabine separated from her husband, but without divorcing him. She retired to the castle of Héricourt, where remained for the rest of her days.

At first, was Henriette who obtain the supremacy over the Duke's heart, and Leopold Eberhard began to live openly with her, although she was already married with Johann Ludwig von Sandersleben and had three children with him: Karl Leopold, Ferdinand Eberhard and Eleonore Charlotte. However, on 1 March 1701, Henriette obtained the divorce from her husband and they could continue their liaison without much problems.

Henriette and Leopold Eberhard had five children, of whom only two survived infancy:

On 1 August 1701, Anna Sabine von Hedwiger was created Countess of Sponeck by the Emperor (her children were also invested with the same title). The castle chosen by the title was a small Burg situated in the banks of the Rhine, and belonged to the House of Württemberg for generations. Despite the estrangement between him and Anna Sabine, Leopold Eberhard obtained for his brothers-in-law the titles of Counts of Sponeck too while the eldest, Georg Wilhelm was serving as the Dukes governor in the castle of Montbeliard.

Henriette Curie died on 7 November 1707, six months after her last childbirth. In the meanwhile, Leopold Eberhard, for his tyrannical rule in Montbéliard and scandalous private life, was despised by his subjects. In order to obtain more funds, he began to make illegal expropriations. Is known that after the Thirty Years War, the right of confiscation was held by his uncle and predecessor Leopold Frederick, and thus vacant property was merged to the Ducal domain. Leopold Eberhard reassumed this right, and in 1713 he sent to each locality officers in his name to confiscate property whose owners were unable to show titles of property. This measure produced odious expropriations, but the people was too fearful and ignorant about law that they weren't unable to oppose with the necessary energy.

In each village, and especially in the land of Etobon (near Héricourt), the Duke appropriated main houses to put farmers of its major areas. Among them, were mostly Mennonites expelled from Bern and Alsace because of their religion. Among the practices which they introduced into the country were land cultivation (especially potatoes) and livestock in Montbéliard, and improving in the breed of cattle (see Montbéliarde cattle). Perhaps this would be one of the few positive facts during Leopold Eberhard's rule.

The excesses of the Duke deeply offended the burghers of the city. Very serious altercations arose during the year 1704; the Duke, in his absolutism, simply removed the Municipe its liberties, and the citizens hastened appealed to the Imperial Chamber. In his arrogance, Leopold Eberhard considered this act as an attack on his person and asked to King Louis XIV of France the intervention of his troops to restore order in his domains.

In 1714, Leopold Eberhard legally adopted the three children of his late mistress Henriette Curie with her husband. The Sandersleben children received from their adoptive father the County of Coligny, jointly with the biological surviving offspring of the Duke. On 6 October of that year, the marriage between the Duke and Anna Sabine von Hedwiger was finally dissolved by the consistorium of Montbéliard, under the condition that neither one remarry.

However, four years later (15 August 1718) the Duke remarried with Elisabeth Charlotte Curie, sister of Henriette and one of his mistresses. On occasion of the marriage, the Duke obtained for her from the Emperor the title of Baroness of l'Esperance (in allusion of her father's nickname); her brother and one surviving sister also received the same title.

Elisabeth Charlotte and Leopold Eberhard had six children, of whom only two survived to adulthood:

References

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