Ludvig (Wilhelm August greve) Douglas, 1849 - 1916

ludvigLudvig Vilhelm August Douglas, Count of Mühlhausen, Gondelsheim, Skenninge and Stjernorp, Lord of Langenstein and Stjernorp castles (24 November 1849 at Zürich, Switzerland - 20 July 1916 Lysekil, Sweden), was a conservative Swedish politician and official. He was a direct patrilineal descendant of Field Marshal Robert Douglas.

Ludvig Douglas' parents were Count Carl Israel Douglas (1824-1898), first count of the Douglas family in the nobility of Baden (since 1848) as Count of Mühlhausen, and his wife Countess Louise von Gondelsheim and Langenstein (1825-1900), herself an illegitimate daughter of Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden by Katharina Werner. Through his mother, he was a second cousin of Victoria of Baden, wife of King Gustaf V of Sweden.

He received the fideicommiss of Muhlhausen and the castle of Langenstein as his share of the family inheritance and purchased in c1875 the castle of Stjernorp. He ultimately succeeded his childless elder brother as head of the comital House of Douglas.

Douglas was a protectionist and solidly oriented towards Germany. From 1895 to 1899, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden. He resigned because he refused to accept that Norway (then in union with Sweden) would have their flag without the mark of the union, i.e. he opposed the so-called pure flag.

He also held the position of Riksmarskalk (Marshal of the Realm) (1911-1916), Landshövding (governor) of Uppsala County (1893-1895), and Landshövding (governor) of Östergötland County (1901-1912). Douglas worked for the Norrlander farmers' party against the forest products companies, they demanded protective legislation in field of wood market.

Count Ludvig is buried at the Douglas family graveyard in Vreta monastic church, Sweden.

His wife was Countess Anna Louise Ehrensvärd, daughter of Count Albert Ehrensvärd the Elder, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (1885-1889), and sister of Count Albert Ehrensvärd the Younger, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (1911-1914). They had 7 children:

1 Countess Louise Douglas Born 22 November 1878 Gerstorp Died 2 April 1964 Slevringe Married 8 June 1901 Karna, Ostergotland Freiherr Theodor Adelsward Born 13 October 1860 Langdunker, Sodermanland Died 29 September 1929 Adelsnas 

2 Count Robert Douglas Born 24 April 1880 Hinterhausen Died 26 August 1955 Langenstein Married (1) 11 August 1906 Ordrup Div.1938 Sophia de Fine Blaauw, daughter of Dick Blaauw and Marie de Fine von Krogh Beyer  Born 9 January 1886 Christiana Married (2) 23 April 1939 Orsingen Princess Auguste Viktoria von Hohenzollern, daughter of Wilhelm, Fuerst von Hohenzollern and Princess Maria Teresa of The Two Sicilies Born 19 August 1890 Potsdam Died 29 August 1966 Munchhof  He inherited Gerstorp in 1916 on the death of his father.

3 Count Archibald Douglas General Lieutenant Born 19 July 1883 Stjarnorp Died 5 July 1960 Stjarnorp Married 20 April 1907 Stockholm Astri Henschen, daughter of Prof. Dr. Salomon Henschen and Gerda Sandell Born 23 June 1883 Ronneby, Lan Blekinge Died 20 October 1976 Ronninge, Lan Stockholm

4 Countess Madeleine Douglas Born 2 September 1886 Gerstorp, Lan Ostergotland Died 21 July 1983 Drottningholm nr Stockholm Married (1) 8 June 1906 Linkoping Div.2-1-1931 Comte Charles Louis Fouche, 6.Duc d'Otrante, son of Comte Gustave Armand Fouche, 5.Duc d'Otrante and Freiin Therese von Stedingk Born 21 June 1877 Elghammar Died 31 May 1950 Elghammar Married (2) 18 May 1931 Goteborg Ivar Tengbom Born 7 April 1878 Vireda, Lan Jonkoping Died 6 August 1968 Lovo 

5 Count Carl Douglas Born 22 November 1888 Gerstorp Died 2 June 1946 Linkoping Married 10 November 1919 Orsingen Maria von Schlichting, daughter of Joachim von Schlichting and Freiin Antonia von Froben Born 19 November 1895 Karlsruhe Died 4 December 1971 Lund

6 Countess Ellen Douglas Born 17 February 1892 Gerstorp Died 20 August 1987 Granna, Lan Jonkoping Married 27 February 1927 Stjarnorp Div.6-7-1937 Martin Mansson Born 8 January 1880 Ledberg, Ostergotland Died 13 February 1952 Stockholm 

7 Count Oscar Douglas Born 25 December 1896 Stockholm Married 16 January 1926 Stockholm Dagmar Skarstedt, daughter of Sigfrid Skarstedt and Anna Rignell Born 7 November 1901 Stockholm



The Swedish branch of the Counts Douglas, to which Ludvig belonged, was the main surviving lineage of the family until Ludvig's sons and grandsons created several new branches (which spread over both Sweden and Germany. Lines descended from Ludvig Douglas include:

  • von Douglas-Langenstein, descendants of Robert, eldest son of Ludvig. They hold the castle of Langenstein in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Robert's second (and childless) wife was Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern, dowager queen of Portugal.
  • von Reischach-Douglas, descendants of a grandson of Robert von Douglas-Langenstein

  • Douglas-Gerstorp, the branch (settled in Sweden) descending from the youngest son of Robert von Douglas-Langenstein

  • Douglas-Stjernorp, the branch descending from the Swedish general Archibald Douglas-Stjernorp, second son of Ludvig. In this branch is held the Castle of Stjärnorp

  • Douglas-Kolfall, the branch descending from Oscar, the youngest son of Ludvig.



  • Langstein family group 

    See also:
    •  Descendants of Count Carl Douglas

     
     

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    Father  Carl Israel Douglas, b. 20 April 1824, Katrineberg, Ostergotland  
    Mother  Countess Louise von Langenstein und Gondelsheim 
     
    Married Anna Ehrensvaerd, b. Born 23 August 1855, Stockholm  
    Children 
      1. Louise Douglas, b. 22 November 1878, Gerstorp
      2. Robert Douglas, b. 24 April 1880, Hinterhausen
      3. Archibald Douglas, b. 19 July 1883, Stjarnorp
      4. Madeleine Douglas, b. 2 September 1886, Gerstorp, Lan Ostergotland
      5. Carl Douglas, b. 22 November 1888, Gerstorp
      6. Ellen Douglas, b. 17 February 1892, Gerstorp
      7. Oscar Douglas, b. 25 December 1896, Stockholm