Georg II of Fleckenstein-Dagstuhl

Count Johann Ernst died on 12 January 1642, leaving Georg II as the only remaining guardian and regent. His ward, Count Friedrich Casimir, inherited Hanau-Münzenberg in a politically precarious situation:

Count Johann Ernst died on 12 January 1642, leaving Georg II as the only remaining guardian and regent. His ward, Count Friedrich Casimir, inherited Hanau-Münzenberg in a politically precarious situation:

* Even travelling to Hanau-Münzenberg through enemy territory was difficult. Friedrich Casimir had to travel in disguise, with only a numerically small company, including Georg II.Ferdinand Hahnzog, ''Georg II. von Fleckenstein, Freiherr zu Dachstuhl. Ein Hanauer Administrator in der Endphase des Dreißigjährigen Krieges'', in: ''Hanauer Geschichtsblätter'', vol. 18, 1962, p. 223–242.

* Even travelling to Hanau-Münzenberg through enemy territory was difficult. Friedrich Casimir had to travel in disguise, with only a numerically small company, including Georg II.Ferdinand Hahnzog, ''Georg II. von Fleckenstein, Freiherr zu Dachstuhl. Ein Hanauer Administrator in der Endphase des Dreißigjährigen Krieges'', in: ''Hanauer Geschichtsblätter'', vol. 18, 1962, p. 223–242.

* The [[liege lord]]s of several of Hanau-Münzenberg's possessions, especially the [[Archbishopric of Mainz|Archbishop of Mainz]], but also the [[Electorate of Saxony|Elector of Saxony]], the Landgrave of [[Hesse-Darmstadt]], the [[Bishopric of Würzburg|Bishop of Würzburg]], and the [[Fulda monastery|Abbey of Fulda]], held that Friedrich Casimir was only distantly related to Johann Ernst and saw this as an opportunity to terminate the [[fief]]. Their legal position was fairly weak, since there was a clear family relationship between Johann Ernst and Friedrich Casimir, and moreover the inheritance treaty from 1610 between the Hanau-Lichtenberg and Hanau-Münzenberg lines clearly applied. However, in the confusion of the [[Thirty Years' War]], things were decided by a nobleman's military power, not by the legality or otherwise of his legal position. Georg II acknowledged the problem and ensured his position was supported by [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel|Hesse-Kassel]]. Landgravine [[Countess Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg|Amalie Elisabeth]], the widow of Landgrave [[Wilhelm V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Wilhelm V]] who had been born a Countess of Hanau-Münzenberg and was Regent of Hesse-Kassel at the time, provided Georg II with diplomatic and political support. She aimed to preserve all of Hanau-Münzenberg's territory, because the county was heavily indebted to Hesse-Kassel. In return, Georg II as regent of Hanau-Münzenberg, signed an inheritance treaty with Hesse-Kassel, promising that if the House of Hanau were to die out in the male line, then Hanau-Münzenberg would fall to Hesse-Kassel. He also gave Hesse-Kassel the district of [[Schwarzenfels]] and the territory of the former monastery in [[Naumburg]] as securities for the debt.

* The [[liege lord]]s of several of Hanau-Münzenberg's possessions, especially the [[Archbishopric of Mainz|Archbishop of Mainz]], but also the [[Electorate of Saxony|Elector of Saxony]], the Landgrave of [[Hesse-Darmstadt]], the [[Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg|Bishop of Würzburg]], and the [[Fulda monastery|Abbey of Fulda]], held that Friedrich Casimir was only distantly related to Johann Ernst and saw this as an opportunity to terminate the [[fief]]. Their legal position was fairly weak, since there was a clear family relationship between Johann Ernst and Friedrich Casimir, and moreover the inheritance treaty from 1610 between the Hanau-Lichtenberg and Hanau-Münzenberg lines clearly applied. However, in the confusion of the [[Thirty Years' War]], things were decided by a nobleman's military power, not by the legality or otherwise of his legal position. Georg II acknowledged the problem and ensured his position was supported by [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel|Hesse-Kassel]]. Landgravine [[Countess Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg|Amalie Elisabeth]], the widow of Landgrave [[Wilhelm V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Wilhelm V]] who had been born a Countess of Hanau-Münzenberg and was Regent of Hesse-Kassel at the time, provided Georg II with diplomatic and political support. She aimed to preserve all of Hanau-Münzenberg's territory, because the county was heavily indebted to Hesse-Kassel. In return, Georg II as regent of Hanau-Münzenberg, signed an inheritance treaty with Hesse-Kassel, promising that if the House of Hanau were to die out in the male line, then Hanau-Münzenberg would fall to Hesse-Kassel. He also gave Hesse-Kassel the district of [[Schwarzenfels]] and the territory of the former monastery in [[Naumburg]] as securities for the debt.

* [[Hanau]], the capital of the county, consisted to two legally separate cities: The old and the new town. The latter had been created at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries to settle [[Calvinist]] refugees from [[France]] and the [[Spanish Netherlands]] (today's [[Belgium]]). City politics in New Hanau were dominated by wealthy merchants and traders who had acquired a very strong position in Hanau-Münzenberg due to their economic power.Reinhard Dietrich: ''"...wegen geführten großen Staats, aber schlechter Zahlung der Schulden..." — Zur finanziellen Lage der Grafschaft Hanau im 17. Jahrhundert'', in: ''Hanauer Geschichtsblätter'', vol. 31, 1993, p. 123-147 They intended to use the weak position of the new count and his regent to demand some concessions before he would accept his inheritance. After negotiating for ten days, Georg II concluded that he had no option but to give in to their demands. Their main demand was continuation of the religious [[status quo]]. Friedrich Casimir, like all counts from the Hanau-Lichtenberg line, was a [[Lutheran]]. Hanau-Münzenberg, however, had been [[Calvinist]] since the reign of Count [[Philipp Ludwig II, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg|Philipp Ludwig II]] (1576–1612). Fifty years earlier, Philipp Ludwig II had been able to prescribe the confession in his county under the principle {{lang|la|[[cuius regio, eius religio]]}}. Georg II, however, found himself forced, not only to allow Calvinists to worship freely, but even to limit Lutheranism to the chapel in Hanau's city palace. Only in 1658 was Friedrich Casimir able to build a Lutheran church in Hanau, the St. Johann's church. In 1670, Hanau-Münzenberg officially became bi-confessional, although that did not stop the fierce debate among the confessions. It wasn't until 140 years later that the two churches in Hanau-Münzenberg could be united.

* [[Hanau]], the capital of the county, consisted to two legally separate cities: The old and the new town. The latter had been created at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries to settle [[Calvinist]] refugees from [[France]] and the [[Spanish Netherlands]] (today's [[Belgium]]). City politics in New Hanau were dominated by wealthy merchants and traders who had acquired a very strong position in Hanau-Münzenberg due to their economic power.Reinhard Dietrich: ''"...wegen geführten großen Staats, aber schlechter Zahlung der Schulden..." — Zur finanziellen Lage der Grafschaft Hanau im 17. Jahrhundert'', in: ''Hanauer Geschichtsblätter'', vol. 31, 1993, p. 123-147 They intended to use the weak position of the new count and his regent to demand some concessions before he would accept his inheritance. After negotiating for ten days, Georg II concluded that he had no option but to give in to their demands. Their main demand was continuation of the religious [[status quo]]. Friedrich Casimir, like all counts from the Hanau-Lichtenberg line, was a [[Lutheran]]. Hanau-Münzenberg, however, had been [[Calvinist]] since the reign of Count [[Philipp Ludwig II, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg|Philipp Ludwig II]] (1576–1612). Fifty years earlier, Philipp Ludwig II had been able to prescribe the confession in his county under the principle {{lang|la|[[cuius regio, eius religio]]}}. Georg II, however, found himself forced, not only to allow Calvinists to worship freely, but even to limit Lutheranism to the chapel in Hanau's city palace. Only in 1658 was Friedrich Casimir able to build a Lutheran church in Hanau, the St. Johann's church. In 1670, Hanau-Münzenberg officially became bi-confessional, although that did not stop the fierce debate among the confessions. It wasn't until 140 years later that the two churches in Hanau-Münzenberg could be united.