Gagern, Moritz Carl Christian Philipp Freiherr von

County Governor

Born: 28.08.1808 in Weilburg an der Lahn

died: 02.11.1877 in Pfauenburg Castle near The Hague

Gagern studied law in Heidelberg, Utrecht and Göttingen from 1826. From 1829 he worked in the Nassau civil service, initially as an assessor and from 1840 as a government councillor and advisor for Protestant church affairs. In 1839 he was appointed chamberlain. From 1844 he was Nassau Commissioner to the Rhine Navigation Commission. From 1846-48 Gagern was a member of the gentlemen's bench in the Nassau state parliament and from 1851 he was district bailiff in Rüdesheim and from 1855-66 in St. Goarshausen on the Rhine. From 1860 he worked as Director of the Chamber of Accounts in Wiesbaden.

He made a special contribution to the development of educational programs for the blind and visually impaired. In 1861, he initiated the "Association for the Foundation and Maintenance of a School for the Blind for the Duchy of Nassau " and solicited donations. In the same year, he succeeded in renting rooms for a school for the blind in Wiesbaden. Under his chairmanship, the Nassauische Blindenfürsorge e.V. was founded in 1864, which financed the school. In 1866/67, Gagern worked as a privy councillor and bailiff in Diez an der Lahn. He then worked in Neuwied as treasurer and confidant to the Wied royal family. Until the end of his life, he lived at Pfauenhaus Palace, the country residence of Prince Frederick of the Netherlands and his daughter Marie, wife of Prince Wilhelm zu Wied.