Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden

Frederick II (9 July 1857 – 9 August 1928; Großherzog von Baden Friedrich II.) was the last sovereign Grand Duke of Baden, reigning from 1907 until the abolition of the German monarchies in 1918. The Weimar-era state of Baden originated from the area of the Grand Duchy of Baden.

Life
Friedrich "Fritz" Wilhelm Ludwig Leopold August Prinz von Baden was born on 9 July 1857, in Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg to Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Louise of Prussia.

As a student at the University of Heidelberg, Frederick was a member of the Suevia Corps, a student fraternal organization. Frederick became the head of the House of Zähringen on 28 September 1907, after the death of his father Frederick I, who was the sovereign grand duke of Baden reigning from 1856 to 1907. He abdicated on 22 November 1918, amidst the tumults of the German Revolution of 1918–1919 which resulted in the abolition of the grand duchy. After the death of his cousin Carola of Vasa, he became the representative of the descent of the Kings of Sweden of the House of Holstein-Gottorp. On 20 September 1885 in Schloss Hohenburg, he married Princess Hilda of Nassau, the only daughter of the exiled Duke Adolphe of Nassau who later succeeded as Grand Duke of Luxembourg. There was no surviving issue from the marriage.

He was à la suite the Royal Prussian Regiments Erstes Garde-Regiment zu Fuß (1st Guard Foot Regiment) and ''1. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment and à la suite the Imperial 1st Seebataillon''. He was also Regimentschef of the ''4. Königlich Sächsisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 103, which was also known as Infanterie-Regiment „Großherzog Friedrich II. von Baden“ (4. Königlich Sächsisches) Nr. 103''.

Promotions

 * 1875 : Sekondeleutnant (= Leutnant)
 * 1881 : Premierleutnant (= Oberleutnant)
 * 1882 : Hauptmann
 * 1884 : Major
 * 1889 : Oberst
 * 1891 : Generalmajor
 * 1893 : Generalleutnant
 * 1897 : General der Infanterie
 * 1905 : Generaloberst with the rank of Generalfeldmarschall

Death
After his death in 1928, the headship of the house was transferred over to his first cousin who was the last Chancellor of Imperial Germany, Prince Maximilian of Baden.

Honours and awards
• Baden:
 * German orders and decorations

• * Knight of the House Order of Fidelity

• * Knight of the Order of Berthold the First

• * Friedrich-Luise Medal

• * Jubilee Medal for 1902

• * Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Grand Duke Friedrich I and Grand Duchess Luise

•  Anhalt: Grand Cross of the Order of Albert the Bear, 1889

•  undefined: Knight of St. Hubert, 1885

•  Brunswick: Grand Cross of the Order of Henry the Lion

•    Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, 1879

•  Hesse and by Rhine: Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 29 December 1874

•  Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore

•  Nassau: Knight of the Gold Lion of Nassau

•  Oldenburg: Grand Cross of Honour of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig

•  Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 1877

•  undefined: Knight of the Rue Crown

•  Schaumburg-Lippe: Cross of Honour of the House Order of Lippe, 1st Class

•  Waldeck-Pyrmont: Cross of Merit, 1st Class

•  Württemberg: Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown, 1875

•  Prussia:

• * Knight of the Black Eagle, 9 July 1875; with Collar, 1877

• * Grand Cross of the Red Eagle

• * Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern

• * Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Classes

• * Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Medal

• * Service Award Cross

• * Commemorative Medal for the Silver Wedding of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Empress Augusta, 27 February 1906

•  Hohenzollern: Cross of Honour of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, 1st Class
 * Foreign orders and decorations
 * Austria-Hungary:
 * Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1885
 * Military Jubilee Cross, 14 August 1908
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
 * Empire of Brazil: Grand Cross of the Southern Cross
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark: Knight of the Elephant, 13 October 1897
 * Kingdom of Italy: Knight of the Annunciation, 10 September 1897
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion
 * Kingdom of Romania:
 * Grand Cross of the Order of Carol I, with Collar
 * Grand Cross of the Star of Romania
 * Russian Empire: Knight of St. Andrew
 * 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 Sweden-Norway:
 * Knight of the Seraphim, with Collar, 20 September 1881
 * Grand Cross of St. Olav, 27 September 1897
 * undefined: Honorary Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 16 June 1905
 * Honorary military appointments
 * Honorary General of the Swedish Army, 1906