maurice, of broad education and interests, inherited half of the estates held by the extinct landgraves of hesse-marburg in 1604. however, when he converted to calvinism the next year, he entered into a protracted legal dispute with his lutheran cousin landgrave louis v of hesse-darmstadt. the aulic council decided in favour of louis, and on 17 march 1627, after losing much of the territory to the darmstadt line and leaving the family in financial ruin, maurice finally abdicated in favor of his son.