Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig I was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Darmstadt was the capital of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Today, the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

The interior of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

The Stadtkirche Darmstadt (Darmstadt City Church) is the main Protestant church in Darmstadt, Germany. However, the church we see today was reconstructed from 1946 to 1952 after World War II bombings in 1943 and 1944 caused major damage. Originally a Roman Catholic church, in 1526, the Stadtkirche Darmstadt became an Evangelical Lutheran church during the German Reformation. Today, the Stadtkirche Darmstadt is a member of the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau (German: Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau), a United Protestant church body in the German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate.

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History

During the 8th or 9th century, a Frankish burial chapel was built on the site of Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Eventually, a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary was built on the site as a branch of the parish church in Bessungen. In 1369, Archbishop Gerlach of Nassau (link in German) raised the chapel to a parish church, and an addition was completed around 1380. Around 1420, the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, who ruled the County of Katzenelnbogen, rebuilt the church. The County of Katzenelnbogen existed from 1095 until 1479, when it was inherited by the Landgraves of Hesse.

Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, the founder of the Darmstadt line of the House of Hesse, built the crypt in Darmstadt City Church in 1576 after his firstborn son, five-month-old Philipp Wilhelm, died. Georg I intended the crypt to be the burial site for the House of Hesse-Darmstadt. The crypt initially consisted of an elongated room with an unadorned barrel vault beneath the northern choir wall. A few years later, a second vault was added, extending across the entire width of the choir. In 1615, Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, had both crypts decorated with colored and gilded stucco.

Epitaph for Georg I and his wife Magdalena: Credit – Wikipedia

On February 26, 1587, 35-year-old Magdalena of Lippe, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt, wife of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, died giving birth to her tenth child, who also died. Magdalena was buried in the choir of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Her husband Georg built an epitaph behind the high altar, which would serve as a memorial to Magdalena and himself. When Georg I died in 1596, he was buried with his wife in the choir of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt.

One of the crypts at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – www.findagrave.com

From 1615 to 1617, the crypt was enlarged on the orders of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. The church tower was rebuilt from 1627 to 1631 during the reign of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt, the second wife of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, had a great interest in the church and, under her orders, the main nave was rebuilt and the side aisles were widened from 1686 to 1687.

After 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, Darmstadt’s population increased significantly. To accommodate the growing population, a new Catholic church, Saint Ludwig’s Catholic Church (link in German), was built, and the Protestant congregation of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt was also to receive a new church.

The original plan to demolish the centuries-old Stadtkirche Darmstadt and construct a new church was met by protests from the citizens of Darmstadt. Instead, architect and town planner Georg Moller, the architect of Saint Ludwig’s Catholic Church and the Old Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt, planned a massive renovation of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt, but these plans were also rejected.

After the second plans were rejected, Georg Moller and city architect Johannes Jordan proposed a minor renovation. They planned a completely new nave with side aisles of equal height, keeping the orientation to the east. A Gothic style was chosen that would harmonize better with the existing Gothic choir. This project was completed by 1844, thanks to a donation from the merchant Johann Heinrich Fuhr (link in German). In 1929, Stadtkirche Darmstadt was renovated under the supervision of Karl Gruber (link in German), German architect, town planner, monument conservator, and architectural historian. The nave received a transverse roof, the church tower’s lantern was enlarged, and the outer walls were lowered by two meters.

World War II

Darmstadt after the bombing during the night of September 11/12 in 1944; Credit – Wikipedia

Darmstadt was bombed several times during World War II. The most destructive bombing occurred during the night of September 11/12, 1944, when the Royal Air Force bombed the city. The bombing caused a massive fire. Ninety-nine percent of the old town and city center was destroyed, and seventy-eight percent of Darmstadt’s buildings were destroyed, including the Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Karl Gruber, who renovated the church in 1929, supervised its reconstruction from 1946 to 1952.

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Burials at Stadtkirche Darmstadt

Coffins in a crypt at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt; Credit – www.findagrave.com

After the completion of the New Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt in 1910, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine had the coffins of the Grand Dukes and their families moved. They were transferred from the crypt of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt to the Old Mausoleum (link in German) at Rosenhöhe Park, which was built in 1826 following the death of Princess Elisabeth, the five-year-old daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig II and Grand Duchess Wilhelmine. The coffins of the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt and their families remained in the city church.

Current burials at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt:

  • Philipp Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1576), son of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Philipp VI, Count of Waldeck (1551 – 1579)
  • Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (1580 – 1582), daughter of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalene of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1586), daughter of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalena of Lippe, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1552 – 1587), first wife of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, died due to childbirth complications while delivering Johann below
  • Johann of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1587), son of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1547 – 1596)
  • Sabine von Anhalt (born and died 1599)
  • Heinrich of Hesse-Darmstadt (1590 – 1601), son of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Emrich of Leiningen-Hartenberg (born and died 1607)
  • Marie of Braunschweig-Lüneburg (1576 – 1610)
  • Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (1613 – 1614), daughter of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalene of Brandenburg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1582 – 1616), wife of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Eleonore of Württemberg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1552 – 1618), second wife of Georg I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1577 – 1626)
  • Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1607 – 1627), daughter of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Anna Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1627), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Heinrich of Hesse-Darmstadt (1612 – 1629), son of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  •  (1592 – 1641), Chancellor of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Johann of Hessen-Darmstadt (1642 – 1643), son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Agnes of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1645), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Magdalene Sybilla of Hesse-Darmstadt (1631 – 1651), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Johann of Hesse-Darmstadt, Landgrave of Hesse-Braubach (1609 – 1651), son of Ludwig V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Sophie Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died in 1653), daughter of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg of Hesse-Darmstadt (1654 – 1655), son of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1605 – 1661)
  • Dorothea Auguste of Holstein-Sonderburg (1636 – 1662), first wife of Georg of Hesse-Darmstadt, son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Marie Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1634 – 1665), first wife and first cousin of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Sophie Juliane of Hessen-Darmstadt (born and died 1668), daughter of ?
  • Sophie Eleonore of Saxony, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1609 – 1671), wife of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Auguste Philippine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1643 – 1672), daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Johann of Hesse-Darmstadt (1672 – 1673), son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Auguste Magdalene of Hesse-Darmstadt (1657 – 1674), daughter of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Friedrich of Hesse-Darmstadt (1659 – 1676), son of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Georg of Hesse of Darmstadt (1632 – 1676), son of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1630 – 1678)
  • Ludwig VII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1658 – 1678), after the death of his father (above), reigned for 18 weeks before he died of dysentery
  • Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1661 – 1705), first wife of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Carl Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (1693 – 1707), son of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (1640 – 1709), second wife of Ludwig VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Eleonore Dorothea of Hesse-Darmstadt (1669 – 1714), daughter of ?
  • Franz Ernst of Hesse-Darmstadt (1695 – 1716), son of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt (1720 – 1721), daughter of ?
  • Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg, Hereditary Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt (1700 – 1726), wife of the future Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1667 – 1739)
  • Luise Auguste Magdalene of Hesse-Darmstadt (1725 – 1742), daughter of  ?
  • Johann Friedrich Karl of Hesse-Darmstadt (1726 – 1746), son of ?
  • Georg Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (born and died 1750), son of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and grandson of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Luise Charlotte, Countess of Epstein (1727 – 1753), daughter of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and his second morganatic wife, Luise Sophie von Spiegel zum Desenberg, Countess of Eppstein
  • Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1691 – 1768)
  • Karoline of Nassau-Saarbrücken, Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken (1704 – 1774), wife of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
  • Friederike Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, Princess of Hesse-Kassel (1698 – 1777), daughter of Ernst Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Sophie Charlotte Francisca of Leiningen-Heidesheim (born and died 1781)
  • Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (1722 – 1782), son of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Amalie Marie Auguste of Bavaria (1790 – 1794), daughter of Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria and Auguste Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Carl Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt (1757 – 1795), son of ?
  • Auguste Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken (1765 – 1796), daughter of Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and granddaughter of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
  • Stillborn twin daughters of Ludwig X of Hesse-Darmstadt, later Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1789)
  • Gustav of Hesse-Darmstadt (1791- 1806), son of Ludwig X of Hesse-Darmstadt, later Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

Originally buried at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt, moved to the Old Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe:

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Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2006). Fürstentum des Heiligen Römischen Reiches deutscher Nation. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landgrafschaft_Hessen-Darmstadt
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2006). Kirchengebäude in Darmstadt. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtkirche_Darmstadt
  • Bombing of Darmstadt in World War II. (2019). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darmstadt_in_World_War_II
  • Evangelische Stadtkirchengemeinde Darmstadt – Home. (2025). Stadtkirche-Darmstadt.de. https://www.stadtkirche-darmstadt.de/
  • Fürstengruft Darmstadt. (2020). Schloesser-Hessen.de. https://www.schloesser-hessen.de/de/fuerstengruft-darmstadt
  • Hesse and by Rhine Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-hesse-and-by-rhine/hesse-and-by-rhine-royal-burial-sites/
  • Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Hessen – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2300373/stadtkirche-darmstadt
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Darmstadt. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darmstadt
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2023). Georg Moller. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Stadtkirche Darmstadt. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Chapel of Grace in Altötting, Bavaria, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

History

Chapel of Grace in Altötting, Bavaria, Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

The Chapel of Grace (Gnadenkapelle in German), also known as the Holy Chapel (Heilige Kapelle in German), is in Altötting, Bavaria, Germany. The original chapel dates from the 8th to 10th centuries and was expanded in the Gothic style in the 15th century. For 500 years, Roman Catholics have been making pilgrimages to Altötting in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, including Pope Pius VI in 1782, Pope Saint John Paul II in 1980, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. It is a Bavarian national shrine and one of the most important and most visited pilgrimage destinations in Germany and Europe.

The wooden image of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Chapel of Grace; Credit – By S. Finner: Siddhartha Finner, Dipl.Ing.-Architektur

Since the 14th century, the Chapel of Grace has housed an image made from linden wood of a standing Blessed Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus. The statue has been dressed in fabric from the wedding dresses of Bavarian princesses since 1518. The scepter and crown were donated by Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria. In 2006, when Pope Benedict XVI made a pilgrimage to Altötting, he laid his bishop’s ring, which he had worn until he was elected Pope, before the wooden image of Mary. The ring is now attached to the scepter on the statue. The Chapel of Grace became a popular pilgrim destination because of the miraculous recovery in 1489 of a drowned young boy after his mother laid his body before the wooden image and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary for a miracle.

What is a separate burial?

A separate burial is a form of partial burial in which internal organs are buried separately from the rest of the body. Separate burials of the heart and viscera (the intestines) were common among the higher ranks of European society. Removing the organs was part of normal embalming practices. When a person died too far from home to make a full body burial at home feasible, it was often more convenient for the heart or entrails to be carried home as representations of the deceased.

Eventually, in some royal families, separate burials became the usual practice. In addition to the separate burials of the House of Wittelsbach, the ruling family of Bavaria, the House of Habsburg, the ruling family of Austria, is also known for separate burials. It became traditional for the body to be interred in the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna, the heart to be placed in an urn in the Herzgruft, the Heart Crypt in the Loreto Chapel of the Augustinerkirche in Vienna, and the entrails to be placed in an urn in the Ducal Crypt of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.

Heart Burials at the Chapel of Grace

Heart urn of Karl VII, Holy Roman Emperor, Elector of Bavaria in the Chapel of Grace; Credit – Wikipedia – Von Ricardalovesmonuments – File: Gnadenkapelle (Altötting)

The Bavarian rulers of the Wittelsbach dynasty practiced separate burials as early as the late 1500s. When Georg (the Rich), Duke of Bavaria-Landshut died in 1503, his viscera were interred at the Church of Our Lady in Ingolstadt, and his body was interred in the Wittelsbach crypt in Landshut, Bavaria. Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, who died in Ingolstadt in 1651, began the Bavarian tradition of separate burial. His remains were divided into three parts and buried in three different places in Bavaria: his viscera were buried at the Church of Our Lady in Ingolstadt, his body was buried at St. Michael’s Church in Munich, and his heart was buried at the Chapel of Grace in Altötting, which established the Wittelsbach tradition of burying the hearts of family members there.

Below is a list of the heart urns placed in niches. These heart urns are visible and are made from silver, with some gilded and decorated with precious stones.

Below is a list of heart urns that are not visible because they are embedded in the wall or buried beneath the paved floor.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). Böhmisches Adelsgeschlecht. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternberg_(b%C3%B6hmisches_Adelsgeschlecht)
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2012). Form der Teilbestattung, bei der die Bestattung der inneren Organe getrennt vom übrigen Körper erfolgt. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getrennte_Bestattung
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2007). Wallfahrtskapelle in Altötting. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnadenkapelle_(Alt%C3%B6tting)
  • Gnadenort Altötting | Bistum Passau. (2025). Gnadenort Altötting; bistum-passau. https://www.gnadenort-altoetting.de/
  • Herzbestattungen. (2025). Gnadenort Altötting; bistum-passau. https://www.gnadenort-altoetting.de/geschichte-institutionen/geschichte-von-altoetting/herzbestattungen
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Altötting. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Heart-burial. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe; Credit – Wikipedia – Von Ikar.us,

History

Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, previously Margrave of Baden-Durlach and Margrave of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1738, ten-year-old Karl Friedrich succeeded as Margrave of Baden-Durlach upon his grandfather’s death. Baden-Durlach was one of the branches of the Margraviate of Baden, which had been divided several times over the previous 500 years. When August Georg, the last Margrave of Baden-Baden, died in 1771 without heirs, Karl Friedrich inherited the territory. This brought all the Baden territories together, and Karl Friedrich became Margrave of Baden. When the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke, of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden.

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim was the burial site of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden were buried at St. Michael’s Church. The Evangelische Stadtkirche Karlsruhe (Evangelical City Church Karlsruhe in English) was built between 1807 and 1816, during the reign of Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, on the Market Square in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, intended the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe to be the burial site for members of the Grand Ducal family. However, he died in 1811, before the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was complete, and was interred at Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim. Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, was the first family member interred at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. After 1888, most family members were interred at the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe. The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged during World War II. In 1946, all those buried there were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Why was the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel built?

Prince Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 23, 1888, twenty-two-year-old Prince Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden, the younger son of Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden and his wife, born Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm I, German Emperor, died. Newspapers printed the official announcement: “A few days ago, the prince, who was previously in the best of health, suffered a lung infection, which unfortunately brought an end to this young, precious life.”

However, German writer, journalist, and publisher Wolf Graf von Baudissin (link in German) reported his memories of the prince’s death in 1909. He was a member of the infantry regiment in Freiburg, where Prince Ludwig Wilhelm was studying at the university. Baudissin wrote:

“When we paraded around the square, the young Prince Ludwig von Baden very often appeared as an observer […]. He was a tall, slender, noticeably handsome and rarely amiable person […]. One day, he died of a lung infection. Quite suddenly, entirely unexpectedly.

Two days prior, I had seen him on the street […] His death has made us all wholeheartedly sad, we were truly shocked. […] We ensigns regularly ate in the mess with the officers at midday. Of course, the death of Prince Ludwig was the sole topic of conversation in the days following, and though everyone was careful around us, […] suddenly we knew it nonetheless: The prince had not died a natural death, but had fallen in a duel.

I am bound on my honor not to name his opponent. But even despite that, today everyone knows who met the cheerful and fun-loving prince, weapon in hand, demanding a reckoning for his sister’s stolen honor.”

The Grand Ducal Burial Chapel surrounded by the forest; Credit – Von Johannes Werner – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=126730664

Prince Ludwig Wilhelm’s grieving parents wanted his grave located away from the noise of the city, “in the deep seclusion of the forest world” where they could visit without attracting public attention.

The Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, dedicated on June 29, 1896, was built within the Karlsruhe Palace complex, in the middle of the Hardtwald, a forest in Karlsruhe. On the map above, “Schloss” is the location of the Karlsruhe Palace. In the northeast, “Großherzogliche Grabkapelle” is the location of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel.

Exterior of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel

A view of the exterior of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel; Credit – By Joschkade – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30356235

Shortly after Prince Ludwig Wilhelm died, a competition for the design of a burial chapel was announced. Freiburg building inspector and architect Franz Baer (link in German) won the competition. However, he eventually had to resign due to illness. He was succeeded by architect Friedrich Hemberger (link in German) and his son Hermann Hemberger, who increasingly assumed more responsibility in the construction management.

The Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, built from 1889 to 1896, was modeled after the Mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, which was built for Queen Luise of Prussia, born Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the paternal grandmother of Prince Ludwig’s mother, born Princess Luise of Prussia.

The exterior is decorated with forest-themed motifs by Karlsruhe sculptor Wilhelm Sauer (link in German) to symbolically represent its forest location and integrate it into the forest. The height of the church tower was intended to make the chapel visible from Karlsruhe Palace. Two fountains are located on the sides of the burial chapel.

Interior of the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel

The upper church is light-filled with stacked rows of columns. The upper part of the columns is carved from shimmering black labradorite. The columns support sandstone consoles and a wooden barrel vault with ornate transverse arches. Four angel heads made of light-yellow limestone adorn the crossing. Decorative forms such as foliage friezes and capitals can be found throughout the interior. Stone lizards hide in the leaves of the apse frieze. Among the artists involved in the interior design were artists from Karlsruhe: sculptor Hermann Volz (link in German), who designed the grave monuments, his student Wilhelm Sauer (link in German), who designed the busts for the crossing pillars, and Hermann Binz (link in German), who designed the griffin heads in the crypt.

Cenotaphs of Grand Duke Friedrich I & his wife Grand Duchess Luise; Credit – Thomas Steg, Karlsruhe, Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17869659

The upper church contains large cenotaphs, empty tombs, designed by sculptor Hermann Volz, of Grand Duke Friedrich I, his wife Grand Duchess Luise, and their son Prince Ludwig Wilhelm. Their actual tombs are in the crypt on the lower level, along with the tombs of other members of the Grand Ducal Family.

Cenotaph of Prince Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden; Credit – Thomas Steg, Karlsruhe, Selbst fotografiert – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17869783

Burials in the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel

Tomb of Prince Wilhelm of Baden (1829 – 1897); Credit – Thomas Steg, Karlsruhe (Benutzer:TSteg, eigenes Foto) – Selbst fotografiert

From the upper church, wide steps lead down into the crypt. Behind a two-part, wrought-iron gate is the crypt, a bright and welcoming room containing the coffins of Baden family members.

Below are the family members who died before 1888 and were originally buried in the crypt of the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe (Evangelical City Church in Karlsruhe). After the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged during World War II, all those buried there were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe in 1946, and they have remained interred there.

Below are the other family members who died after 1888 and are buried in the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Kirchengebäude in Karlsruhe. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gro%C3%9Fherzogliche_Grabkapelle_Karlsruhe
  • Baden Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-baden/baden-royal-burial-sites/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Evangelical City Church Karlsruhe. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/evangelical-city-church
  • Großherzogliche Grabkapelle – Stadtwiki Karlsruhe. (2020). Stadtwiki.net. https://ka.stadtwiki.net/Gro%C3%9Fherzogliche_Grabkapelle
  • Großherzogliche Grabkapelle Karlsruhe: Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. (2024). Grabkapelle-Karlsruhe.de. https://www.grabkapelle-karlsruhe.de/

Stadtkirche Karlsruhe in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Evangelical City Church (Stadtkirche Karlsruhe) in Karlsruhe, Germany; Credit – Andreas Praefcke – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18523533

History

Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

The Evangelische Stadtkirche Karlsruhe (Evangelical City Church Karlsruhe in English) was built between 1807 and 1816, during the reign of Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, on the Market Square in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. (The church will be referred to as Stadtkirche Karlsruhe.) The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe is the main church of the Evangelical Church in Baden, a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, also known as the Protestant Church in Germany, a federation of twenty Lutheran, Reformed, and United Protestant regional Churches in Germany.

In 1738, ten-year-old Karl Friedrich succeeded as Margrave of Baden-Durlach upon his grandfather’s death. Baden-Durlach was one of the branches of the Margraviate of Baden, which had been divided several times over the previous 500 years. When August Georg, the last Margrave of Baden-Baden, died in 1771 without heirs, Karl Friedrich inherited the territory. This brought all the Baden territories together, and Karl Friedrich became Margrave of Baden. When the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke, of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden.

Architect and city planner, Friedrich Weinbrenner (1766 – 1826), who was born in Karlsruhe, designed the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe as a neoclassical basilica. Weinbrenner is principally responsible for creating Karlsruhe’s neoclassical-style buildings. Most of Weinbrenner’s buildings were reconstructed in the 1950s following their destruction in World War II, including the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe.

Design and Construction

Friedrich Weinbrenner, architect of the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe; Credit – Wikipedia

The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was built according to the plans of architect Friedrich Weinbrenner, with much input from Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Baden, who intended the church to be the cathedral church of the Grand Duchy of Baden. Weinbrenner designed the church, a three-aisle basilica, based on a Greek temple, and Grand Duke Karl Friedrich insisted on a bell tower. The vestibule, with six Corinthian columns, is directly opposite the Karlsruhe city hall. The foundation stone was laid on June 8, 1807, and the church was consecrated on June 2, 1816.

Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s original interior; Credit – Friedrich Weinbrenner und die Evangelische Stadtkirche in Karlsruhe

Architect Friedrich Weinbrenner designed the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s original interior. The Resurrection of Christ, a painting by Ferdinand Jagemann, was above the altar. The interior could not be completed as Weinbrenner originally intended due to a lack of funds.

World War II Destruction

Karlsruhe City Hall and the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe after the 1944 bombing; Credit – Archive Schlitz of the Educational Association Region Karlsruhe

During World War II, on December 4, 1944, the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged by bombing. It was rebuilt under the supervision of German architect, urban planner, and university lecturer Horst Linde (link in German). Linde won the architectural competition for the reconstruction of the city center in Karlsruhe, which included reconstructing the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. The exterior was based on Friedrich Weinbrenner’s original plans, but the new interior was in a modern style. The newly built church was consecrated on November 30, 1958.

The New Interior of the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe

Credit – By Gerd Eichmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120206830

After the destruction during World War II, the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s interior was redesigned in a modern style. In keeping with the architectural style of the 1950s, the materials used were stone, concrete, wood, steel, and leather.

The altar; Credit – By Gerd Eichmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120206831

The new interior is lighter and wider, with a breakthrough in the front wall where the altar now stands.

Credit – By Beckstet – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24502222

There are no paintings or statues, and instead of the original Corinthian columns, there are light columns. The ceiling is vaulted instead of the original coffered ceiling.

Burials

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim was the burial site of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden were buried at St. Michael’s Church.

Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, intended the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe to be the burial site for members of the Grand Ducal family. However, he died in 1811, before the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was complete, and was interred at Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim. Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, was the first family member interred at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. After 1888, most family members were interred at the Grand Ducal Chapel in Karlsruhe. (article coming)

After the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged during World War II, all those buried there were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel in Karlsruhe in 1946, and they have remained interred there.

During the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s reconstruction after World War II, the remains of its architect, Friedrich Weinbrenner, were transferred from the Old Cemetery in Karlsruhe (link in German) to the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s crypt. In 1991, the crypt was converted into an exhibition space.

Originally buried at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Kirchengebäude in Karlsruhe. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelische_Stadtkirche_Karlsruhe
  • Evangelische Stadtkirche – Stadtwiki Karlsruhe. (2017). Stadtwiki.net. https://ka.stadtwiki.net/Evangelische_Stadtkirche
  • Mehl, Scott. Baden Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-baden/baden-royal-burial-sites/
  • Stadtkirche. (2025). Kirche Im Herzen Der Stadt: Alt- Und Mittelstadtgemeinde Karlsruhe. https://www.stadtkirche-karlsruhe.de/unsere-kirchen/stadtkirche/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Friedrich Weinbrenner. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Karlsruhe. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlsruhe

Saint Michael‘s Church in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

St. Michael’s Church in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

History

Originally a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, and then a Lutheran church after the Protestant Reformation, Saint Michael‘s Church, located in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is currently a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, a federation of twenty Lutheran, Reformed, and United Protestant regional Churches in Germany. Saint Michael’s Church is owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg, and is rented to the Evangelical Church in Pforzheim.

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church was designated as the burial place of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden were buried at St. Michael’s Church. In 1556, Karl II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Margraviate of Baden, and Saint Michael’s Church became a Lutheran church.

In 1220, Herman V, Margrave of Baden chose Pforzheim as his residence. Five years later, a castle was built that became the residence of the Margraves of Baden and their descendants. Because Saint Michael’s Church was so close to the castle, it was often called Schlosskirche (Castle Church).

Saint Michael’s Church and the archive tower of the castle built by Herman V, Margrave of Baden are the last surviving medieval structures in Pforzheim. Pforzheim’s other medieval structures were destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648), the Nine Years’ War (1688 – 1697), and most recently in World War II (1939 – 1945).

In 1535, the Margraviate of Baden was split into the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach and the Margraviate of Baden-Baden. In 1565, Karl II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach chose Durlach as his new residential town. However, Pforzheim remained one of the administrative centers. In 1738, ten-year-old Karl Friedrich succeeded as Margrave of Baden-Durlach upon his grandfather’s death. Baden-Durlach was one of the branches of the Margraviate of Baden, which had been divided several times over the previous 500 years. When August Georg, Margrave of Baden-Baden, died in 1771 without heirs, his territory was inherited by Karl Friedrich. This brought all of the Baden territories together once again, and Karl Friedrich became Margrave of Baden. Upon the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke, of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden. In 1918, after Germany’s defeat in World War I, all the constituent monarchies in the German Empire, including the Grand Duchy of Baden, were abolished. The land encompassing the Grand Duchy of Baden is now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Interior of St. Michael’s Church; Credit – Von SchiDD – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42939836

Saint Michael’s Church was built on the site of a Romanesque church between 1225 and 1475 in the Romanesque and late Gothic style. The first nave was completed around 1270. The choir and Saint Margaret’s Chapel were built between 1290 and 1310. Around 1470, Pforzheim stonemason Hans Spryss von Zaberfeld built a late Gothic choir at the eastern end and a rood screen between the choir and the nave. The church was damaged during the Nine Years’ War (1688 – 1697), but extensive restoration work was not carried out until the 19th century.

Hans Spryss von Zaberfeld’s rood screen; Credit – Von Moleskine – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76589652

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World War II Destruction

The Pforzheim in 1946; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 23, 1945, Pforzheim was nearly totally destroyed in an air raid by 379 British bombers within 22 minutes.  At least 17,600 people, a third of the population, were killed. St. Michael’s Church avoided destruction, but the bombing caused severe damage.

Pforzheim before the bombing. St. Michael’s Church can be seen in the upper right. Credit – https://www.foerderverein-schlosskirche.de/schlosskirche

The damage to St. Michael’s Church from World War II bombing; Credit – https://www.foerderverein-schlosskirche.de/schlosskirche

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Restoration

The State Building Authority supervised the restoration of Saint Michael’s Church after World War II with the support of the Friends of the Castle Church Foundation. German sculptor Oskar Loos (1903 – 1990) recreated the sculptures. The stained-glass windows in the choir were created by German painter and stained glass artist Charles Crodel, in collaboration with German architect Hermann Hampe (link in German).

The church’s portal, covered with bronze plates, was created in 1959 by German sculptor Jürgen Weber (link in German). Six biblical scenes appear in the work. The pulpit was designed by German painter, restorer, and glass painter Valentin Peter Feuerstein. (link in German).

Stained glass windows by Klaus Arnold; Credit – Von Moleskine – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75940522

In 1966, Klaus Arnold (1928 – 2009), German sculptor, painter, and professor at Karlsruhe Art Academy, was commissioned to design the windows of the nave of Saint Michael’s Church. His colored stained glass windows are spectacular works of post-war modern art. Arnold complemented the early Gothic architecture with its heavy pillars and cave-like side aisles with a dark, glowing color palette of blue, red, and orange tones in the abstract stained glass windows.

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Burial Site

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church was designated as the burial place of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden, which had become Protestant, were buried at St. Michael’s Church. The chancel contains grave markers of family members, and a two-chamber crypt is located under the floor.

1840 steel engraving by Louis Friedrich Hoffmeister – The Princely Crypt of the House of Baden in the St. Michael’s Church. In the center, brightly lit is August Moosbrugger’s 1833 monument to Karl Friedrich, first Grand Duke of Baden, which was destroyed in the World War II bombing. r; Credit – Wikipedia

Burials at Saint Michael’s Church

Note: This does not purport to be a complete list.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2009). Deutscher Künstler. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Arnold_(Maler)
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2002). Großstadt in Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pforzheim
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). Kirchengebäude in Pforzheim. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael_(Pforzheim)
  • Black Forest Highlights. (2025). Blackforest-Highlights.com. https://www.blackforest-highlights.com/poi/detail/schloss-und-stiftskirche-st.-michael-9a0fa678e8
  • Mehl, Scott. Baden Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-baden/baden-royal-burial-sites/
  • Die Schlosskirche St. Michael in Pforzheim. (2025). EKIBA. https://www.ekiba.de/detail/nachricht-seite/id/7224-/?cataktuell=407
  • Schloßkirche — Förderverein Schloßkirche Pforzheim. (2022). Förderverein Schloßkirche Pforzheim. Förderverein Schloßkirche Pforzheim. https://www.foerderverein-schlosskirche.de/schlosskirche
  • Schlosskirche Pforzheim. (2020). Schlosskirche-Pforzheim.guide. https://schlosskirche-pforzheim.guide/
  • Schlosskirche St. Michael Pforzheim in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2190881/schlosskirche-st.-michael-pforzheim
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Margraviate of Baden. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Pforzheim. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Współtwórcy projektów Fundacji Wikimedia. (2024, July 25). Kolegiata zamkowa św. Michała w Pforzheimie. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolegiata_zamkowa_%C5%9Bw._Micha%C5%82a_w_Pforzheimie

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Schleswig, Germany 

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

St. Peter’s Cathedral; Credit – By Ziko – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50332912

Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Schleswig, Germany, named for Saint Peter the Apostle, is also called Schleswig Cathedral. The first cathedral in Schleswig was built after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Schleswig was founded in 947. However, neither the size nor the exact location of this cathedral is known. Before the Protestant Reformation, the cathedral was a Roman Catholic church. Now Saint Peter’s Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of the Schleswig and Holstein Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany. Rulers of the Duchy of Schleswig, the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, and the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and their families are buried at Saint Peter’s Cathedral.

Cnut Lavard, son of King Eric I of Denmark, the first Duke of Schleswig; Credit – Wikipedia

The cathedral has connections to Denmark, and some Danish royals are buried in the cathedral. In 1115, King Niels of Denmark created his nephew Cnut Lavard, son of his predecessor King Eric I of Denmark, Earl of Schleswig. Cnut Lavard used the title Earl of Schleswig for only a short time before he began to style himself Duke of Schleswig. In 1544, Adolf of Denmark, his brother Johann of Denmark, and their half-brother King Christian III of Denmark, all sons of King Frederik I of Denmark,  divided and then ruled the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Parts of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, also known as Ducal Holstein, were ruled for two hundred years by various Dukes of Schleswig and Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, a branch of the elder Danish line of the German House of Oldenburg. Other parts of the duchies were ruled by the Kings of Denmark. In 1721, the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp lost their power when their land holdings became part of Denmark. After the 1864 Second Schleswig War, Schleswig and Holstein were annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.

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The Construction of Saint Peter’s Cathedral

Interior of St. Peter’s Cathedral; Credit – By Frank Vincentz – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30812608

Around 1030, the construction of a new Romanesque cathedral began and would continue over several hundred years. During the reign of Cnut Lavard, the first Duke of Schleswig (reigned 1115 – 1134), the semicircular apse was built and the transept was built 1180 – 1200. During renovations between 1200 and 1500, the Romanesque nave cathedral became a Gothic three-nave hall cathedral. The vaulted cathedral chapter house in the northern aisle was added around 1220 – 1230 and the nave vault around 1230 – 1270. Originally, the cathedral had two towers, but they collapsed in 1275 and were not rebuilt.

The cathedral did not have a tower until German architect and archaeologist Friedrich Adler constructed a 112-meter/368-foot Neo-Gothic tower between 1888 and 1894 at the request of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia.

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Saint Peter’s Portal

Saint Peter’s Portal; Credit – Wikipedia

The cathedral’s main entrance is the 1180 St. Peter’s Portal. It was constructed using granite, red sandstone from Scania, limestone from Gotland, and tuff (a light, porous volcanic rock) from the Rhineland. The tympanum (the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, door, or window) depicts Jesus Christ between the evangelists and saints.

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The Sacristy

The sacristy, where the priest and attendants put on their vestments and prepare for services, was built around 1480. It served as the meeting place for the cathedral chapter (the group of clerics formed to advise a bishop) and after 1567, as a lecture hall for the cathedral school. After the Protestant Reformation, it was converted into a burial crypt for the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp.

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The Choir

The choir is the part of a cathedral between the altar and the nave, the central aisle. The choir of Saint Peter’s Cathedral was expanded and painted at the end of the 13th century. The frescoes depict the Annunciation, the Coronation of Mary, Saint Catherine, Saint Philip, Saint Peter, the Deesis (Christ enthroned holding a book with the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist at his sides), and angels. The choir stalls were built at the beginning of the 16th century by an unknown artist using the pseudonym Magister Rusticus.

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The Schwahl

The Schwahl; Credit – By Kirchenfloh – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116866810

In Danish-Low German, Schwahl means “half-open corridor outside a building.” The Schwahl is located on the north side of the nave and was built from brick 1310 – 1320. It is a corridor leading to the cloisters and a processional corridor leading out of the cathedral and back into the cathedral. Restored frescoes on the wall panels depicting the life of Jesus are from the time of construction. Mythical creatures are depicted on the vaults, the arched ceiling. The Schwahl is not regularly open to the public to protect the frescoes from dirt and condensation.

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The Brüggemann Altar

The Brüggemann Altar; Credit – By W. Bulach – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75089166

The impressive Brüggemann Altar was made of oak by Hans Brüggemann, a German sculptor and woodcarver, between 1514 and 1521. The huge altar – 12.60 meters/42 feet high – depicts sixteen scenes from Christ’s Passion with a total of more than 400 finely carved unpainted figures. The altar was originally made for Bordesholm Abbey, then in the Duchy of Holstein. After the abbey’s dissolution due to the Protestant Reformation, Christian Albrecht, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, who is buried in St. Peter’s Cathedral,  arranged for the altar’s transfer to St. Peter’s Cathedral in 1666.

Detail from the Brüggemann Altar – Jesus carrying the cross; Credit – By Uli Poppe Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7616563

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Cenotaph of Frederik I, King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein

Cenotaph of Frederik I, King of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Schleswig and Holstein; Credit – Wikipedia by Von Arnoldius

In the north choir nave, there is a cenotaph, an empty tomb, created by Flemish sculptor Cornelis Floris de Vriendt for Frederik I, King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein, and erected in the cathedral in 1552. Frederik I, who died in 1533, was the last Roman Catholic monarch of Denmark. He is buried in St. Peter’s Cathedral but the location of his burial is unknown.

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Burials at St. Peter’s Cathedral

Sarcophagi at St. Peter’s Cathedral; Credit – By Västgöten – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8972859

Burials at St. Peter’s Cathedral include:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). Kirchengebäude in Schleswig. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleswiger_Dom
  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2007). Wikimedia-Liste. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Grabst%C3%A4tten_europ%C3%A4ischer_Monarchen
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Domkirke i Sydslesvig. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slesvig_Domkirke
  • Der St. Petri-Dom zu Schleswig. (2025). Mein-Schleswiger-Dom.de. https://www.mein-schleswiger-dom.de/
  • Saint Petri Dom in Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein – Find a Grave Cemetery. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2161243/saint-petri-dom
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Schleswig Cathedral. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Hubertus, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Hubertus, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and pretender to the formal ducal throne, upon his father’s death in 2025. Hubertus is the great-grandson of the last reigning Duke, Carl Eduard.

Hubertus Michael, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born in Hamburg on September 16, 1975, the son of Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Carin Dabelstein. He has two siblings:

  • Princess Stephanie (1972) – married Dr. Jan Stahl, no issue
  • Prince Alexander (1977) – unmarried

Soon after his birth, his family moved back to Coburg where Hubertus attended public school. He served for two years in the Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion before leaving to attend university. Hubertus attended the University of Wurzburg (1997-1999), the London School of Economics (1999) and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2000-2003), earning a degree in law. He then worked for the Provincial Court of Appeals, and then a local law firm in Munich, before moving to New York City where he worked as a lawyer for Deutsche Bank for five years.

Two years after meeting in New York, Hubertus married Kelly Rondestvedt in a civil ceremony on May 21, 2009 at Callenberg Castle, followed by a large religious ceremony held on May 23, 2009 at Saint Moritz Church in Coburg. The couple have three children:

  • Princess Katharina (2014)
  • Philipp, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (2015)
  • Princess Madeleine (2017)

Hubertus returned to Coburg at the end of 2011, and the following month, he took over as Administrator of the family foundation – ‘the Stiftung der Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha’schen Familie’ which oversees and manages the family’s properties and assets, including Callenberg Gastle and Greinburg Castle and thousands of acres of farmland and forests.

Hubertus succeeded his father, who passed away on April 3, 2025.

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Breaking News: Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha has died

 © Unofficial Royalty 2025

Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the pretender to the former ducal throne and Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1998 until he died on April 3, 2025, in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany, at the age of 82. He was the grandson of Charles Edward, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the only son of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria.

Prince Andreas Michael Friedrich Hans Armin Siegfried Hubertus was born on March 21, 1943 at Schloss Casel in Lower Lusatia. He was the only child of Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his first wife Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth.

On July 31, 1971, in Hamburg, Germany, Prince Andreas married Carin Dabelstein, the daughter of Adolf Dabelstein and Irma Callsen. His wife died in 2023, but Prince Andreas is survived by his three children – Princess Stephanie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (born 1972), Hubertus, now Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,  (born 1975), and Prince Alexander of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (born 1977).

Prince Andreas was known for reaching out to his extended family, hoping to heal many of the wounds caused in the past, primarily after his grandfather had sided with Hitler during World War II. Following the fall of communism and the reunification of Germany, Prince Andreas worked to re-acquire former family property that had been seized after the war.

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2011, Prince Andreas continued to be as active as possible. He spent much time with family and friends, traveling, and visiting his properties in Germany and Austria. He was a first cousin and close friend of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and was the godfather of the King’s younger daughter, Princess Madeleine. Because of this relationship, the Prince was often seen in attendance at Swedish royal family events.

Read more about the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Family at Unofficial Royalty: Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

Nazli Sabri, second wife of King Fuad I of Egypt

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Nazli Sabri was the second wife of King Fuad I of Egypt, and the first Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Egypt. She was later stripped of her royal titles, and after converting to Catholicism, became Mary-Elizabeth Sabri.

Nazli Sabri, Queen of Egypt – source: Wikipedia

Nazli Sabri was born on June 25, 1894, in Alexandria, Egypt, one of five children of Abdel Rahim Sabri Pasha and Tawfika Sharif Hanim. She was educated at the Lycée de la Esclave-de-Dieu in Cairo and the Collège Notre-Dame de Sion in Alexandria before attending a boarding school in Paris. After returning to Egypt, she was forced to marry her first cousin, Khalil Sabri, but the marriage ended in divorce less than a year later.

Fuad I, c. 1910. source: Wikipedia

Nazli first met Sultan Fuad I (later King Fuad I) at the opera, and he soon proposed. They married on May 24, 1919, at the Bustan Palace in Cairo. The couple had five children:

King Farouk (1920) – married (1) Safinaz Zulficar, 3 daughters: (2) Narriman Sadek, 1 son
Princess Fawzia (1921) – married (1) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, 1 daughter; (2) Ismail Chirine, 2 children
Princess Faiza (1923) – married Bulent Rauf, no issue
Princess Faika (1926) – married Fuad Sadek, 4 children
Princess Fathia (1930) – married Riyad Ghali, 3 children

Her activities as Queen were heavily restricted. She was permitted only to attend events such as the opera and women-only events. This was very frustrating to Nazli, as she had lived a very different lifestyle prior to her marriage. However, she was one of the most popular members of the Egyptian royal family, both within Egypt as well as throughout Europe.

Queen Nazli with her son, King Farouk, and her four daughters circa 1938. source: Wikipedia

In 1936, King Fuad died and was succeeded by the young Farouk, overseen by a Regency Council which included Nazli’s brother, Sherif. Ten years later, suffering from some health issues, Queen Nazli traveled to the United States to undergo medical treatment. Following surgery, Nazali settled in California with her youngest daughters, Faika and Fathia.

Queen Nazli (center) at the wedding of her daughter, Fawzia, to the Crown Prince of Iran, 1939. source: Wikipedia

In 1950, Princess Fathia married Riyad Ghali, an advisor to the Royal Family, and a Coptic Christian. Despite his conversion to Islam, the new King did not approve or give his consent to the marriage. Because Nazli supported her daughter, King Farouk stripped Nazli and Fathia of their royal titles and styles, as well as confiscating their properties in Egypt and banning them from ever returning. Queen Nazli later converted to Catholicism and changed her name to Mary-Elizabeth Sabri.

For many years, Nazali lived in a large mansion in Beverly Hills, California, with Fathia and her family. However, Fathia’s husband squandered much of their fortune, and the couple divorced. Relatively impoverished – at least by Royal standards – she was forced to auction off many of her jewels in order to survive.

Mary-Elizabeth Sabri – the former Queen Nazli of Egypt – died in Los Angeles on May 29, 1978. She is buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

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Princess Shivakiar Ibramin, first wife of King Fuad I of Egypt

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Shivakiar Ibrahim was the first wife of Prince Ahmed Fuad, who later became King Fuad I of Egypt. She was considered to be one of the richest women in Egypt.

Source: Wikipedia. By Retrieverlove – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35582656

Princess Shivakiar was born October 25, 1876 in Üsküdar, Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire, the only daughter of Prince Ibrahim Fahmi Pasha and his first wife, Nevjiwan Hanim.

On May 31, 1895 she married Prince Ahmed Fuad (later King Fuad I of Egypt) at the Abbasiya Palace in Cairo. The couple were first cousins once removed (her father was his first cousin). They had two children:

  • Prince Ismail Fuad (1896) – died in infancy
  • Princess Fawkia (1897) – married twice, one son

Shivakiar and her first husband, Prince Ahmed Fuad (later King Fuad I). source: Wikipedia By Retrieverlove – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35582655

The couple divorced in 1898, following a dispute between Shivakiar’s brother and her husband, which had involved her brother shooting Fuad in the throat. Fuad survived, but the marriage did not.

Shivakiar went on to marry four more times and have several more children:

  • Marriage #2 – Raouf Thabet Bey – married 1900, divorced 1903, no issue
  • Marriage #3 – Seyfullah Yousri Pasha – married 1904, divorced 1916, two children
  • Marriage #4 – Selim Khalil Bey – married 1917, divorced 1925, one son
  • Marriage #5 – Ilhami Hüseyin Pasha – married 1927, no issue

Despite her divorce from Prince Ahmed Fuad, she retained her title of Princess, as well as her position at court, and remained close to the Egyptian royal family. She was very involved in philanthropy, serving as president of the Muhammad Ali Benevolent Society, and the Mar’al-Guedida (‘New Woman’), an organization that provided training and education for young women.

By Retrieverlove – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35583240

Princess Shivakiar died at the Kasr al-Aali Palace in Cairo on February 17, 1947. Her tomb, in the Hosh al-Basha mausoleum in Cairo, is designed as a large unmade bed, as per her specific wishes.

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.