William II, Landgrave of Hesse

William II (29 April 1469 - 11 July 1509), was Landgrave of Hesse from 1493 until his death. William II is also called "William the Middle" to distinguish him from his elder brother "William I the Elder", and his cousin "William III, the Younger". His parents were Louis II the Frank (1438-1471) and Mechthild, daughter of Count Louis II of Württemberg. William II became Landgrave of Lower Hesse in 1493, after his brother William I resigned. On 9 November 1497 William II married Yolande, daughter of Frederick II of Vaudémont. She died on 21 May 1500 the marriage produced one child, William [27 March 1500-8 April 1500] . On 20 October of the same year, William married a second time, to Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (14 September 1485 - 12 May1525), who bore him three children:

• Elisabeth (4 March 1502 - 6 December 1557)
• Magdalena (18 July 1503 - September 1504)
• Philip I, (13 November 1504-31 March 1567)

In 1500 William II reunited the Landgraviate of Hesse after the death of his cousin William III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse. In 1503 Emperor Maximilian I commissioned William with the executing the ban on the Elector Philip of the Palatinate.

External links

• Wilhelm II v. Hessen, Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie
• Wikisource: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, "Wilhelm II. (Landgraf von Hessen)"
• Genealogy of William II
• Genealogy of the Hessian noble family