Simon August, Count of Lippe-Detmold

Simon August
Prince of Lippe-Detmold
Simon August, Count of Lippe-Detmold
Spouse(s)	Princess Polyxena Louise of Nassau-Weilburg Princess Maria Leopoldine of Anhalt-Dessau Princess Casimire of Anhalt-Dessau Princess Christine of Solms-Braunfels
Noble family	House of Lippe
Father	Simon Henry Adolph, Count of Lippe-Detmold
Mother	Johanna Wilhelmine of Nassau-Idstein
Born	(1727-06-12)12 June 1727 Detmold
Died	1 May 1782(1782-05-01) (aged 54) Detmold

Simon August, Count of Lippe (12 June 1727, Detmold – 1 May 1782 Detmold), ruled the Principality of Lippe-Detmold from 1734 until 1782.

He was the son of Simon Henry Adolph and Johanna Wilhelmine of Nassau-Idstein. Simon August ruled until 1747 under the guardianship of his mother. Under the influence of the Enlightenment, he issued a fiscal and social legislation and in 1749 he introduced, together with Adolf von Hillensberg, a budget in Lippe, so as to not spend money when no revenues were available. The Sparkasse Detmold and a fire insurance company are direct continuations of companies he founded. He acquired salt mine at Bad Salzuflen and built a spa in Bad Meinberg. In 1775, he created a relief fund for the poor. A census in 1776 revealed that his country had 49416 inhabitants.

Marriages and Issue

In Kirchheimbolanden on 24 August 1750, Simon August married firstly with Polyxena Louise (Kirchheimbolanden, 27 January 1733 - Detmold, 27 September 1764), daughter of Charles August, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg. They had a daughter:

• Wilhelmine Caroline (Kirchheimbolanden, 6 July 1751 - Kirchheimbolanden, 4 April 1753).

In Dessau on 28 September 1765 Simon August married secondly with Maria Leopoldine of Anhalt-Dessau (Dessau, 18 November 1746 - Detmold, 15 April 1769). They had a son:

• Frederick Wilhelm Leopold I (Detmold, 2 December 1767 - Detmold, 4 April 1802), Prince of Lippe.

In Dessau on 9 November 1769 Simon August married thirdly Casimire of Anhalt-Dessau (Dessau, 19 January 1749 - Detmold, 8 November 1778), sister of his previous wife. They had a son:

• Casimir August (Detmold, 9 October 1777 - Falkenberg bei Berlin, 27 May 1809).

In Braunfels Castle on 26 March 1780 Simon August married fourthly Christine of Solms-Braunfels (Braunfels, 30 August 1744 - Detmold, 16 December 1823). They had no children

After his death in 1782, his son Leopold I took up government.

References

• Lore Blanke: Simon August. In: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). Band 24, Duncker & Humblot, Berlín 2010, ISBN 978-3-428-11205-0, p. 425 f.