The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg (German:
Sachsen-Altenburg) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine
branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The duchy
originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial
Pleissnerland (Terra Plisensis), a possession of the Wettin Margraves of
Meissen since 1243. Upon a partition treaty of 1485, Altenburg fell to
Elector Ernest of Saxony, the progenitor of the Ernestine Wettins. After
the Division of Erfurt in 1572 among Duke John William of Saxony and
his nephews, Altenburg fell to his Duchy of Saxe-Weimar.
When
in 1602 John William's son and successor Frederick William I died, the
Duchy of Saxe-Weimar passed to his younger brother John II, while in
1603 Frederick William's eldest son John Philip in compensation received
the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. It was an Imperial State in
its own right, with a vote in the Reichstag, for much of the 17th
century until the extinction of its ruling line in 1672, when it was
inherited by Ernest I the Pious, the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, who had married
the heiress.
Saxe-Altenburg thereafter remained part of
Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg until the extinction of that house in 1825, when
Gotha and Altenburg were split up, with Gotha going to the Duke of
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Altenburg to the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen,
who in exchange gave up Hildburghausen to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.
This family ruled in the duchy until the end of the monarchies in the
course of the German Revolution of 1918-1919. The succeeding Free State
of Saxe-Altenburg was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia in
1920. Saxe-Altenburg had an area of 1,323 km² and a population of
207,000 (1905). Its capital was Altenburg. The Saxe-Altenburg line
became extinct following the death of Prince George Moritz in 1991.
The House of Wettin is a dynasty of German counts, dukes,
prince-electors (Kurfürsten) and kings that once ruled the area of
today's German states of Saxony, the Saxon part of Saxony-Anhalt, and
Thuringia for more than 800 years as well as holding at times the
kingship of Poland. Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various
times, ascended the thrones of Great Britain, Portugal, Bulgaria,
Poland, Saxony, and Belgium; of these, only the British and Belgian
lines retain their thrones today. The oldest member of the House of
Wettin who is known for certain was Thiedericus (died 982), who was
probably based in the Liesgau (located at the western edge of the Harz).
Around 1000, as part of the German conquest of Slavic territory, the
family acquired Wettin Castle, after which they named themselves.
Wettin Castle is located in Wettin in the Hosgau on the Saale River.
Around 1030, the Wettin family received the Eastern March as a fief. The
prominence of the Wettin family in the Slavic marches caused Emperor
Henry IV to invest them with the March of Meissen as a fief in 1089. The
family advanced over the course of the Middle Ages: in 1263 they
inherited the landgraviate of Thuringia (though without Hesse), and in
1423 they were invested with the Duchy of Saxony, centred at
Wittenberg,thus becoming one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman
Empire. The family divided into two ruling branches in 1485 when the
sons of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony divided the territories hitherto
ruled jointly. The elder son Ernest, who had succeeded his father as
Prince-elector, received the territories assigned to the Elector
(Electoral Saxony) and Thuringia, while his younger brother Albert
obtained the March of Meissen, which he ruled from Dresden. As Albert
ruled under the title of "Duke of Saxony", his possessions were also
known as Ducal Saxony.
The older, Ernestine branch remained
predominant until 1547 and played an important role in the beginnings of
the Protestant Reformation. Their predominance ended in the
Schmalkaldic War, which pitted the Protestant Schmalkaldic League
against Emperor Charles V. Although itself Protestant, the Albertine
branch rallied to the Empire's cause; Charles V rewarded them by forcing
the Ernestines to sign away their rights to the Electoral title and
lands to the Albertines. The Ernestine line was thereafter restricted to
Thuringia, and its dynastic unity swiftly crumbled. The Albertine
Wettin maintained most of the territorial integrity of Saxony,
preserving it as a significant power in the region, and using small
appanage fiefs for their cadet branches, few of which survived for
significant lengths of time. The Ernestine Wettin, on the other hand,
repeatedly subdivided their territory, creating an intricate patchwork
of small duchies and counties in Thuringia.
The junior
Albertine branch ruled as Electors (1547-1806) and Kings of Saxony
(1806-1918) and also played a role in Polish history: two Wettin were
Kings of Poland (between 1697-1763) and a third ruled the Duchy of
Warsaw (1807-1814) as a satellite of Napoleon. After the Napoleonic
Wars, the Albertine branch lost about 40% of its lands, including the
old Electoral Saxony, to Prussia, restricting it to a territory
coextensive with the modern Saxony.
The Family Titles and
Styles - The members of this family bore the title Prince or Princess
of Saxe-Altenburg, Duke or Duchess of Saxony together with the formal
appellation of His or Her Highness.
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id54.html
The Imperial House of Japan,
also referred to as the Imperial Family and the Yamato dynasty,
comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor
of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present
Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity
of the people. Other members of the imperial family perform ceremonial
and social duties, but have no role in the affairs of government. The
duties as an emperor are passed down the line to children and their
children's children and so on. The Japanese monarchy is the oldest
continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. The imperial house
recognizes 125 monarchs beginning with the legendary Emperor Jimmu
(traditionally dated to February 11, 660 BC) and continuing up to the
current emperor, Akihito.
The official website of the Imperial Household Agency: http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/eindex.html
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id287.html
Anhalt is a historical county (after
1806 duchy) in Germany, locate between the Harz Mountains and the river
Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
During the 9th century, the area was part of the Duchy of Saxony. In
the 12th century, it came under the rule of Esico (died 1059 or 1060).
His son was Adalbert II (died 1080) and his grandson Otto the Rich
appears to have been the first to assume the title of count of Anhalt.
Otto, also known as count of Ballenstedt, was the father of Albert the
Bear, count of Anhalt, who conquered the Slavic territory of
Brandenburg. When Albert died in 1170, his son Bernhard, who received
the title of duke of Saxony in 1180, became count of Anhalt. Bernhard
died in 1212, and Anhalt, now separated from Saxony, passed to his son
Henry I, who in 1218 took the title of prince and was the real founder
of the princely house of Anhalt. Henry I is included among the
Minnesingers of Codex Manesse.
On Henry's death in 1252, his
three sons partitioned the principality and founded, respectively, the
lines of Aschersleben, Bernburg and Zerbst. The family ruling in
Aschersleben became extinct in 1315, and this district was subsequently
incorporated in the neighboring Bishopric of Halberstadt, thus dividing
the territory of Anhalt-Bernburg in two separate pieces. The last prince
of the original line of Anhalt-Bernburg died in 1468 and his lands were
inherited by the princes of the sole remaining line, that of
Anhalt-Zerbst.
The territory belonging to this branch of the
family had been divided in 1396, and after the acquisition of Bernburg
Prince George I made a further partition of Zerbst (Zerbst and Dessau).
Early in the 16th century, however, owing to the death or abdication of
several princes, the family had become narrowed down to the two branches
of Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau (issued both from Anhalt-Dessau in
1471). Wolfgang of Anhalt, called the Confessor, who became prince of
Anhalt- Köthen in 1508, was the second ruler in the world to introduce
the Reformation to his country. He was a co-signer of the Augsburg
Confession in 1530, and after the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547 was placed
under Imperial ban and deprived of his lands by Emperor Charles V.
After the peace of Passau in 1552 he bought back his principality, but
as he was childless he surrendered it in 1562 to his kinsmen the princes
of Anhalt-Dessau. Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (d. 1516) left
three sons, John V, George III, and Joachim, who ruled their lands
together for many years, and who favoured the Lutheran doctrine, which
thus became dominant in Anhalt. About 1546 the three brothers divided
their principality and founded the lines of Zerbst, Plötzkau and Dessau.
This division, however, was only temporary, as the acquisition of
Köthen, and a series of deaths among the ruling princes, enabled Joachim
Ernest, a son of John V, to unite the whole of Anhalt under his rule in
1570.
Joachim Ernest died in 1586, and his five sons ruled
the land in common until 1603, when owing to the lack of primogeniture,
Anhalt was again divided, and the lines of Dessau, Bernburg, Plötzkau,
Zerbst and Köthen were re founded. The principality was ravaged during
the Thirty Years' War, and in the earlier part of this struggle
Christian I of Anhalt-Bernburg took an important part. In 1635 an
arrangement was made by the various princes of Anhalt, which gave a
certain authority to the eldest member of the family, who was thus able
to represent the principality as a whole. This proceeding was probably
due to the necessity of maintaining an appearance of unity in view of
the disturbed state of European politics.
In 1665, the branch
of Anhalt-Köthen became extinct, and according to a family compact this
district was inherited by Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau, who
surrendered Plötzkau to Bernburg, and took the title of prince of
Anhalt-Köthen. In the same year the princes of Anhalt decided that if
any branch of the family became extinct its lands should be equally
divided between the remaining branches.
This arrangement was
carried out after the death of Frederick Augustus, Prince of
Anhalt-Zerbst in 1793, and Zerbst was divided between the three
remaining princes. During these years the policy of the different
princes was marked, perhaps intentionally, by considerable uniformity.
Once or twice Calvinism was favoured by a prince, but in general the
house was loyal to the doctrines of Martin Luther. The growth of Prussia
provided Anhalt with a formidable neighbour, and the long-delayed
establishment of primogeniture by all branches of the family prevented
further divisions of the principality.
In 1806, Napoleon
elevated the remaining states of Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau and
Anhalt-Köthen to duchies; in the meantime, Anhalt-Plötzkau and
Anhalt-Zerbst had ceased to exist. These duchies were united again in
1863, due to the extinction of the Köthen and Bernburg lines. The new
duchy consisted of two large portions, Eastern and Western Anhalt,
separated by the interposition of a part of the Prussian Province of
Saxony and of five exclaves surrounded by Prussian territory: Alsleben,
Mühlingen, Dornburg, Gödnitz and Tilkerode-Abberode. The eastern and
larger portion of the duchy was enclosed by the Prussian government
district of Potsdam (in the Prussian province of Brandenburg) and by
Magdeburg and Merseburg, belonging to the Prussian province of Saxony.
The western or smaller portion, the so-called Upper Duchy or
Ballenstedt, was also enclosed by the two latter districts as well as by
the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
Along with the fall of all
German monarchies, the Duchy of Anhalt came to an end in 1918-19 during
the revolution that followed the end of World War I. It was replaced by
the Free State of Anhalt within the Weimar Republic. After World War II,
the Free State was united with the Prussian parts of Saxony to form
Saxony-Anhalt. Subsequently, Saxony-Anhalt was dissolved in 1952, but
re-established prior to the German reunification in 1990, since when it
has been one of the sixteen (Bundes)länder (states) of Germany.
The House of Ascania (German: Askanier) was a dynasty of German rulers.
It was also known as the House of Anhalt, after Anhalt, its longest
possession. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle,
which is located near and named after Aschersleben. The castle was seat
of the County of Ascania, a title that was later subsumed into the
titles of the princes of Anhalt. The earliest known member of the House
is Esiko, Count of Ballenstedt. He was first mentioned in 1036, and is
assumed to have been a grandson (through his mother) of Odo I, Margrave
of the Saxon Ostmark. From Odo, the Ascanians inherited large properties
in the Saxon Eastern March.
Esiko's grandson was Otto, Count
of Ballenstedt, who died in 1123. By Otto's marriage to Eilika, daughter
of Magnus, Duke of Saxony, the Ascanians became heirs to half of the
property of the House of Billung, former dukes of Saxony. Otto's son,
Albert the Bear, became, with the help of his mother's inheritance, the
first Ascanian duke of Saxony in 1139. But he lost control of Saxony
soon to the rival House of Guelph. However, Albert inherited the
Margraviate of Brandenburg from its last Wendish ruler, Pribislav, in
1150, and became the first Ascanian margrave. Albert, and his
descendants of the House of Ascania, then made considerable progress in
Christianizing and Germanizing the lands. As a borderland between German
and Slavic cultures, the country was a march.
In 1237 and
1244 two towns, Cölln and Berlin were founded during the rule of Otto
and Johann, grandsons of Margrave Albert the Bear, (later they were
unitedinto one city, Berlin). The emblem of the House of Ascania, red
eagle and bear, became the heraldric emblems of Berlin. In 1320 the
Brandenburg Ascanian line came to an end. After the Emperor had deposed
the Guelph rulers of Saxony in 1180, Ascanians returned to rule the
Duchy of Saxony, which had been reduced to its eastern half by the
Emperor. However, even in eastern Saxony, the Ascanians could establish
control only in limited areas, mostly near the River Elbe. In the 13th
century, the Principality of Anhalt was split off from the Duchy, and
later, the remaining state was split into Saxe-Lauenburg and
Saxe-Wittenberg. The Ascanian dynasties in the two Saxon states became
extinct in 1689 and in 1422, respectively, but Ascanians continued to
rule in the smaller state of Anhalt and its various subdivisions until
monarchy was abolished in 1918.
The Family Titles and Styles -
The present members of this family bear the titles Prince or Princess of
Anhalt together with the formal appellation of His or Her Highness, the
male members bear the further titles of Duke of Saxony and Graf zu
Askanien.
The Website of the Ducal House of Anhalt:
http://www.anhalt-askanien.de/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
Part One: http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id2.html
Part Two: http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id275.html
The Duchy of Oldenburg (German:
Herzogtum Oldenburg) - named after its capital, the town of Oldenburg -
was a state in the north-west of present-day Germany. Oldenburg survived
from 1180 until 1810 when it was annexed by First French Empire. It was
located near the mouth of the River Weser. Its ruling family, the House
of Oldenburg, also came to rule in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greece and
Russia, and the heirs of a junior line of the Greek branch are likely to
inherit the thrones of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms
after the death or abdication of Queen Elizabeth II.
The
first known count of Oldenburg is Elimar I, Count of Oldenburg (d.
1108). Elimar's ancestors appear as vassals, though sometimes rebellious
ones, of the dukes of Saxony; but they attained the dignity of princes
of the empire when the emperor Frederick I dismembered the Saxon duchy
in 1180. At this time, the county of Delmenhorst formed part of the
dominions of the counts of Oldenburg, but afterwards it was on several
occasions separated from them to form an apanage for younger branches of
the family. This was the case between 1262 and 1447, between 1463 and
1547, and between 1577 and 1617.
During the early part of the
13th century the counts carried on a series of wars with independent, or
semi-independent, Frisian princes to the north and west of the county,
which resulted in a gradual expansion of the Oldenburgian territory. The
free city of Bremen and the bishop of Münster were also frequently at
war with the counts of Oldenburg. In 1440, Christian succeeded his
father Dietrich, called Fortunatus, as Count of Oldenburg. In 1448
Christian was elected king of Denmark as Christian I, partly based on
his maternal descent from previous Danish kings. Although far away from
the Danish borders, Oldenburg was now a Danish exclave. The control over
the town was left to the king's brothers, who established a short reign
of tyranny.
In 1450 Christian became king of Norway and in
1457 king of Sweden; in 1460 he inherited the Duchy of Schleswig and the
County of Holstein, an event of high importance for the future history
of Oldenburg. In 1454 he handed over Oldenburg to his brother Gerhard
(about 1430-99), a wild prince, who was constantly at war with the
bishop of Bremen and other neighbors. In 1483, Gerhard was compelled to
abdicate in favor of his sons, and he died while on pilgrimage in Spain.
Early in the 16th century Oldenburg was again enlarged at the expense
of the Frisians. Protestantism was introduced into the county by Count
Anton I (1505-73), who also suppressed the monasteries; however, he
remained loyal to Charles V during the Schmalkaldic War, and was able
thus to increase his territories, obtaining Delmenhorst in 1547. One of
Anton's brothers, Count Christopher of Oldenburg (about 1506-60), won
some reputation as a soldier. Anton's grandson, Anton Günther
(1583-1667), who succeeded in 1603, considered himself the wisest prince
who had yet ruled Oldenburg. Jever had been acquired before he became
count, but in 1624 he added Kniphausen and Varel to his lands, with
which in 1647 Delmenhorst was finally united. By his neutrality during
the Thirty Years' War and by donating valuable horses to warlord Count
of Tilly, Anton Günther secured for his dominions an immunity from the
terrible devastations to which nearly all the other states of Germany
were exposed. He also obtained from the emperor the right to levy tolls
on vessels passing along the Weser, a lucrative grant which soon formed a
material addition to his resources. In 1607 he erected a Renaissance
castle. After the death of Anton Günther, Oldenburg fell again under
Danish authority.
In 1773 Christian VII of Denmark
surrendered Oldenburg to Paul I of Russia and in return Paul gave up to
Christian the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp and his claims on the Duchy of
Schleswig and the Duchy of Holstein. At once Paul handed over to his
kinsman, Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg, the representative of a
younger branch of the family, and in 1777 the county was raised to the
rank of a duchy. The duke's son William, who succeeded his father in
1785, was a man of weak intellect, and his cousin Peter I, Grand Duke of
Oldenburg, acted as administrator and eventually, in 1823, inherited
the throne.
By the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss
of 1803, Oldenburg acquired the Oldenburger Münsterland and the
Bishopric of Lübeck. Between 1810 and 1814, Oldenburg was occupied by
Napoleonic France. Its annexation into the French Empire, in 1810, was
one of the causes for the diplomatic rift between former allies France
and Russia, a dispute that would lead to war in 1812 and eventually to
Napoleon's downfall. In 1815 it acquired the Principality of Birkenfeld
and in 1829 Oldenburg became a grand duchy. In 1871 Oldenburg joined the
German Empire, and in 1918 it became a free state within the Weimar
Republic.
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and
one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or
have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein,
Oldenburg and Sweden. The current Queen of Denmark, the King of Norway
and the ex-King of Greece as well as consorts of Spain, Greece and the
United Kingdom belong to this House. It rose to prominence when Count
Christian I of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark in 1448, and of
Norway in 1450. The house has occupied the Danish throne ever since.
Marriages of medieval counts of Oldenburg had paved the way for their
heirs to become kings of various Scandinavian kingdoms. Through marriage
with a descendant of King Valdemar I of Sweden and of King Eric IV of
Denmark, a claim to Sweden and Denmark was staked, since 1350.
At that time, its competitors were the successors of Margaret I of
Denmark. In the 15th century, the Oldenburg heir of that claim married
Hedwig of Schauenburg, a descendant of Euphemia of Sweden and Norway and
also a descendant of Eric V of Denmark. Since descendants better
situated in genealogical charts died out, their son Christian (the
abovementioned) became the king of all three kingdoms of the whole
Kalmar Union. The House of Mecklenburg was its chief competitor
regarding the Northern thrones, and other aspirants included the Duke of
Lauenburg. Different Oldenburgine branches have reigned in several
countries. The House of Oldenburg was briefly poised to claim the
thrones of England and Scotland through the marriage of the Stuart
Princess Anne (later Queen) to Prince George of Denmark and Norway;
however, following the early death of their only heir, Prince William,
Duke of Gloucester, the line of succession passed to the House of
Hanover.
Titles and Styles of the Grand Ducal House - The
present members of this family bear the title Duke or Duchess of
Oldenburg together with the formal appellation of His or Her Highness.
The head of the family and the heir apparent enjoy the style His Royal
Highness
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id27.html
The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545
from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief
for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on
the city of Parma. In 1556, the second Duke, Ottavio Farnese, was given
the city of Piacenza, becoming thus also Duke of Piacenza, and so the
state was thereafter properly known as the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza
(Ducato di Parma e Piacenza in Italian). The Farnese family continued to
rule until their extinction in 1731, at which point the duchy was
inherited by the young son of the King of Spain, Don Charles, whose
mother Elizabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. He ruled until the end
of the War of the Polish Succession in 1735, when Parma was ceded to
Emperor Charles VI in exchange for the Two Sicilies. The Habsburgs only
ruled until the conclusion of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748,
when it was ceded back to the Bourbons in the person of Don Philip, Don
Charles's younger brother, which received also the little Duchy of
Guastalla. As duke Philip, he became the founder of the House of
Bourbon-Parma reigning over the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla
(Ducato di Parma, Piacenza e Guastalla in Italian).
In 1796,
the duchy was occupied by French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte, and
the political situation of the State became extremely confused. Duke
Ferdinand maintained his throne under French military governors until
the Treaty of Aranjuez of 1801, when a general agreement between the
House of Bourbon and Napoleon formally decided the cession of the duchy
to France in exchange for Tuscany, but the Duke lasted in Parma until he
died in 1802, maybe by poisoning. However, Napoleon was undecided about
the future of the duchy, aspiring to a total engagement of the Bourbons
in the European wars as his allies. Even if French laws and
administration was gradually introduced, the formal annexation to the
French Empire was declared only in 1808 after the outbreak of the
conflict against Bourbonic Spain. The duchy was reformed as the
Département of Taro.
In 1814, the duchies were restored under
Napoleon's Habsburg wife, Marie Louise, who was to rule them for her
lifetime. After Marie Louise's death in 1847, the Duchy was restored to
the Bourbon-Parma line, which had been ruling the tiny Duchy of Lucca.
In this context, Guastalla was ceded to Modena. The Bourbons ruled until
1859, when they were driven out by a revolution following the French
and Sardinian victory in the war against Austria (called Austrian War in
France and Second War of Independence in Italy). The Duchy of Parma and
Piacenza joined with the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Duchy of Modena
to form the United Provinces of Central Italy in December 1859, and
merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia into the Kingdom of Italy in March
1860 after holding a referendum. The House of Bourbon continues to claim
the title of duke of Parma to this day. Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma
has held the title since 2010.
The House of Bourbon-Parma
(Italian: Casa di Borbone di Parma) is an Italian cadet branch of the
House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male
line. The name of Bourbon-Parma comes from the main name (Bourbon) and
the other (Parma) from the title of Duke of Parma. The title was held by
the Spanish Bourbons as the founder was the great-grandson of Duke
Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma. Since 1964 a cadet branch of the
House of Bourbon-Parma rules Luxembourg as Grand Duke.
Family
Titles and Styles of the House - The present members of this family bear
the title Prince or Princess of Bourbon-Parma, together with the formal
appellation of His or Her Royal Highness.
The Website of the Ducal House of Parma:
http://www.borbonparma.org/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id29.html
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small
principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with
capital at Sondershausen. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county until
1697, in that year it became a principality, and lasted until the fall
of the German monarchies in 1918, during the German Revolution of
1918-1919. After which it became a republic. In 1920 it joined with
other small states in the area to form the new state of Thuringia.
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen had an area of 862 km² and a population of
85,000 (1905). Towns placed in the state were: Arnstadt, Sondershausen,
Gehren, Langewiesen, Großbreitenbach, Ebeleben, Großenehrich, Greußen
and Plaue.
The House of Schwarzburg is one of the oldest noble
families of Thuringia. Upon the death of Prince Friedrich Günther in
1971, the headship of the house passed under Semi-Salic primogeniture to
his elder sister, Princess Marie Antoinette of Schwarzburg who married
Friedrich Magnus V, Count of Solms-Wildenfels. The House of Schwarzburg
subsequently became a personal union with the House of Solms-Wildenfels.
Reigning over the County of Schwarzburg and founded by Sizzo I of
Schwarzburg (died 1160), the family split in the 16th century into the
lines of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, which
were not reunified until 1909.
The County of Schwarzburg
was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was
partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
It was ruled by counts from the House of Schwarzburg. Schwarzburg
Castle was first mentioned in 1071 deed. In 1123 Count Sizzo III of
Käfernburg (Kevernburg), mentioned by the medieval chronicler Lambert of
Hersfeld and according to the Annalista Saxo a grandson of Prince
Yaropolk Izyaslavich of Turov by his mother, rebuilt the castle calling
himself a "Count of Schwarzburg". Sizzo also established Georgenthal
Abbey and in 1157 he accompanied Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa during
his campaign against High Duke Bolesław IV the Curly of Poland.
In 1197 Sizzo's grandson Heinrich II divided the common heritage with
his brother Günther III and made Schwarzburg Castle his residence. His
territory then also comprised the nearby castle of Blankenburg. The
Schwarzburg lands were again divided among his successors until in 1538
Count Günther XL the Rich was able to unite the territories including
Frankenhausen and Rudolstadt under his rule. He was succeeded by his
eldest son Günther XLI, however after his death in 1583 his younger
brothers again divided the county: John Günther I received the territory
around Arnstadt, later called Schwarzburg-Sondershausen,
while Albrecht VII inherited the lands of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The
partition was finally confirmed by the 1599 Treaty of Stadtilm.
Succession to the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt - Following the death in 1971 of Friedrich
Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg (5 March 1901 - 9 November 1971) in
Munich the House of Schwarzburg became extinct. However the Schwarzburg
principalities operated under Semi-Salic primogeniture which means that
in the event of the extinction of all male dynasts, as happened with the
death of Prince Friedrich Günther, females can inherit. Therefore,
applying Semi-Salic law then the current heir to the principalities of
Schwarzburg is Friedrich Magnus, Count of Solms-Wildenfels (born 1927)
the son of Princess Marie Antoinette of Schwarzburg (1898–1984), sister
of Prince Friedrich Günther.
Alternatively another claimant
could be Prince Philip of Stolberg-Wernigerode (born 1967). Prince
Philip's claim is based on a pact made by Count Heinrich of Schwarzburg
and his son whereby if his male line became extinct then Count Botho of
Stolberg and the Counts of Hohenstein should share the majority of his
territories with the Counts of Stolberg inheriting Kelbra and Heringen
alone and not share them with the Counts of Hohenstein. With the
extinction of the House of Hohenstein the houses of Schwarzburg and
Stolberg renewed the pact on January 28, 1594. Should the pact still be
valid then Prince Philip as senior male line descendant of Count Botho
could be seen as the rightful heir.
The Family Titles and Styles - The members of this family bore the title of Prince or Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, together with the formal appellation of His or Her Serene Highness.
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id61.html
Schaumburg-Lippe was until 1946 a small
state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony,
with its capital at Bückeburg. Schaumburg-Lippe was formed in 1647
through the division by treaties of the County of Schaumburg between the
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and the Count
of Lippe. The division occurred because Count Otto V of
Holstein-Schaumburg had died in 1640 leaving no male heir. Initially
Schaumburg-Lippe's position was somewhat precarious: it had to share a
wide variety of institutions and facilities with the County of
Schaumburg (which belonged to Hesse-Kassel), including the
representative assembly and the highly productive Bückeberg mines, and
the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel retained some feudal rights over it. It
was further threatened by the headstrong policies of ruling Count
Friedrich Christian. To counter these threats, Friedrich's grandson
Count Wilhelm (who reigned 1748-1777) retained a standing army of up to
1000 troops - quite a lot for such a small territory.
With Wilhelm's death in 1777 the junior Schaumburg-Lippe-Alverdissen
inherited the County thereby reuniting Schaumburg-Lippe with
Lippe-Alverdissen. Schaumburg-Lippe was a county until 1807 when it
became a principality; from 1871 it was a state within the German
Empire. In 1913, it was the smallest state in the German Empire in terms
of population. The capital was Bückeburg, and Stadthagen was the only
other town. Under the constitution of 1868, there was a legislative diet
of 15 members, 10 elected by the towns and rural districts and 1 each
by the nobility, clergy and educated classes, the remaining 2 nominated
by the prince. Schaumburg-Lippe sent one member to the Bundesrat
(federal council) and one deputy to the Reichstag. It lasted until the
end of the German monarchies in 1918, when it became a free state as the
Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe. In November 1918, Prince Adolf was the
second last reigning German monarch to abdicate.
The House of
Lippe (German: Haus Lippe) is a German Royal House. The House of Lippe
descends from Jobst Herman, Count of Lippe (died ca. 1056) whose son
Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lippe in 1123. In 1613, the
House's territory was split into Lippe-Detmold, Lippe-Brake and
Lippe-Alverdissen. In 1643 Count Philipp of Lippe-Alverdissen founded
the Schaumburg-Lippe line of the House of Lippe. In 1905 with the death
of Prince Alexander the senior Lippe-Detmold branch of the family became
extinct with Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld succeeding him as
Prince.
With the German Revolution of 1918, the Princes of
Lippe and Schaumburg-Lippe were forced to abdicate, ending the family's
795-year rule in Lippe. The princely family still ownes the estate and
castle at Detmold, currently Armin, Prince of Lippe.
In 1937, Prince
Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld married Princess Juliana of the
Netherlands. With the ascension of their daughter Beatrix in 1980, the
name of the Royal House remained known as the House of Orange-Nassau,
although Beatrix and her sisters are agnatically members of the House of
Lippe.
The Family Titles and Styles - The members of this
family bear the title Prince or Princess zu Schaumburg-Lippe, together
with the formal appellation of His or Her Serene Highness, except those
who have been granted the style "Hochfürstlich Durchlaucht", who will be
marked with an HD; these latter are those who spring from
House-approved marriages.
The Website of the Princely House of Schaumburg-Lippe:
http://www.schloss-bueckeburg.de/
Almanach de Saxe Gotha Page:
http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id35.html
