It was after the discovery of America in 1492 that a more virulent strain of syphilis was introduced to Europe. Wilhelm II Landgraf of Hessen died of it in 1509 leaving a four year old son as his heir. The
minority of Philipp I was a period full of controversy as his mother's regency was disputed by the noblemen. However, little is known of Philipp's youth but that he was well educated and kept his parents' counsellors until their deaths.

In 1518 Philipp came of age and was confronted by the still rebellious noblemen. This led to a revolt in 1522-1523 under Franz von Sickingen and the Peasants' Revolt in 1524-1526 which both were
effectively suppressed by Philipp and through which he gained security for Hessen and prestige for himself.

In 1523 he married Christine of Saxony and by her became the father of ten children. In July 1524 he announced his conversion to the Lutheran teachings and played a leading role at the diet of Speyer, after which he began to administer a new Church-state settlement. Hessen became a sovereign state with a separate Protestant territorial church which, from the beginning, emphasized discipline and a synodal structure. Lutheran educational and charitable promotions were administered, resulting in the establishment of state schools and hospitals. Various former Church properties were confiscated to support these and other activities.

In 1529 he signed the original 'Protest' from which the very word Protestant is derived and it was his diplomatic skill which organised the Schmalkaldic League of Protestant princes; and was then the
brilliant artillery general who defeated the Catholic forces of Emperor Ferdinand I.

Philipp's actions were significant not only because Hessen was one of the first princely states to take these steps but it lay geographically between the Habsburgs' Austrian stronghold and their tightly controlled lowland holdings. Hessen felt vulnerable because of the growing Habsburg power, especially as Hessen had recently acquired the wealthy counties of Katzenelnbogen. These were disputed by the
Count of Nassau-Dillenburg who at that time still belonged to the Catholic religion.

He exploited the infamous Pack affair which alleged that Catholic princes had agreed to exterminate the Lutherans; as well it became the major driving force behind a European-wide alliance to counteract the
Habsburg-Catholic threat. As a result the powerful Schmalkaldic League was formed in 1531. It was Philipp and not Ulrich Zwingli who was the leader in an attempt to forge alliances with the Swiss cities. The Marburg colloquy in 1529 was an attempt to settle religious and political differences and his boldest achievement was the restoration of the Protestant Duke Ulrich of Wuerttemberg in 1534, when Philipp led an army into Wuerttemberg and forced the Habsburgs to recognize Ulrich.

Radical Protestants or Anabaptists were the main internal problems he faced in Hessen territitories. To counteract them he employed Martin Bucer, hoping to alleviate the pressure of the Anabaptists. In
1539 he developed symptoms of syphilis. There was a scarcity of food, the continual threat of the Anabaptists, and cosmic occurrences which created an aura of divine punishment. However, his greatest threat to his reputation was when in 1540 he contracted his bigamous marriage to Margarethe von der Saale, by whom he fathered eight children. This marriage took place with the consent of Luther, Melanchton and Bucer; however, it still embarrassed the Protestant movement as it made him
culpable so far as the imperial laws were concerned.

From 1540 on he ceased to be the dynamic Protestant leader. As well the disastrous Schmalkaldic War resulted in Philipps's imprisonment from 1547 until 1552. After his release, Philipp's influence had to be retained to within Hessen only. Philipp was remarkably tolerant in such an intolerant time, for he believed that people of different religious beliefs should be able to live in peace together and consequently allowed both Zwinglian and Lutheran preachers. In Hessen no one was executed for religious reasons and Philipp refused to institute even the major excommunication with temporal punishment.
 

Source: Leo van de Pas