Hilda of Nassau was born on November 5, 1864, the fifth
child and fourth daughter of Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg and Princess
Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau.
Hilda married Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden on September
20, 1885 at Schloss Hohenburg. The marriage, however, was without any surviving children. In 1917, Frederick
succeeded as Grand
Duke of Baden and Hilda became his Grand Duchess.
Hilda was hailed as an intelligent lady and was known as a
staunch patron of art, frequenting art-exhibitions and museums. In fact, many streets
and schools in Nassau bore her name, such as Hilda-Gymnasium in Pforzheim, Hilda-Gymnasium
in Koblenz, and the streets north- and south Hilda Promenade in Karlsruhe.
Misfortune befell Frederick
and Hilda after the disastrous defeat of Germany in World War I. As what was the fate of other German monarchies, the grand ducal couple lost their throne and their wealth. In 1919, the couple transferred their
residence to Mainau. Despite this, Hilda managed to
show off her sunny disposition. Her cheerful character and sense of humor enabled
her to ease things up. When her husband’s health weakened, she took care
of him until his passing.
Since they were childless, their castle in Mainau was passed
on to Fredrick's only sister's grandson, Count Lennart Bernadotte, who was also related to Hilda. The cheerful grand duchess died on February 8, 1952.
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