BADEN
Baden was a separate Germanic country previous to the 20th Century. Early it was part of the Holy Roman Empire. In the 19th Century it was often part of some confederation.
Historic Maps amd Crests of Baden
A map of southern Baden from 1789 A crest of Baden from 1830-1918
Internet Sites on Baden
House Law of Baden (1817) Black Forest Genealogy The Constitution of Baden (1818) Official Baden-Wuerttenberg Site
Brief and Limited History of Baden
Baden was defeated by the Palatinates in 1462; between 1300 and 1603 Baden lost all its territories east of Pforzheim to Württemberg. It was divided into two margrave counties: Baden-Durlach (capital: Durlach) and Baden-Baden (capital Baden). In 1521 during the religious wars, Baden remained catholic. In 1689 the two capitals were destroyed by the French. In 1715 Karlsruhe was proclaimed the residential capital. During 1730-37 many natural disasters destroyed the country, causing many to leave. Karl-Friedrich (1728-1811) was the margrave of Baden. In 1751 he married Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt (1723-83), he had three sons. His second marriage in 1787 was to Luise Caroline Geyer von Geyersberg who gave him 3 sons and one daughter. In 1803 he also became one of the Elector (of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire). But the Empire was soon abolished and as a result of the political manipulations and wars of Napoleon, Karl-Friedrich, the margrave became one the founding members of the Confederation of the Rhine, formed to build alliances against Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the "Reichsdeputationtreaty" in 1803, many territories reverted back to Baden. As a result of his cooperation with Napoleon, Karl-Friedrich was elevated by Napoleon to the status of grand duke on Baden on 13 Aug. 1806. In 1811 this Karl-Friedrich died and was succeeded by his grandson, Karl (1786-1818). In 1817 Karl-Friedrich wrote the House Law of Baden, setting forth the succession of the ruler of the duchy. In 1818 the Constitution of Baden was written and it made the House Law an intregal part of constitutional law in Baden. At that time Baden became a constitutional monarchy. Friedrich II resigned in 1918 and a free state of Baden was formed with a Reichspresident as the political leader. After the Second World War, Baden was an American occupied zone (1945-51). In 1952 southwest Baden was combined with Württemberg and Stuttgart became the capital.
Pages on this site for cities in Baden
Altenschwand Grafenhausen Ibach & Oberibach
Go to the Home Page Go to the Main Ancestor Chart for Erven Thoma Localities Index
Created on 7 May 2000. Updated on 17 Jun. 2006 by Erven Thoma
