Frederick I (
German: Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig; 9 September 1826 – 28 September 1907) was the
Grand Duke of Baden from 1858 to 1907.
Life
Frederick was born in
Karlsruhe, Baden, on 9 September 1826. He was the third son of
Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden and
Princess Sophie of Sweden. He became the
heir presumptive to the grand duchy upon the death of his father in 1852[1] and the accession of his brother as
Grand Duke Louis II. Due to his brother's mental ill-health, he was
regentad interim of Baden in 1852–1855, and took the title of grand duke in 1856. His brother, Louis II, died in 1858. He was considered a relatively liberal supporter of a
constitutional monarchy. During his reign the option of
civil marriages was introduced in Baden as well as direct elections to the Lower House of the Parliament of Baden in 1904.[2]
Frederick I was present at the
proclamation of the German Empire at
Versailles in 1871,[2] as he was the only son-in-law of Prussian King
Wilhelm I and one of the reigning sovereigns of Germany. He loudly shouted, "His Majesty, Emperor Wilhelm!" He died at his summer residence at the island of
Mainau in southern Germany on 28 September 1907. Today, Mainau is owned by the Lennart Bernadotte Foundation, created by Frederick's great-grandson Count
Lennart Bernadotte, (1909–2004).
^Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1855), "Großherzogliche Hausorden"
p. 11Archived 5 December 2019 at the
Wayback Machine
^Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen (1867), "Königliche Ritter-Orden" p. 4
^M. & B. Wattel (2009). Les Grand'Croix de la Légion d'honneur de 1805 à nos jours. Titulaires français et étrangers. Paris: Archives & Culture. p. 419.
ISBN978-2-35077-135-9.
The generations indicate descent from
Charles Frederick, the first Grand Duke of a united Baden. Only princes notable enough for standalone articles are included. Later generations do not legally hold a title due to the abolition of the monarchy in 1918.