1.
Germany
–
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe. It includes 16 constituent states, covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres, with about 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union. After the United States, it is the second most popular destination in the world. Germanys capital and largest metropolis is Berlin, while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr, other major cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Leipzig. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity, a region named Germania was documented before 100 AD. During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward, beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation, in 1871, Germany became a nation state when most of the German states unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic, the establishment of the national socialist dictatorship in 1933 led to World War II and the Holocaust. After a period of Allied occupation, two German states were founded, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, in 1990, the country was reunified. In the 21st century, Germany is a power and has the worlds fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. As a global leader in industrial and technological sectors, it is both the worlds third-largest exporter and importer of goods. Germany is a country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled. It upholds a social security and universal health system, environmental protection. Germany was a member of the European Economic Community in 1957. It is part of the Schengen Area, and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999, Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G20, and the OECD. The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world, the English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine. This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz popular, derived from *þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- people, the discovery of the Mauer 1 mandible shows that ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago. The oldest complete hunting weapons found anywhere in the world were discovered in a mine in Schöningen where three 380, 000-year-old wooden javelins were unearthed
2.
1885
–
As of the start of 1885, the Gregorian calendar was 12 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923. January 3–4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop, French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force in northern Vietnam, january 4 – The first successful appendectomy is performed by Dr. William W. Grant on Mary Gartside. January 17 – Mahdist War in Sudan, British victory at the Battle of Abu Klea, january 20 – LaMarcus Adna Thompson patents a roller coaster. January 24 – Irish terrorists damage Westminster Hall and the Tower of London with dynamite, january 26 – Mahdist War in Sudan, Troops loyal to the Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad conquer Khartoum. The British commander Charles George Gordon is killed, February 5 – King Léopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo Free State as a personal possession. February 7 – The play La vida alegre y muerte triste by dramatist José Echegaray opens, February 9 – The first Japanese arrive in Hawaii. February 16 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the index stood at a level of 62.76, and represented the dollar average of 14 stocks,12 railroads and two leading American industries. February 21 – United States President Chester A. Arthur dedicates the Washington Monument, February 23 Sino-French War, France gains an important victory over China in the Battle of Đồng Đăng in the Tonkin region of modern-day Vietnam. An English executioner fails after several attempts to hang John Babbacombe Lee, sentenced for the murder of his employer Emma Keyse, February 26 – The final act of the Berlin Conference regulates European colonization and trade in the scramble for Africa. February 28 – February concludes without having a full moon, march 3 – A subsidiary of the American Bell Telephone Company, American Telephone and Telegraph, is incorporated in New York. March 4 – Grover Cleveland is sworn in as President of the United States, march 7 – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid is founded. March 14 – Gilbert and Sullivans comic opera The Mikado opens at the Savoy Theatre in London, march 26 The Prussian government, motivated by Otto von Bismarck, expels all ethnic Poles and Jews without German citizenship from Prussia in the Prussian deportations. North-West Rebellion in Canada by the Métis people, led by Louis Riel, first legal cremation in England, Mrs Jeannette C. Pickersgill of London, well known in literary and scientific circles, is cremated by the Cremation Society at Woking, march 30 – The Battle for Kushka triggers the Panjdeh Incident, which nearly gives rise to war between the British Empire and Russian Empire. March 31 – The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate, april 2 – Frog Lake Massacre, Cree warriors led by Wandering Spirit kill 9 settlers at Frog Lake in the Northwest Territories. April 3 – Gottlieb Daimler is granted a German patent for his single-cylinder water-cooled engine design, april 11 – Luton Town Football Club are created by the merger of Wanderers F. C. and Luton Excelsior F. C. in England. April 14 – Final engagement of Sino-French War, with a French victory at Kép, China withdraws its forces from Tonkin. April 30 – A bill is signed in the New York State legislature forming the Niagara Falls State Park, may 2 Good Housekeeping magazine goes on sale for the first time in the United States
3.
Kaiser
–
Kaiser is the German word for emperor. In English, the term the Kaiser is usually reserved for the emperors of the German Empire, the rulers of the Empire of Austria were drawn from the Habsburg dynasty, who, after 1438, provided most of Holy Roman Emperors. The Austrian rulers adopted the title Kaiser, there were only four Kaisers of the Austrian Empire, and they have all belonged to the Habsburg dynasty. In 1871, there was debate about the exact title for the monarch of those German territories that agreed to unify under the leadership of Prussia. There were only three Kaisers of the German Empire, all of them belonged to the Hohenzollern dynasty, which, as kings of Prussia, had been de facto leaders of lesser Germany. In English the word Kaiser is mainly associated with the emperors of the unified German Empire. In 1806 the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, but the title of Kaiser was retained by the House of Habsburg, the head of which, beginning in 1804, bore the title of Emperor of Austria. Georg Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia, is head of the House of Hohenzollern, which was the former ruling dynasty of the German Empire. Karl von Habsburg is currently the head of the House of Habsburg, German Monarchy German nobility List of German monarchs Qaisar Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia Kaiser
4.
William I, German Emperor
–
William I, or in German Wilhelm I, of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor, as well as the first Head of State of a united Germany. Under the leadership of William and his Minister President Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the establishment of the German Empire. Contrary to the domineering Bismarck, William was described as polite, gentlemanly and, while a staunch conservative, the future king and emperor was born William Frederick Louis of Prussia in the Kronprinzenpalais in Berlin on 22 March 1797. As the second son of Prince Frederick William, himself son of King Frederick William II and his grandfather died the year he was born, at age 53, in 1797, and his father Frederick William III became king. He was educated from 1801 to 1809 by Johann Friedrich Gottlieb Delbrück, who was also in charge of the education of Williams brother, at age twelve, his father appointed him an officer in the Prussian army. William served in the army from 1814 onward, like his father he fought against Napoleon I of France during the part of the Napoleonic Wars known in Germany as the Befreiungskriege, and was reportedly a very brave soldier. He was made a Captain and won the Iron Cross for his actions at Bar-sur-Aube, the war and the fight against France left a lifelong impression on him, and he had a long-standing antipathy towards the French. In 1815, William was promoted to Major and commanded a battalion of the 1 and he fought under Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher at the Battles of Ligny and Waterloo. He also became an excellent diplomat by engaging in diplomatic missions after 1815, in 1816, William became the commander of the Stettiner Gardelandwehrbataillon and in 1818 was promoted to Generalmajor. The next year, William was appointed inspector of the VII. and this made him a spokesman of the Prussian Army within the House of Hohenzollern. He argued in favour of a strong, well-trained and well-equipped army, in 1820, William became commander of the 1. Gardedivision and in 1825 was promoted to commanding general of the III, in 1829, William married Princess Augusta von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach after Princess Elisa Radziwill, his cousin whom he had been attracted to, was deemed an inappropriate match by his father. William had been forced to abandon the relationship with Elisa in 1826, Augusta was the daughter of Grand Duke Karl Friedrich von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach. Their marriage was stable, but not a very happy one. In 1840 his older brother became King of Prussia, since he had no children, William was first in line to succeed him to the throne and thus was given the title Prinz von Preußen. Against his convictions but out of loyalty towards his brother, in 1847 William signed the bill setting up a Prussian parliament and took a seat in the upper chamber, the Herrenhaus. During the Revolutions of 1848, William successfully crushed a revolt in Berlin that was aimed at his elder brother, the use of cannon made him unpopular at the time and earned him the nickname Kartätschenprinz. Indeed, he had to flee to England for a while and he returned and helped to put down an uprising in Baden, where he commanded the Prussian army
5.
Chancellor of Germany
–
The Chancellor of Germany is the head of government of Germany. The official title in German is Bundeskanzler, sometimes shortened to Kanzler, the term, dating from the early Middle Ages, is derived from the Latin term cancellarius. In German politics, the Chancellor is equivalent to that of a minister in many other countries. German has two equivalent translations of prime minister, Premierminister and Ministerpräsident, while Premierminister usually refers to heads of governments of foreign countries, Ministerpräsident may also refer to the heads of government of most German states. The current Chancellor is Angela Merkel, who is serving her term in office. She is the first female chancellor, thus being known in German as Bundeskanzlerin, the role of the Chancellor has varied greatly throughout Germanys modern history. Today, the Chancellor is the effective leader. The office of Chancellor has a history, stemming back to the Holy Roman Empire. The title was, at times, used in several states of German-speaking Europe, the modern office of Chancellor was established with the North German Confederation, of which Otto von Bismarck became Chancellor in 1867. After the Unification of Germany in 1871, the became known in German as Reichskanzler. With Germanys constitution of 1949, the title Bundeskanzler was revived in German, during the various eras, the role of the Chancellor has varied. From 1871 to 1918, the Chancellor was only responsible to the Emperor, with the founding of the republic and the constitutional reform in 1918, the Parliament was granted the right to dismiss the Reichskanzler. According to the Weimar Constitution of 1919, the Chancellor was appointed by the President and responsible to Parliament, when the Nazis came to power on 30 January 1933, the Weimar Constitution was de facto set aside. After the death of President Hindenburg in 1934, Adolf Hitler, the 1949 constitution gave the Chancellor much greater powers than during the Weimar Republic, while strongly diminishing the role of the President. Since 1867,33 individuals have served as heads of government of Germany or its predecessor, due to his administrative tasks, the head of the clerics at the chapel of an Imperial palace during the Carolingian Empire was called Chancellor. The chapels college acted as the Emperors chancery issuing deeds and capitularies and these three Prince-Archbishops were also Prince-electors of the Empire electing the King of the Romans. Already in medieval times, the German Chancellor had political power like Archbishop Willigis or Rainald von Dassel under Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. In 1559, Emperor Ferdinand I established the agency of an Imperial chancellery at the Vienna Hofburg Palace, upon the 1620 Battle of White Mountain, Emperor Ferdinand II created the office of an Austrian Court Chancellor in charge of the internal and foreign affairs of the Habsburg Monarchy
6.
Otto von Bismarck
–
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg, known as Otto von Bismarck, was a conservative Prussian statesman who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890. In the 1860s, he engineered a series of wars that unified the German states, significantly and deliberately excluding Austria, into a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership. With that accomplished by 1871, he skillfully used balance of power diplomacy to maintain Germanys position in a Europe which, despite many disputes and war scares, in 1862, King Wilhelm I appointed Bismarck as Minister President of Prussia, a position he would hold until 1890. He provoked three short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France, aligning the smaller German states behind Prussia in its defeat of France, in 1871, he formed the German Empire with himself as Chancellor, while retaining control of Prussia. His diplomacy of realpolitik and powerful rule at home gained him the nickname the Iron Chancellor, German unification and its rapid economic growth was the foundation to his foreign policy. He disliked colonialism but reluctantly built an empire when it was demanded by both elite and mass opinion. A master of politics at home, Bismarck created the first welfare state in the modern world. In the 1870s, he allied himself with the Liberals and fought the Catholic Church in what was called the Kulturkampf and he lost that battle as the Catholics responded by forming a powerful Centre party and using universal male suffrage to gain a bloc of seats. Bismarck then reversed himself, ended the Kulturkampf, broke with the Liberals, imposed protective tariffs, a devout Lutheran, he was loyal to his king, who argued with Bismarck but in the end supported him against the advice of his wife and his heir. Under Wilhelm I, Bismarck largely controlled domestic and foreign affairs, until he was removed by the young Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890, bismarck—a Junker himself—was strong-willed, outspoken and sometimes judged overbearing, but he could also be polite, charming and witty. Occasionally he displayed a violent temper, and he kept his power by threatening resignation time and again. He possessed not only a national and international vision but also the short-term ability to juggle complex developments. As the leader of what historians call revolutionary conservatism, Bismarck became a hero to German nationalists, many historians praise him as a visionary who was instrumental in uniting Germany and, once that had been accomplished, kept the peace in Europe through adroit diplomacy. Bismarck was born in Schönhausen, a family estate situated west of Berlin in the Prussian province of Saxony. He had two siblings, Bernhard and Malwine, the world saw Bismarck as a typical Prussian Junker, an image that he encouraged by wearing military uniforms. Bismarck was well educated and cosmopolitan with a gift for conversation, in addition to his native German, he was fluent in English, French, Italian, Polish and Russian. Bismarck was educated at Johann Ernst Plamanns elementary school, and the Friedrich-Wilhelm, from 1832 to 1833, he studied law at the University of Göttingen, where he was a member of the Corps Hannovera, and then enrolled at the University of Berlin. In 1838, while stationed as an army reservist in Greifswald, at Göttingen, Bismarck befriended the American student John Lothrop Motley
7.
King of Bavaria
–
King of Bavaria was a title held by the hereditary Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria in the state known as the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 until 1918, when the kingdom was abolished. It was the kingdom, almost a thousand years after the short-lived Carolingian kingdom of Bavaria. Under the terms of the Treaty of Pressburg concluded 26 December 1805 between Napoleonic France and Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, several principalities allied to Napoleon were elevated to kingdoms. One of the staunchest of these had been the prince-elector of Bavaria, Maximilian IV Joseph and he was a member of the Wittelsbach branch Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken. Maximilians successors resisted German nationalism, and Bavaria became the protector of smaller states whose leaders felt threatened by Prussia or Austria in the German Confederation, religious ties linked the state more to Austria until their defeat in the Austro-Prussian War. King Ludwig II signed an alliance with Prussia on 22 August 1866, with the treaty of 23 November 1870 Bavaria was integrated into the new German Empire, but permitted a relatively large degree of self-determination. The Kings of Bavaria maintained their titles, and maintained separate diplomatic, when the German Empire was abolished in November 1918 after the end of World War I, the last king of Bavaria, Ludwig III, was deposed. See List of rulers of Bavaria for these, franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern, styled His Royal Highness The Duke of Bavaria, is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Rulers of Bavaria History of Bavaria Queen of Bavaria
8.
Ludwig II of Bavaria
–
Ludwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He is sometimes called the Swan King or der Märchenkönig and he also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Franconia, and Duke in Swabia. He succeeded to the throne aged 18, two years later Bavaria and Austria fought a war against Prussia, which they lost. However, in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 Bavaria sided with Prussia against France and he commissioned the construction of two lavish palaces and the Neuschwanstein Castle, and was a devoted patron of the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig spent all his royal revenues on these projects, borrowed extensively and this extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation which has since come under scrutiny. Today, his architectural and artistic legacy includes many of Bavarias most important tourist attractions, born in Nymphenburg Palace, he was the elder son of Maximilian II of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach, and his wife Princess Marie of Prussia. His younger brother, born three years later, was named Otto, like many young heirs in an age when kings governed most of Europe, Ludwig was continually reminded of his royal status. King Maximilian wanted to both of his sons in the burdens of royal duty from an early age. Ludwig was both extremely indulged and severely controlled by his tutors and subjected to a regimen of study. There are some who point to these stresses of growing up in a family as the causes for much of his odd behavior as an adult. Ludwig was not close to either of his parents, King Maximilians advisers had suggested that on his daily walks he might like, at times, to be accompanied by his future successor. The King replied, But what am I to say to him, after all, my son takes no interest in what other people tell him. Later, Ludwig would refer to his mother as my predecessors consort and he was far closer to his grandfather, the deposed and notorious King Ludwig I, who came from a family of eccentrics. Ludwigs childhood years did have happy moments and he lived for much of the time at Castle Hohenschwangau, a fantasy castle his father had built near the Alpsee near Füssen. It was decorated in the Gothic Revival style with frescoes depicting heroic German sagas. The family also visited Lake Starnberg, as an adolescent, Ludwig became close friends with his aide de camp, Prince Paul, a member of Bavarias wealthy Thurn und Taxis family. The two young men together, read poetry aloud, and staged scenes from the Romantic operas of Richard Wagner. The friendship ended when Paul became engaged in 1866, during his youth Ludwig also initiated a lifelong friendship with his cousin, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, later Empress of Austria
9.
King of Saxony
–
This article lists Dukes, Electors, and Kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918. See Counts Palatine of Saxony In the 10th century the Emperor Otto I created the County Palatine of Saxony in the Saale-Unstrut area of southern Saxony. Hadugato Berthoald Theoderic Widukind Abo Banzleibs With the final removal of the Welfs in 1180, westphalia fell to the Archbishop of Cologne, while the Duchies of Brunswick and Lüneburg remained with the Welfs. The Ascanian Dukes had their base further east, near the Elbe, the post carve-up Saxony is therefore sometimes called the younger Duchy of Saxony. Also the counting of its dukes is discontinued, the second post carve-up duke Albert I is already usually counted as the first, although before 1180 he had one predecessor of the same name, being even his grandfather Albert the Bear. The new dukes replaced the Saxon horse emblem and introduced their Ascanian family colours and emblem added by a bendwise crancelin, symbolising the Saxon ducal crown, the later rulers of the House of Wettin adopted the Ascanian coat-of-arms. In 1314 both lines found themselves on different sides in a double election, eventually, the Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg succeeded in 1356 after the promulgation of the Golden Bull. To distinguish him from other rulers bearing the title Duke of Saxony, for the predecessor see the section Ascanian or younger Duchy of Saxony above in this article. Of these, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, and Saxe-Altenburg lasted until 1918 and this article does not list the subsequent Ernestine dukes. The Golden Bull of 1356 confirmed the right to participate in the election of a Holy Roman Emperor to the Duke of Saxony in the Saxe-Wittenberg line, for the predecessor see the section Ascanian Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg above in this article. The Holy Roman Empire came to an end in 1806, the Elector of Saxony, allied to Napoleon I, anticipated its dissolution by becoming the ruler of an independent Kingdom of Saxony in 1806. The legal line of succession of the house of Wettin has continued to the present, for later rulers, see List of Ministers-President of Saxony. House of Wettin Line of succession to the former Saxon thrones History of Saxony Coat of arms of Saxony House Laws of the Kingdom of Saxony
10.
Albert of Saxony
–
Albert was a German King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin. He was the eldest son of Prince John, by his wife Amalie Auguste of Bavaria, Albert had a successful military career leading Saxon troops which participated in the First Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco-Prussian War. Otherwise, his reign as king was largely uneventful, Alberts education, as usual with German princes, concentrated to a great extent on military matters, but he attended lectures at the University of Bonn. His first experience of warfare came in 1849, when he served as a captain in the First War of Schleswig against Denmark. When the Austro-Prussian War broke out in 1866, Albert then Crown Prince, no attempt was made to defend Saxony, the Saxons fell back into Bohemia and effected a junction with the Austrians. They took a prominent part in the battles by which the Prussians forced the line of the Jizera, the Crown Prince, however, succeeded in effecting the retreat in good order, and in the decisive Battle of Königgrätz he held the extreme left of the Austrian position. The Saxons maintained their post with great tenacity, but were involved in the defeat of their allies. He proved a firm adherent of the Prussian alliance, on the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 he again commanded the Saxons, who were included in the 2nd army under Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, his old opponent. At the Battle of Gravelotte, they formed the left of the German army, and with the Prussian Guard carried out the attack on St Privat. He was succeeded in command of the XII corps by his brother Prince George, Alberts conduct in these engagements won for him the complete confidence of the army, and during the Siege of Paris his troops formed the north-east section of the investing force. After the conclusion of the Treaty of Frankfurt, he was left in command of the German army of occupation, on the conclusion of peace he was made an inspector-general of the army and a field marshal. On the death of his father King John on 29 October 1873, during his reign, the Saxon monarchy became constitutional. In the 1870s Albert initiated the construction of a Dresden suburb, at that time it was the largest garrison in Germany. Near the former suburb other buildings and places still bear his name, the Albertbrücke, the Alberthafen, the Albertplatz, in 1879 he initiated the re-construction of the Saint Afra School in Meissen. In 1897 he was appointed arbitrator between the claimants for the Principality of Lippe. In Dresden on 18 June 1853 Albert married Princess Carola, daughter of Gustav, Prince of Vasa and granddaughter of Gustav IV Adolf, Albert died at Sibyllenort on 19 June 1902, and was succeeded by his brother, who became King George. He was buried in Dresden on 23 June, among the present were both the German Emperor Wilhelm II and the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. Konrad Sturmhoefel, König Albert von Sachsen, georg von Schimpff, König Albert, Fünfzig Jahre Soldat
11.
Grand Duchy of Baden
–
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a state in the southwest of Germany on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918 and it came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subsequently split into different lines, which were unified in 1771. After World War II, the French military government in 1945 created the state of Baden out of the half of the former Baden. This portion of the former Baden was declared in its 1947 constitution to be the successor of the old Baden. The northern half of the old Baden was combined with northern Württemberg, becoming part of the American military zone, both Baden and Württemberg-Baden became states of West Germany upon its formation in 1949. In 1952 Baden merged with Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern to form Baden-Württemberg and this is the only merger of states that has taken place in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. The unofficial anthem of Baden is called Badnerlied and consists of four or five traditional verses, however, over the years, many more verses have been added – there are collections with up to 591 verses of the anthem. Baden came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden, in 1803 Baden was raised to Electoral dignity within the Holy Roman Empire. Upon the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Baden became the much-enlarged Grand Duchy of Baden, in 1815 it joined the German Confederation. During the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, Baden was a centre of revolutionist activities, in 1849, in the course of the Baden Revolution, it was the only German state that became a republic for a short while, under the leadership of Lorenzo Brentano. The revolution in Baden was suppressed mainly by Prussian troops, the Grand Duchy of Baden remained a sovereign country until it joined the German Empire in 1871. After the revolution of 1918, Baden became part of the Weimar Republic as the Republic of Baden, when the French Revolution threatened to overflow into the rest of Europe in 1792, Baden joined forces against France, and its countryside was devastated once more. In 1796, the margrave Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden, was compelled to pay an indemnity, fortune, however, soon returned to his side. Changing sides in 1805, he fought for Napoleon, with the result that, by the peace of Pressburg in that year, he obtained the Breisgau and other territories at the expense of the Habsburgs. In 1806, he joined the Confederation of the Rhine, declared himself a prince, became a grand duke. The Baden contingent continued to assist France, and by the Peace of Vienna in 1809, Charles fought for his father-in-law until after the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, when he joined the Allies. In 1815 Baden became a member of the German Confederation established by the Act of 8 June, however, in the haste of winding up the Congress, the question of the succession to the grand duchy did not get settled, a matter that would soon become acute. A controversy between Bavaria and Baden ensued, which was decided in favour of the Höchberg claims by a treaty signed by Baden
12.
Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden
–
Frederick I was the Grand Duke of Baden from 1856 to 1907. Frederick was born in Karlsruhe, on 9 September 1826 and he was the third son of Grand Duke Leopold and of his wife, Grand Duchess Sophie, who was born Princess of Sweden, daughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden. He became the heir presumptive to the Grand Duchy upon the death of his father in 1852, due to his brothers mental ill-health, he was Regent ad interim of Baden in 1852–1855, and took the title of Grand Duke in 1856. His brother, Louis II, died in 1858 and he was considered a relatively liberal supporter of a constitutional monarchy. During his reign the option of civil marriages was introduced in Baden as well as elections to the Lower House of the Parliament of Baden in 1904. In 1856, he married Princess Louise, daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and his wife, the Grand Duke had a pivotal role in the history of the Zionist Movement. In 1896 the Grand Duke met Theodor Herzl via their mutual acquaintance the reverend William Hechler, and helped Herzl in obtaining an audience with his nephew, the German Emperor. Frederick I was present at the proclamation of the German Empire at Versailles in 1871, as he was the only son-in-law of the Emperor and he died at his summer residence at the island of Mainau in southern Germany on 28 September 1907. Today, Mainau is owned by the Lennart Bernadotte-Stiftung, created by Fredericks great-grandson Count Lennart Bernadotte
13.
Grand Duchy of Hesse
–
Hesse lost its independence when it joined the German Empire in 1871. Before 1866, its northern neighbour was its former sister Landgraviate, since 1803 an Electorate, of Hesse-Kassel – for this reason, Hesse-Darmstadt was a member of Napoleons Confederation of the Rhine during the Napoleonic Wars. Rapidly expanding during the mediatizations, Hesse-Darmstadt became an amalgamation of smaller German states, the legal patchwork of the state culminated in a decree issued on 1 October 1806 by Louis I. The old territorial estates were abolished, which altered Hesse-Darmstadt from a mosaic of patrimonial fragments into a centralized, during the Congress of Vienna it was forced to cede the Duchy of Westphalia, which Hesse-Darmstadt had received in 1803, to the Kingdom of Prussia. However, Hesse-Darmstadt received some territory on the bank of the Rhine. The Grand Duchy changed its name to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, in 1867, the northern half of the Grand Duchy became a part of the North German Confederation, while the half of the Grand Duchy south of the Main remained outside. In 1871, it became a constituent state of the German Empire, the last Grand Duke, Ernst Ludwig, was forced from his throne at the end of World War I, and the state was renamed the Peoples State of Hesse. After World War II, the majority of the state combined with Frankfurt am Main, the Waldeck area, excluded were the Montabaur district from Hessen-Nassau and that part of Hessen-Darmstadt on the left bank of the Rhine, which became part of the Rhineland-Palatinate state. Wimpfen—an exclave of Hessen-Darmstadt—became part of Baden-Württemberg, in the district of Sinsheim, after a plebiscite on 29 April 1951, Bad Wimpfen was transferred from Sinsheim district to Heilbronn District. This change to Heilbronn was carried out on 1 May 1952, the Grand Duchy of Hesse was divided into three provinces, Starkenburg, Right bank of the Rhine, south of the Main. Rhenish Hesse, Left bank of the Rhine, territory gained from the Congress of Vienna, upper Hesse, North of the Main, separated from Starkenburg by the Free City of Frankfurt. List of rulers of Hesse Line of succession to the former Hessian throne Hessenlager Constitution of Hesse Das Großherzogtum Hessen 1806–1918 Großherzogtum Hessen 1910
14.
Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse
–
Louis IV, was the Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 13 June 1877 until his death. Through his own and his childrens marriages he was connected to the British Royal Family, to the Imperial House of Russia and to other reigning dynasties of Europe. On 1 July 1862, Louis married Princess Alice, the child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. On the day of the wedding, the Queen issued a warrant granting her new son-in-law the style of Royal Highness in the United Kingdom. The Queen also subsequently made Prince Louis a knight of the Order of the Garter, becoming parents in less than a year following their marriage, the young royal couple found themselves strapped financially to maintain the lifestyle expected of their rank. In March 1877, Louis became heir presumptive to the Hessian throne when his father died and, from then on, he reigned and raised his five surviving children alone. In the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War, Louis led the Hessian contingent of the armies of the North German Confederation, on 13 June 1877, he succeeded his uncle as Grand Duke of Hesse, taking the name Ludwig IV. His second wife received the title Countess von Romrod, but the couple, facing objections from the Grand Dukes in-laws, separated within a week and the marriage was annulled within three months. Grand Duke Ludwig IV died on 13 March 1892 of a stroke in the New Palace in Darmstadt and was succeeded by his son and his remains are buried at Rosenhöhe, the mausoleum for the Grand Ducal House outside of Darmstadt. On his accession as Grand Duke on 13 June 1877 he also styled as His Royal Highness in Hesse. United Kingdom, Knight of the Order of the Garter
15.
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
–
The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a territory in Northern Germany held by the House of Mecklenburg residing at Schwerin. It was a member state of the German Confederation and became a federated state of the North German Confederation. The smaller southeastern part was held by the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz branch of the ducal house. Likewise in the west, the Duchy of Holstein was incorporated into the Schleswig-Holstein Province, in the early years of the French Revolutionary Wars Duke Frederick Francis I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin had remained neutral, and in 1803 he regained Wismar, which was pawned to him from Sweden. After Napoleons victory at the Battle of Austerlitz and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. Napoleon, in preparation for the French invasion of Russia in 1812, disregarded this alliance, instead, Denmark was promised the adjacent lands of Swedish Pomerania by the 1814 Peace of Kiel and the rule of the Mecklenburg dukes remained inviolate. In 1819 serfdom was abolished in his dominions. During the revolutions of 1848, the duchy witnessed a considerable agitation in favour of a liberal constitution, on 10 October 1849 Grand Duke Frederick Francis II granted a new Basic law elaborated by his First Minister Ludwig von Lützow. In the dispute over neighbouring Holstein which culminated in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, Frederick Francis II supported the Kingdom of Prussia and his grand duchy began to pass more and more under Prussian influence. In 1867 he joined the North German Confederation and the Zollverein, in the Franco-Prussian War, Prussia again received valuable assistance from Grand Duke Frederick Francis II, who was an ardent advocate of German unity and held a high command in her armies. In the course of the German unification in 1871, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, there was now renewed agitation for a more democratic constitution, and the German Reichstag parliament gave some countenance to this movement. In 1897 Frederick Francis IV succeeded his father Frederick Francis III as the last grand duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in 1907 the Grand Duke promised a constitution to his subjects. The duchy had always been under a system of government. The duchy shared a diet, which met for a short session each year, at other times they were represented by a committee consisting of the proprietors of knights estates, known as the Ritterschaft, and the Landschaft, or burgomasters of certain towns. Mecklenburg-Schwerin returned six members to the Reichstag, upon the suicide of his cousin Grand Duke Adolphus Frederick VI on 23 February 1918, Frederick Francis served as regent of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Shortly afterwards, on 14 November, he was forced to renounce the Mecklenburg throne in the course of the German Revolution, the grand duchy turned into the Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, a federated state of the Weimar Republic. Thereby ended nearly eight centuries of rule by the originally Obotrite Mecklenburg dynasty. Until 1918 the grand duke was styled as Prince of the Wends and this article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh, ed. article name needed
16.
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
–
The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a territory in Northern Germany, held by the younger line of the House of Mecklenburg residing in Neustrelitz. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–19 it was succeeded by the Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the first was bounded by the Prussian provinces of Pomerania and Brandenburg, the second bordered on the Duchy of Lauenburg and the territory of the Free City of Lübeck. Major towns beside Neustrelitz included Neubrandenburg, Friedland, Woldegk, Stargard, Fürstenberg, the Grand Duchy also comprised the former commandries of the Knights Hospitaller in Mirow and Nemerow. Thereupon, the Grand Duchy joined the North German Confederation and the reconstituted Zollverein, also in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, the Kingdom of Prussia received valuable assistance from Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1871 both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz became States of the German Empire, Mecklenburg-Strelitz returned one member to the Bundesrat chamber of states. However, the Grand Duke was still styled Prince of the Wends, the Grand Dukes exercised absolute power through their ministers, with an antiquated type of diet representing social classes. There was now a renewal of agitation for a democratic constitution. In 1904 Adolphus Frederick V, a son of Grand Duke Frederick William and his wife Princess Augusta of Cambridge, daughter of Prince Adolphus, in 1907, the grand duke promised a constitution to the duchys subjects, but this was met with opposition from the nobility. The Mecklenburg-Strelitz dynasty ended just prior to the loss of the monarchy in developments associated with World War I, in 1914, before the proclamation of war between Germany and Russia, Duke Charles Michael renounced his Mecklenburgish citizenship. On 23 February 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Frederick VI committed suicide, George subsequently assumed the title Duke of Mecklenburg which was acknowledged by Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He was later given the style of Highness by the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, georges grandson Borwin is the present head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The county of Mecklenburg in the U. S. state of North Carolina, the City of Charlotte, known as The Queen City was named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III of Great Britain. Queen Charlotte was Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, born on 19 May 1744 and she was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prince of Mirow and his wife Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh
17.
Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
–
Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg was the Grand Duke of Oldenburg from 1853 to 1900. He claimed hereditary parts of Duchy of Holstein after the Second Schleswig War in 1864, after signing a treaty on 23 February 1867 in Kiel, he renounced his claims. But, he received the district of Ahrensbök, the Prussian parts of the former Principality of Lübeck, thus the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg gained access to the Baltic Sea. Duke Nikolaus Friedrich Peter was the son of Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg by his second wife Princess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. He was born on 8 July 1827 in Oldenburg, in his youth, he served as a General of Cavalry in the Prussian army. He also served as General of Infantry in the Hanoverian army, on 10 February 1852, Peter married Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg. She was the daughter of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Amelia of Württemberg. They had two sons, Frederick Augustus and George, Peter II may have had an illegitimate son, Peter Altmann, married and had issue. He succeeded his father as Grand Duke in 1853, Peter ruled over a population of roughly 800,000. Peters family had ties to the Russian imperial family, so that he sided with Russia against Austria during the Crimean War, during the First Schleswig-Holstein War, he laid claim to part of the territories seized by Prussia, but in 1866 ceded his claim to the duchies. The following year, he created a compact with Prussia. In 1896, his wife Elisabeth died and she died a year after their daughter-in-law Elisabeth Anna. After suffering from heart trouble resulting from work, Peters physicians recommended he have a long trip abroad. He died the year, on 13 June 1900 at his summer residence in Rastede. He was succeeded as Grand Duke by his eldest son, Frederick Augustus
18.
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
–
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created as a duchy in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. It was raised to a Grand duchy in 1815 by resolution of the Vienna Congress, in 1903, it officially changed its name to the Grand Duchy of Saxony, but this name was rarely used. The Grand Duchy came to an end in the German Revolution of 1918–19 with the monarchies of the German Empire. It was succeeded by the Free State of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, which was merged into the new state of Thuringia two years later. The full grand ducal style was Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Landgrave in Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen, Princely Count of Henneberg, Lord of Blankenhayn, Neustadt, the Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach branch is the most genealogically senior extant branch of the House of Wettin. The Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach consisted of three areas, each of which formed a Kreis administratively, plus several exclaves. Neighboring countries were Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, Hesse-Kassel, the northern part of the Weimar district was flat and part of the Thuringian Basin, the southern and eastern parts were situated on the Ilm-Saale Plateau and in the Saale valley. The district Neustadt was located in hills with altitudes between 200 and 400 meters, acting Prime Minister Goethe once described Weimar as Athens on the Ilm. The highest elevation in the duchy were the Kickelhahn near Ilmenau, the Ellenbogen in the Rhön. In 1895, the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was administratively divided into three districts Kreise, Furthermore, the districts of Weimar and Eisenach were each subdivided into two Bezirke. In the case of Weimar, these were, Weimar and Apolda, in all, there were 31 cities and 594 municipalities in the Grand Duchy. The Grand Dukes of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach granted city status to three localities in the state, namely Berka/Werra, Ruhla and Münchenbernsdorf, in 1840, there were 13 cities with over 2,000 inhabitants. In the 70 years to 1910, the Grand Duchy industrialized heavily, the population of Stadtlengsfeld shrank dramatically after the Jewish emancipation, when most of the citys Jewish citizens migrated to larger cities. In 1910, several towns had grown past the 2,000 inhabitants mark, Ruhla, Blankenhain, Bad Sulza, Auma, Triptis, Tiefenort, Bad Berka, Oberweimar, Oldisleben. The first Duke of the union was Ernest Augustus I. His son Ernest Augustus II reigned for three years, and died at the age of 20 years. At the age of 18, he married the Brunswick Princess Anna Amalia, one year his junior, a year later she gave birth to her son, Charles Augustus and after another year, when she was already a widow, to her son Constantine. As Dowager Duchess Anna Amalia actively took up the regency, with the approval of the Empress Maria Theresa, as educator for her sons, she employed the poet Christoph Martin Wieland, who was a professor at the university of Erfurt
19.
Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe
–
The division occurred because Count Otto V of Holstein-Schaumburg had died in 1640 leaving no male heir. It was further threatened by the policies of ruling Count Friedrich Christian. To counter these threats, Friedrichs grandson Count Wilhelm retained a standing army of up to 1000 troops - quite a lot for such a small territory, with Wilhelms 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, in 1913, it was the smallest state in the German Empire in terms of population. The capital was Bückeburg, and Stadthagen was the other town. Schaumburg-Lippe sent one member to the Bundesrat and one deputy to the Reichstag and 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
20.
Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
–
Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe was a ruler of the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe. He was born in Bückeburg to Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Ida of Waldeck and he succeeded as Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe following the death of his father, Prince Georg Wilhelm on the 21 November 1860. In 1866, Schaumburg-Lippe signed a treaty with Prussia, and in 1867 entered a military union. Also in 1867, Schaumburg-Lippe became a member of the North German Confederation and his mother was a sister of her father. The couple had eight children, Princess Hermine of Schaumburg-Lippe, married Duke Maximilian of Württemberg, Prince Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe, succeeded his father as Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, married Princess Marie Anne of Saxe-Altenburg. Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, married Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz, Prince Otto Heinrich of Schaumburg-Lippe, married Anna von Koppen. Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe, married Princess Viktoria of Prussia, daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria
21.
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
–
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt. Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands, in 1583 Count Günther XLI of Schwarzburg, the eldest son of Günther XL the Rich and ruler over the united Schwarzburg lands, had died without issue. He was succeeded by his brothers, whereby Albert VII received the territory around Rudolstadt. Alberts descendants ruled as sovereign counts of the Holy Roman Empire and it withstood the mediatisation and after the Empires dissolution joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807 and the German Confederation in 1815. On 23 November 1918, during the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the former principality became a Free State in 1919, that was merged into the new state of Thuringia in the next year. In 1905 Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt had an area of 940 km2 and a population of 97,000, on the death of the childless Prince Günther Victor in 1925, he was succeeded by Prince Sizzo, who was the son of Prince Friedrich Günther from his second, morganatic marriage. Prince Sizzo was recognised as a member of the House of Schwarzburg in 1896. He was succeeded in 1926 by his son, Prince Friedrich Günther
22.
George Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
–
Georg Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was the penultimate sovereign prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He was born in Rudolstadt the son of Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Princess Augusta was the daughter of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels and his wife Duchess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the daughter of Grand Duke Charles II. Following the death of his uncle Friedrich Günther on June 28,1867 his father Albert ascended the throne thereby making Georg the heir apparent with the title Hereditary Prince. His father died on November 26,1869 two years after ascending the throne, with Georg becoming the new sovereign prince, Prince Georg never married and following his death in Rudolstadt he was succeeded as prince by his first cousin once removed Günther. He was buried in Stadtkirche in Rudolstadt and his Serene Highness Prince Georg of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt His Serene Highness The Prince Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Marek, Miroslav. Genealogy of the House of Schwarzburg
23.
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
–
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with its capital at Sondershausen. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county until 1697, in that year, it became a principality, which lasted until the fall of the German monarchies in 1918, during the German Revolution of 1918–1919. After the German Revolution, 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, towns placed in the state were, Arnstadt, Sondershausen, Gehren, Langewiesen, Großbreitenbach, Ebeleben, Großenehrich, Greußen and Plaue. Prince Sizzo was recognised as a member of the House of Schwarzburg in 1896. He was succeeded in 1926 by his son, Prince Friedrich Günther
24.
Principality of Lippe
–
Lippe was a historical state in Germany, ruled by the House of Lippe. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest. The founder of what would become the Principality of Lippe was Bernhard I, Bernhard I assumed the title of edler Herr von Lippe. Bernhards successors inherited and obtained several counties, lord Simon V was the first ruler of Lippe to style himself as a count. Following the death of Simon VI in 1613, the principality was split into three counties, Lippe-Detmold went to Simon VII, Lippe-Brake to Otto and Lippe-Alverdissen went to Philip I, the Lippe-Brake county was reunited with the main Detmold line in 1709. Another branch of the family was founded by Jobst Herman, a son of Simon VII, the Counts of Lippe-Detmold were granted the title of Prince of The Empire in 1789. Shortly after becoming a state of the German Empire in 1871. This resulted in a dispute between the neighbouring principality of Schaumburg-Lippe and the Lippe-Biesterfeld line. The dispute was resolved by the Imperial Court in Leipzig in 1905, with the passing to the Lippe-Biesterfeld line who. The Principality of Lippe came to an end on 12 November 1918 with the abdication of Leopold IV, in 1947, Lippe merged into the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The princely family still owns the estate and castle at Detmold, ordinances and by-laws of the county of Lippe online Guidelines for the integration of the Land Lippe within the territory of the federal state North-Rhine-Westphalia of 17 January 1947
25.
Woldemar, Prince of Lippe
–
Woldemar of Lippe was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe, reigning from 1875 until his death. Prince Woldemar of Lippe was born in Detmold the third child of Leopold II, Lippes reigning prince, Woldemar was married to Princess Sophie of Baden a daughter of Prince William of Baden on 9 November 1858 in Karlsruhe. Following the death of his brother Leopold III on 8 December 1875 Woldemar succeeded him as Prince of Lippe, in 1892 along with the other German sovereigns Woldemar attended a gathering in Berlin with the German Emperor William II. After the Emperor described the other sovereigns as his vassals, Prince Waldemar took exception and interrupted the speech to say, No, Sire, not your vassals. This was seen as the Coup de grâce to the Emperors ambition to become Emperor of Germany instead of just German Emperor, following his death in Detmold Woldemar was succeeded as Prince of Lippe by his brother Alexander. His brother however was suffering from an illness and as he had been placed under legal restrictions in 1870 and 1893 it was necessary for a regency to established in Lippe. Prince Woldemar foreseeing this had made a provision in his will that the regency should go to Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe the brother in law of the German Emperor, there were various compromises and the matter was finally resolved in 1905. The Love to Know article, based on the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th Edition is at A summary of events can be found at Wikinfo
26.
Principality of Reuss-Greiz
–
The Principality of Reuss-Greiz, called the Principality of the Reuss Elder Line after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower- and Upper Greiz, were elevated to status in 1778. Its members bore the title Prince Reuss, Elder Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz, the Principality of Reuss Elder Line had an area of 317 km² and a population of 71,000. The Reuss Elder Line died out with the death of the childless Heinrich XXIV in 1927, after which its claims were passed to the younger line
27.
Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz
–
Prince Heinrich XXII Reuss of Greiz was the reigning sovereign of Reuss, a small principality of the German states, from 1859 to his death in 1902. Prince Heinrich succeeded as reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz after the death of his father on 8 November 1859, as Heinrich was a mere thirteen years of age, his mother Caroline of Hesse-Homburg served as regent until his majority at the age of 21. As the daughter of an Austrian general and the wife of an Austrian officer, as a result, during the Austro-Prussian War, Reuss was occupied by Prussian troops, who remained until a payment of 100,000 thalers. On 28 March 1867, Heinrich took the reins of government into his own hands, upon taking full power, he gave his principality its first constitution. Like his parents, Heinrich remained anti-Prussian his entire life, repeatedly rejecting Prussian measures such as Kulturkampf, Heinrich lost no opportunity to displease the Emperor, declining to permit the construction of any memorial to Emperor Wilhelm I, Wilhelm IIs beloved grandfather. Prince Heinrich was very wealthy, as the part of the territory he ruled over was his private property. At the end of his rule, Reuss contained fewer than 70,000 people, there was much debate however on which particular royal dynasty would become Emperor, as many Germans refused to back the Hohenzollern claim. On 8 October 1872, he married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, Prince Johann Georg of Schoenaich-Carolath, ∞ II. Ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II Princess Ida ∞ Fürst Christoph Martin III, zu Stolberg-Roßla Prince Heinrich died of heart trouble on 19 April 1902. His death meant his mentally and physically disabled only son Prince Heinrich became reigning prince of Reuss, as the prince was clearly unable to fulfill these duties, arrangements for a regency were made. A younger branch of the Reuss family was next-in-line to the title,28 March 1846 –8 November 1859, His Serene Highness Prince Heinrich XXII Reuss of Greiz 8 November 1859 –19 April 1902, His Serene Highness The Prince Reuss of Greiz Harbutt Dawson, William. The German Empire, 1867-1914, and the Unity Movement
28.
Principality of Reuss-Gera
–
The Principality of Reuss-Gera, called the Principality of the Reuss Junior Line after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Gera, of Schleiz, of Lobenstein, of Köstritz and of Ebersdorf, each became princes in 1806, one may also refer to them using their branch names. The territories of four branches of the Junior Line amalgamated between 1824 and 1848. In 1905 the Principality of Reuss Junior Line had an area of 827 km2, the House of Reuss practises an unusual system of naming and numbering the male members of the family, every one of which for centuries has borne the name Heinrich. In consequence of this system, certain heads of the Reuss Junior Line have had the highest numbers attached to their name of any European nobility. Note also that the children within a single nuclear family need not bear sequential numbers. For example, the sons of Prince Heinrich LXVII Reuss of Schleiz, in order of their births, used the names Heinrich V, Heinrich VIII, Heinrich XI, Heinrich XIV, and Heinrich XVI. A notable member of family, Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf. The designation junior line fell into abeyance in 1930, the line had become extinct as its last member, Heinrich XXIV, renounced his rights in 1918
29.
Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line
–
Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line was Prince Reuss Younger Line from 1867 to 1913. Heinrich XIV was born at Coburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, sixth child of Heinrich LXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line, at the death of his father on 11 July 1867 he inherited the throne of the Principality. In 1869 he founded the Reussian Prince Cross of Honour. Heinrich XIV married on 6 February 1858 at Karlsruhe to Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, younger child of Duke Eugen of Württemberg by his second marriage with Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. They had two children, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line, married in 1884 to Pricess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, had issue, Princess Elisabeth Reuss of Schleiz, married in 1887 to Prince Hermann of Solms-Braunfels, had issue. He married secondly in a marriage on 14 February 1890 at Gera to Friederike Graetz, daughter of Johann Philipp Graetz. They had one son, Baron Heinrich of Saalburg, married in 1924 to Margarethe Groenwoldt, no issue
30.
Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont
–
The County of Waldeck was a state of the Holy Roman Empire and its successors from the late 12th century until 1929. In 1349 the county gained Imperial immediacy and in 1712 was raised to the rank of Principality and it comprised territories in present-day Hesse and Lower Saxony. Waldeck was a county within the Holy Roman Empire from about 1200 and its counts included Adolf II of Waldeck from 1270 to 1276. In 1655, its seat and the residence of its rulers shifted from the castle and small town of Waldeck, overlooking the Eder river and first mentioned in 1120. In 1625, the county of Pyrmont became part of the county through inheritance. In January 1712, the count of Waldeck and Pyrmont was elevated to prince by Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor. For a brief period,1805 to 1812, Pyrmont was a principality as a result of inheritance and partition after the death of the previous prince. The independence of the principality was confirmed in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, from 1868 onward, the principality was administered by Prussia, but retained its legislative sovereignty. In 1871, the principality became a constituent state of the new German Empire, in 1905, Waldeck and Pyrmont had an area of 1121 km2 and a population of 59,000. The princely house of Waldeck and Pyrmont is closely related to the family of the Netherlands. The last ruling prince, Frederick, was the brother of Queen consort Emma of the Netherlands
31.
George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
–
George Victor was the 3rd sovereign Prince of the German state of Waldeck and Pyrmont. He was born in Arolsen the son of George II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and he succeeded as prince originally under the guardianship of his mother on 15 May 1845 following the death of his father. He died of pneumonia in Marienbad, Bohemia and was succeeded by his eldest son Friedrich, George Victor was first married on 26 September 1853 in Wiesbaden to Princess Helena of Nassau, daughter of William, Duke of Nassau. They had seven children, Princess Sophie, died of tuberculosis at fifteen, Princess Pauline married Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt. Princess Marie who married Prince William, later King William II of Württemberg, Princess Emma who married King William III of the Netherlands. The present Dutch royal family descends from this marriage, Princess Helena who married British Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. Amongst her children was Charles Edward, last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg, Prince Friedrich, last reigning prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, married Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe Princess Elisabeth married Alexander, Prince of Erbach-Schönberg. His second marriage took place in Luisenlund on 29 April 1891 to Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, from this marriage he had one son who was killed in action shortly after outbreak of the First World War
32.
Duchy of Anhalt
–
The Duchy of Anhalt was a historical German duchy. The territory is now part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Anhalts origins lie in the Principality of Anhalt, a state of the Holy Roman Empire, during the 9th century, most of Anhalt was part of the duchy of Saxony. In the 12th century, it came under the rule of Albert the Bear, Albert was descended from Albert, count of Ballenstedt, whose son Esico appears to have been the first to bear the title of count of Anhalt. Esicos grandson, Otto the Rich, count of Ballenstedt, was the father of Albert the Bear, when Albert died in 1170, his son Bernard, who received the title of duke of Saxony in 1180, became count of Anhalt. Bernard died in 1212, and Anhalt, separated from Saxony, passed to his son Henry I, on Henrys death in 1252, his three sons divided the principality and founded the respective lines of Aschersleben, Bernburg and Zerbst. The family ruling in Aschersleben became extinct in 1315, and this district was incorporated with the neighbouring Bishopric of Halberstadt. The last prince of the line of Anhalt-Bernburg died in 1468 and his lands were inherited by the princes of the remaining line. The territory belonging to this branch of the family had divided in 1396. Early in the 16th century, however, owing to the death or abdication of several princes, after the peace of Passau in 1552, Prince Wolfgang bought back his principality, but as he was childless he surrendered it in 1562 to his kinsmen, the princes of Anhalt-Dessau. Around 1546, the three brothers divided their principality and founded the lines of Zerbst, Plötzkau and Dessau, the first united principality of Anhalt was short-lived, and in 1603, it was split up into the mini-states of Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Zerbst and Anhalt-Plötzkau. Joachim Ernest died in 1586 and his five sons ruled the land in common until 1603, when Anhalt was again divided, 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 princes of Anhalt, which gave a certain authority to the eldest member of the family. This proceeding was due to the necessity of maintaining an appearance of unity in view of the disturbed state of European politics. In the same year the princes of Anhalt decided that, if any branch of the family became extinct and 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, 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 neighbour. In 1806, Napoleon elevated the states of Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau
33.
Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt
–
Frederick I was a German prince of the house of Ascania who ruled the Duchy of Anhalt from 1871 to 1904. Frederick was born in Dessau in 1831 as the child and only son of Duke Leopold IV of Anhalt-Dessau and his wife Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia. He studied in Bonn and Geneva, and in 1851 entered the Prussian military at Potsdam, in 1863 he became heir to the united Duchy of Anhalt, when his father Leopold IV had inherited all the Anhalt territories following the death of the last Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg. In 1864, he participated in the Second Schleswig War in the staff of his brother-in-law, Prince Frederic Charles of Prussia and he was present at the proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at the Versailles Palace on 18 January 1871. Frederick succeeded his father as Duke of Anhalt on 22 May 1871, on 23 January 1904 he suffered an apoplectic stroke and died the next day at Ballenstedt castle. As his eldest son Leopold had predeceased him, he was succeeded as Duke by his son who became Frederick II. He was married on 22 April 1854 at Altenburg to Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg and she was a daughter of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife Princess Amalie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
34.
Duchy of Brunswick
–
The Duchy of Brunswick was a historical German state. Its capital was the city of Brunswick and it was established as the successor state of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In the course of the 19th-century history of Germany, the duchy was part of the German Confederation and it was disestablished after the end of World War I, its territory incorporated into the Weimar Republic as the Free State of Brunswick. The title Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg was held, from 1235 on and these holdings did not have all of the formal characteristics of a modern unitary state, being neither compact nor indivisible. The unifying element of all territories was that they were ruled by male-line descendants of Duke Otto I. After several early divisions, Brunswick-Lüneburg re-unified under Duke Magnus II, following his death, his three sons jointly ruled the Duchy. After the murder of their brother Frederick I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, brothers Bernard and Henry redivided the land, received the southern half of Brunswick-Lüneburg as Prince of Wolfenbüttel while his brother John became Prince of Lüneburg. Wolfenbüttel fell to his brother Albert II, Otto the Mild 1318–1344, son of Albert II, was Prince of Wolfenbüttel and Prince of Göttingen. After his death his son Ernest became Prince of Göttingen 1344–1367, Magnus the Pious became Prince of Wolfenbüttel 1344–1369. Magnus son Magnus II with the Necklace, Prince of Wolfenbüttel 1369–1373, the War of the Lüneburg Succession continued until 1388. Frederick 1373–1400, son of Magnus II, conquered Lüneburg in 1388, succeeded by his brothers, Henry the Mild, 1400–1408 Bernard, 1409–1428. Returned control of Wolfenbüttel to his nephew, Henrys son, was deprived by his brother, Henry the Peaceful 1432–1473, moved the residence to Wolfenbüttel. William regained control of Wolfenbüttel after his brothers death, and left the Principality to his two sons, Frederick III 1482–1484, imprisoned and deprived of power by his younger brother, William IV 1484–1491. Took control of all of Wolfenbüttel, then ceded Wolfenbüttel to his sons, co-rulers, sons of William IV, Eric I 1491–1494. Divided the territory in 1494, taking Calenberg, sole ruler in Wolfenbüttel from 1494. Acquired Calenberg in 1584 on the death of his cousin Eric II, last of the male descendants of Albert the Tall. On Frederick Ulrichs death, his complex of territories passed to a line of distant cousins ruling in Lüneburg, Wolfenbüttel was eventually awarded to Augustus, son of Henry of Dannenberg. Augustus 1635–1666 Augustuss sons succeeded him, sometimes ruling together, Rudolph Augustus 1666–1704 Anthony Ulrich 1685–1702, deposed 1702–1704 for allying with France in the War of the Spanish Succession
35.
Saxe-Altenburg
–
Saxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilometers, the territory of the duchy consisted of two non-contiguous territories separated by land belonging to the Principality of Reuss. Its economy was based on agriculture, forestry, and small industry, the state had a constitutional monarchical form of government with a parliament composed of thirty members chosen by male taxpayers over 25 years of age. The duchy had its origins in the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland, upon a partition treaty of 1485, Altenburg fell to Ernst, Elector of Saxony, the progenitor of the Ernestine Wettins. After the Division of Erfurt in 1572 among Duke Johann Wilhelm of Saxony and his nephews, when Johann Wilhelms son and successor Friedrich Wilhelm I died in 1602, the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar passed to his younger brother Johann II. In 1603 Frederick Williams eldest son Johann Philipp received the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg as compensation and this family ruled the duchy until the end of the monarchies in the course of the German Revolution of 1918–19. 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. The Saxe-Altenburg line became extinct following the death of Prince George Moritz in 1991, the leadership of the house passed to Michael, head of the genealogically more senior house of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Its representation was merged with the one of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Ernestine duchies Chisholm, Hugh, ed. Saxe-Altenburg. Media related to Saxe-Altenburg at Wikimedia Commons Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small}
