Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer

Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – Wikipedia

Born on April 30, 1798, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was the second of the four sons and the fifth of the seven children of Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Karoline of Hesse-Homburg. When he was nine-years-old, Albrecht’s father died and his fourteen-year-old brother Friedrich Günther became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. As stipulated in Ludwig Friedrich’s will, Friedrich Günther’s mother Karoline served as Regent of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt until her son came of age in 1814.

Albrecht had six siblings but only two of his siblings survived childhood:

Cäcilie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1792 – 1794), died in childhood
Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1793 – 1867), married (1) Princess Auguste of Anhalt-Dessau, had three children (2) Countess Helene of Reina, morganatic marriage, had two children (3) Marie Schultze, morganatic marriage, no children
Thekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1795 – 1861), married Otto Victor, Prince of Schönburg-Waldenburg, had nine children
Karoline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1796), died in infancy
Bernhard of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1816), twin of Rudolf, died in childhood
Rudolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1808), twin of Bernhard, died in childhood

From October 7-9, 1806, Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Prussia was a guest at Heidecksburg Castle (link in German) in Rudolstadt. Ludwig Ferdinand was the commander of a Prussian-Saxon vanguard during the Napoleonic Wars against Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. The soldier-prince made a great impression upon the eight-year-old Albrecht and it sparked his interest in the military. Sadly, Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Prussia died on October 10, 1806, during the Battle of Saalfeld. Albrecht was educated by private tutors but from 1810 – 1811, he and his brother Friedrich Günther were sent to Geneva, Switzerland to perfect their French.

By the age of sixteen, Albrecht was a lieutenant in the Prussian Army. From 1814 – 1815, he served as a member of the staff of his maternal uncle Ludwig Wilhem, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, in the Prussian campaign against Napoleon and received the Iron Cross 2nd class for his service. During his soldier years, Albrecht was often a guest at the Prussian court, and there he met his future wife Princess Auguste of Solms-Braunfels (1804 – 1865), daughter of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels and Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and niece of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. Auguste’s mother Friederike, born a Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was by her three marriages, Princess of Prussia (married Prince Ludwig Karl, son of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia), Princess of Solms-Braunfels, and lastly Duchess of Cumberland and Queen of Hanover as the wife of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and King of Hanover, the fifth son and eighth child of King George III if the United Kingdom.

Auguste of Solms-Braunfels; Credit – Wikipedia

Albrecht and Auguste were married on July 27, 1827, at Schönhausen Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. Albrecht’s wife Auguste died before he succeeded to the throne of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, dying on October 8, 1865, aged 61, and was buried in the Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) in Rudolstadt.

The couple had four children:

Karl (born and died 1828)
Elisabeth (1833 – 1896), married Leopold III, Prince of Lippe, no children
Georg Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1838 – 1890), unmarried
Ernst Heinrich (born and died 1848)

Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his brother Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, on June 28, 1867, Albrecht became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. All of Friedrich Günther’s sons by his first wife had predeceased him and his only son by his second wife was born from a morganatic marriage and did not have succession rights. Three days after Albrecht succeeded to the throne, the North German Confederation, the German federal state which existed from July 1867 to December 1870 and was the precursor of the German Empire, came into effect. On October 23, 1869, Albrecht dissolved the state parliament due to a dispute over planned tax increases. The state parliament was reinstated during the reign of his son Georg Albrecht.

After a reign of two years and five months, Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt died on November 26, 1869, aged 71, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was buried with his wife in the Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) in Rudolstadt. When that cemetery was closed sometime after 1869, the remains of Albrecht and Auguste were moved to the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German) at the Schloss Schwarzburg.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early 1940s, the remains of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg were transferred to the Stadtkirche St. Andreas (link in German) in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, Germany before the demolition of Schwarzburg Castle and Schlosskirche Schwarzburg by the German government who planned to convert the castle into Adolf Hitler’s Imperial Guest House. However, the construction was never completed and the ruins of the castle and the incomplete construction of the guest house were left for years until reconstruction of the original castle, which is still occurring, began.

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Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Albert (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 2 November 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Albert, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 2 November 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].

Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

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Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was born on November 6, 1793, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He was the eldest of the four sons and the second of the seven children of Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Karoline of Hesse-Homburg.

Only two of Friedrich Günther’s six siblings survived childhood:

Cäcilie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1792 – 1794), died in childhood
Thekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1795 – 1861), married Otto Victor, Prince of Schönburg-Waldenburg, had nine children
Karoline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1796), died in infancy
Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 1798 – 1869), married Princess Augusta of Solms-Braunfels, had three children
Bernhard of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1816), twin of Rudolf, died in childhood
Rudolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1808), twin of Bernhard, died in childhood

Friedrich Günther’s father Ludwig Friedrich, died at the age of 39, on April 28, 1807, and his fourteen-year-old son became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. As stipulated in Ludwig Friedrich’s will, Friedrich Günther’s mother Karoline served as Regent of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt until her son came of age in 1814. Friedrich Günther was rather disinterested in government affairs and after he came of age, he left the decisions to other people. As a result, his mother Karoline, who died in 1854 at the age of 82, continued to have a strong influence on government decisions.

Friedrich Günther; Credit – Wikipedia

After being educated by private tutors, Friedrich Günther was sent to Geneva, Switzerland from 1810 – 1811 to perfect his French. From 1813 – 1814, he accompanied his maternal uncle Philip of Hesse-Homburg, who was an officer in the Imperial Austrian Army, as an observer during battles against Napoleon’s French forces during the Napoleonic Wars.

Auguste of Anhalt-Dessau; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 15, 1816, Friedrich Günther made the first of his three marriages. He married Princess Auguste of Anhalt-Dessau in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Auguste was the eldest child of Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Amalie of Hesse-Homburg. Her mother and Friedrich Günther’s mother were sisters and so husband and wife were first cousins. Auguste was popular with the people of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and was a supporter of the arts and sciences.

Friedrich Günther and Auguste had three sons. All three predeceased their father, leaving Friedrich Günther with no male heirs. Auguste died on June 12, 1854, in Rudolstadt, aged 60, and was buried in the Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) in Rudolstadt.

Friedrich Günther, Hereditary Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1818 – 1821), died in early childhood
Günther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Hereditary Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1821 – 1845), unmarried, died in his 20s
Prince Gustav of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1828 – 1837), died in childhood

On August 7, 1855, in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony, Friedrich Günther married Countess Helene of Reina (1835 – 1860). Helene was the daughter of Prince Georg Bernhard of Anhalt-Dessau from his morganatic, second marriage. She was adopted by her paternal uncle Prince Wilhelm of Anhalt shortly before her marriage and assumed the title of Princess of Anhalt. Regardless, Helene’s marriage to Friedrich Günther was considered morganatic under the House Laws of the Schwarzburg family. They had a set of twins, one boy and one girl, but Helene, aged 25, died three days after their birth. She was buried in the Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) in Rudolstadt. The children were created Prince and Princess of Leutenberg shortly after their birth but the son did not have succession rights.

Princess Helene (1860 – 1937), married Prince Hans of Schönaich-Carolath, had two children
Prince Sizzo (1860 – 1926), married Princess Alexandra of Anhalt, had three children

Friedrich Günther’s son Prince Sizzo, 1907; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1896, Prince Sizzo’s succession rights were recognized by all members of the House of Schwarzburg. He was made a full member of the house and able to use the title of Prince of Schwarzburg. Following the agreement, Prince Sizzo became the heir presumptive of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, ahead of the Schwarzburg -Sondershausen princes, and third in line to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Following the death of Prince Karl Günther of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in 1909, the Sondershausen branch became extinct and the Schwarzburg principalities were united in a personal union under Prince Günther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Prince Sizzo became the heir presumptive to the two principalities. After the end of the German monarchies in 1918 and following the death of Prince Günther Victor in 1925, Prince Sizzo succeeded him as Head of the House of Schwarzburg.

Friedrich Günther’s third marriage to Marie Schultze (1840 – 1909) on September 24, 1861, was also morganatic and was childless. After Friedrich Günther’s death, Marie married a second time to Dr. Marcellus von Nencki and died on March 19, 1909, aged 68, in Bern Switzerland where she was buried.

Several important events happened during Friedrich Günther’s reign. In 1815, the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt joined the German Confederation, an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe, created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved in 1806. The principality received its first constitution in 1816 which required the approval of the state parliament to raise taxes and pass laws. The last years of his reign saw the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 when Friedrich Günther kept Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt neutral and following the conclusion of the war the creation of the North German Confederation, the German federal state which existed from July 1867 to December 1870 and was the precursor of the German Empire that was established in 1871.

Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt died on June 28, 1867, at the age of 73, at Schloss Heidecksburg (link in German) in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was first buried in the Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) in Rudolstadt. When that cemetery was closed sometime after 1869, his remains along with the remains of his first two wives were moved to the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German) in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. Friedrich Günther was succeeded by his brother Albrecht as all of his sons by his first wife had predeceased him and his son by his second wife was born from a morganatic marriage.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Auguste Von Anhalt-Dessau. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_von_Anhalt-Dessau> [Accessed 1 November 2020].
De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Günther (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_G%C3%BCnther_(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 1 November 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Günther, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_G%C3%BCnther,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 1 November 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].

Karoline of Hesse-Homburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Regent of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer

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Credit – Wikipedia

Karoline of Hesse-Homburg was the wife of Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt — and served as Regent for the first seven years of the reign of their son Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt until he came of age. The daughter of Friedrich V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Karoline of Hesse-Darmstadt, she was born on August 26, 1771 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in the German state of Hesse.

Karoline had fourteen siblings but only the following ten survived childhood. Four of her brothers were reigning Landgraves of Hesse-Homburg. Three of them were childless and one had a son who predeceased him.

Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (1769 – 1829), married Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, no children
Ludwig Wilhelm, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (1770 – 1839), married Princess Augusta of Nassau-Usingen, divorced, no children
Luise Ulrike of Hesse-Homburg (1772 – 1854), married Prince Karl Günther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had seven children
Amalie of Hesse-Homburg (1774 – 1846), Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, had seven children
Auguste of Hesse-Homburg (1776 – 1871), married Friedrich Ludwig, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, no children
Philip, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (1779 – 1846), married morganatically Rosalie Antonie, Baroness Schimmelpfennig von der Oye, no children
Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (1781 – 1848), married Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau, had three children but his only son predeceased him
Ferdinand, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (1783 – 1866), unmarried
Marie Anna of Hesse-Homburg (1785 – 1846), married Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Karl of Prussia, had seven children
Leopold of Hesse-Homburg (1787 – 1813), unmarried, killed at the Battle of Lützen during the Napoleonic Wars

Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 21, 1791, in Homburg, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in the German state of Hesse, Karoline married Ludwig Friedrich, then the Hereditary Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Ludwig Friedrich’s father Friedrich Karl, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt suffered a stroke in 1792. He died on April 13, 1793, and 23-year-old Ludwig Friedrich became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Karoline was well educated and had a considerable influence on the artistic life of the principality.

Karoline and Ludwig Friedrich had seven children including two reigning Princes of Schwarburg-Rudolstadt:

Cäcilie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1792 – 1794), died in childhood
Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1793 – 1867), married (1) Princess Auguste of Anhalt-Dessau, had three children (2) Countess Helene of Reina, morganatic marriage, had two children (3) Marie Schultze, morganatic marriage, no children
Thekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1795 – 1861), married Otto Victor, Prince of Schönburg-Waldenburg, had nine children
Karoline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1796), died in infancy
Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 1798 – 1869), married Princess Augusta of Solms-Braunfels, had three children
Bernhard of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1816), twin of Rudolf, died in childhood
Rudolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1808), twin of Bernhard, died in childhood

Karoline’s husband Ludwig Friedrich, died at the age of 39, on April 28, 1807, and was succeeded by his fourteen-year-old son Friedrich Günther. As stipulated in Ludwig Friedrich’s will, Karoline served as Regent of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt until her son came of age in 1814. As Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Friedrich Günther was rather disinterested in government affairs and left the decisions to other people. As a result, Karoline continued to have a strong influence on government decisions

Karoline corresponded with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, considered the greatest writer in the German language, writer Friedrich Schiller, and philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt, who called Karoline “a woman who is seldom found.” Karoline left behind a large collection of her drawings, sketches, and watercolors, which are of high artistic quality and show her romantic approach to nature.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

Karoline survived her husband by 47 years, dying on June 20, 1854, aged 82, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. Her remains are now at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas (link in German) in Rudolstadt but it is not known if they were previously buried in Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) in Rudolstadt and/or Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German). Her husband had been buried in both places. In the early 1940s, the remains of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg were transferred to the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, Germany before the demolition of Schwarzburg Castle and Schlosskirche Schwarzburg by the German government who planned to convert the castle into Adolf Hitler’s Imperial Guest House. However, the construction was never completed and the ruins of the castle and the incomplete construction of the guest house were left for years until reconstruction of the original castle, which is still occurring, began.

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karoline Von Hessen-Homburg. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoline_von_Hessen-Homburg> [Accessed 31 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Caroline Of Hesse-Homburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_of_Hesse-Homburg> [Accessed 31 October 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].

Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer

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Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was born in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt now in the German state of Thuringia, on August 9, 1767. He was the eldest son and the second of the six children of Friedrich Karl, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and his first wife and first cousin once removed Friederike of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt who was the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Ludwig Friedrich had five siblings but two sisters did not survive childhood:

Friederike (1765 – 1767), died in infancy
Henriette (1770 – 1783), died in childhood
Karl Günther (1771 – 1825), married Louise Ulrike of Hesse-Homburg, had seven children
Karoline (1774 – 1854), married Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, had two children
Luise (1775 – 1808), married Ernst Konstantin, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal, had five children

When Ludwig Friedrich was ten-years-old, his mother died. Two years later, his father married Auguste of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg but their marriage was childless. After being educated by private tutors at home, in 1789, Ludwig Friedrich and his brother Karl Günther were sent on an educational trip to Geneva, Switzerland, and several other destinations. During this trip, the French Revolution was occurring and it was a constant topic of conversation among Ludwig Friedrich’s traveling entourage.

Karoline of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 21, 1791, in Homburg, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in the German state of Hesse, Ludwig Friedrich married Karoline of Hesse-Homburg, daughter of Friedrich V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Karoline of Hesse-Darmstadt. Karoline of Hesse-Homburg’s brother Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg married Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, a daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom.

Ludwig Friedrich and Karoline had seven children including two reigning Princes of Schwarburg-Rudolstadt:

Cäcilie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1792 – 1794), died in childhood
Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1793 – 1867), married (1) Princess Auguste of Anhalt-Dessau, had three children (2) Countess Helene of Reina, morganatic marriage, had two children (3) Marie Schultze, morganatic marriage, no children
Thekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1795 – 1861), married Otto Victor, Prince of Schönburg-Waldenburg, had nine children
Karoline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1796), died in infancy
Albrecht, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 1798 – 1869), married Princess Augusta of Solms-Braunfels, had three children
Bernhard of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1816), twin of Rudolf, died in childhood
Rudolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801 – 1808), twin of Bernhard, died in childhood

Komödienhaus on the Anger in the 19th century; Credit – https://theater-rudolstadt.de/theater/geschichte/

Ludwig Friedrich’s father Friedrich Karl, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt suffered a stroke in 1792. He died on April 13, 1793, at the age of 56 and 23-year-old Ludwig Friedrich became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He was known as a prince with high ideals and a supporter of the arts and sciences. He maintained correspondence with many famous personalities of the time, including writer Friedrich Schiller and philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt. Along with his wife, Ludwig Friedrich continued the work on the Komödienhaus on the Anger, the theater his father had ordered to be constructed to provide education and culture to the citizens of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The theater opening took place on July 26, 1793, three months after Friedrich Karl’s death. The theater was under the artistic direction of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, considered the greatest writer in the German language. Despite being small, the theater was one of the best in the German monarchies at the time and evolved into the current Theater-Rudolstadt (link in German).

The Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was affected by the Napoleonic Wars. After Napoleon‘s victory at the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806, the principality was placed under French administration and joined the Confederation of the Rhine, a confederation of the client states of Napoleon’s First French Empire. Due to the skillful negotiations of the Chancellor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Friedrich Wilhelm von Ketelhodt, the French administration was lifted on March 24, 1807, and the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was allowed self-governance.

Ludwig Friedrich II; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig Friedrich II of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, died at the age of 39, on April 28, 1807, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was first buried in the Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) in Rudolstadt. When that cemetery was closed sometime after 1869, his remains were moved to the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German) at the Schloss Schwarzburg in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. Ludwig Friedrich was succeeded by his fourteen-year-old son Friedrich Günther. As per the will of Ludwig Friedrich, his wife Karoline ruled the principality as regent until Friedrich Günther came of age in 1814.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early 1940s, the remains of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg were transferred to the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, Germany before the demolition of Schwarzburg Castle and Schlosskirche Schwarzburg by the German government who planned to convert the castle into Adolf Hitler’s Imperial Guest House. However, the construction was never completed and the ruins of the castle and the incomplete construction of the guest house were left for years until reconstruction of the original castle, which is still occurring, began. Ludwig Friedrich’s wife Karoline died on June 20, 1854, aged 82. Her remains are now at the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt but it is not known if they were previously buried in Alter Friedhof/Garnisonfriedhof (Old Cemetery/Garrison Cemetery) and/or Schlosskirche Schwarzburg.

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ludwig Friedrich II. (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Friedrich_II._(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 31 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Louis Frederick II, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Frederick_II,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 31 October 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].
Theater Rudolstadt. 2020. Geschichte – Die Vielfältige Historie Des Theaters Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://theater-rudolstadt.de/theater/geschichte/> [Accessed 30 October 2020].

Friedrich Karl, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer

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Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Karl had the shortest reign of all the Princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt – only two and a half years. He was born in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, on June 7, 1736. The only surviving son and the third of the three children of Ludwig Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Sophie Henrietta Reuss of Untergreiz, Friedrich Karl had three siblings but two died in infancy:

Friederike Sophie (born and died 1734), died in infancy
Christiane Friederike (1735 – 1788), nun at Gandersheim Abbey
Christian Ernst (born and died 1739), died in infancy

After being educated by private tutors, Friedrich Karl was sent to France from 1755 – 1756 to perfect his French. While in France, he visited factories, libraries, and natural history collections. As a child, Friedrich Karl began his natural history collection. In 1757, he created the Princely Natural History Collection at the Schloss Ludwigsburg in Rudolstadt. Later, his natural history collection became part of the Natural History Museum of Rudolstadt. Passionate about natural history, Friedrich Karl continued collecting and maintained correspondence with many German scientists throughout his life.

Friedrich Karl’s first wife Friederike; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 21, 1763, Friedrich Karl married his paternal first cousin once removed Friederike of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1745 – 1778), daughter of Johann Friedrich, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

Friedrich Karl and Friederike had six children:

Friederike (1765 – 1767), died in infancy
Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1767–1807), married Karoline of Hesse-Homburg, had seven children including two reigning Princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Henriette (1770 – 1783), died in childhood
Karl Günther (1771 – 1825), married Louise Ulrike of Hesse-Homburg, had three children
Karoline (1774 – 1854), married Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, had two children
Luise (1775 – 1808), married Ernst Konstantin, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal, had five children

Friedrich Karl’s wife Friederike predeceased him, dying on January 26, 1778, aged 32. She was buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle. On November 28, 1780, Friedrich Karl married Auguste of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1752–1805), daughter of Prince Johann August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Countess Luise Reuss of Schleiz, but their marriage was childless.

Komödienhaus on the Anger in the 19th century; Credit – https://theater-rudolstadt.de/theater/geschichte/

Upon the death of his father on August 29, 1790, 54-year-old Friedrich Karl became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He had few accomplishments during his short reign. In 1792, Friedrich Karl ordered the construction of a theater, called the Komödienhaus on the Anger, to provide education and culture to the citizens of his principality. However, he died before it was completed. The theater opening took place on July 26, 1793, three months after his death, under the supervision of his son and successor Ludwig Friedrich II. The theater was under the artistic direction of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, considered the greatest writer in the German language. The theater was one of the best in German monarchies at the time and evolved into the current Theater-Rudolstadt (link in German).

Friedrich Karl suffered a stroke in 1792. He died on April 13, 1793, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, at the age of 56. He was buried with his first wife at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle in Schwarzburg, in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. His second wife Auguste survived him by twelve years, dying on May 28, 1805, at the age of 52, and was also buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Karl (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Karl_(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 30 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Frederick Charles, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Charles,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 30 October 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].
Theater Rudolstadt. 2020. Geschichte – Die Vielfältige Historie Des Theaters Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://theater-rudolstadt.de/theater/geschichte/> [Accessed 30 October 2020].

Ludwig Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer

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Credit – Wikipedia

Born on October 22, 1708, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Ludwig Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was the youngest of the thirteen children and the fourth of the four sons of Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Ludwig Günther had twelve older siblings but three had already died before his birth:

Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1692 – 1744), married (1) Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had one son and two daughters (2) Christina Sophia of East Frisia, no children
Amalie Magdalene of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Sophie Luise
Sophie Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Amalie Magdalene
Sophie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1694 – 1776), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
Wilhelm Ludwig of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1696 – 1757), married morganatically Caroline Henriette Gebauer who was created Baroness of Brockenburg, had three sons and two daughters
Christine Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1697 – 1698), died in infancy
Albrecht Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1698 – 1720), unmarried
Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1699 – 1774), unmarried
Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1700 – 1780), married Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had four sons and four daughters
Sophia Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1737), unmarried, twin of Friederike Luise
Friederike Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1787), unmarried, twin of Sophia Dorothea
Magdalena Sibylle of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1707 – 1795), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey

As Ludwig Günther was the fourth son, there was no expectation that he would succeed to the throne of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. In 1718, when Ludwig Günther was not quite ten-years-old, his father died and eldest brother Friedrich Anton became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. In his late teens and early twenties, Ludwig Günther took advantage of his lack of serious responsibility by spending several years in what now is Italy, but then was a combination of kingdoms, duchies, principalities, papal states, and territories of other nations. He especially enjoyed the vast artistic heritage of Italy. Between 1722 – 1731, Ludwig Günther visited the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt only twice. He served as an officer in Milan, which then was part of the Austria Empire, from 1726 – 1731. However, his military career ended due to an issue with his hearing. Returning to Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Ludwig Günther lived at Schloss Friedensburg in Rudolstadt (link in German) from 1731 – 1733.

Sophie Henrietta Reuss of Untergreiz; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 22, 1733, Ludwig Günther married Sophie Henrietta Reuss of Untergreiz (1711 – 1771), daughter of Heinrich Xlll, Count Reuss of Untergreiz and Sophie Elisabeth of Stolberg-Werningerode.

The couple had four children:

Friederike Sophie (born and died 1734), died in infancy
Christiane Friederike (1735 – 1788), nun at Gandersheim Abbey
Friedrich Karl, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1736 – 1793), married his first cousin Princess Friederike of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, the eldest daughter of Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had six children including Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Christian Ernst (born and died 1739), died in infancy

Schloss Ludwigsburg, built for Ludwig Günther; Credit – Von Z thomas – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28174814

After their marriage, Ludwig Günther and Sophie Henrietta moved to Schloss Heidecksburg (link in German), one of the main residences of the Princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. In 1734, construction began on a future residence for Ludwig Günther and his family in Rudolstadt. Schloss Ludwigsburg (link in German), named after Ludwig Günther, was completed in 1742. A ceiling fresco in the castle depicts Ludwig Günther with Greek gods.

In 1744, Ludwig Günther’s eldest brother Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt died. Friedrich Anton’s only son and Ludwig Günther’s nephew, 23-year-old Johann Friedrich succeeded his father. Johann Friedrich married two months later and he and his wife had six children but only two daughters survived childhood. Therefore, Johann Friedrich had no male heir.

Ludwig Günther was the youngest of four brothers. The third brother, Albrecht Anton, had died unmarried in 1720. As already mentioned, the first brother Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt died in 1744 and had no sons. The second brother Wilhelm Ludwig, who died in 1757 during Johann Friedrich’s reign, had married morganatically and had three sons and two daughters. However, because of the morganatic marriage, Wilhelm Ludwig’s sons did not have succession rights. Upon the death of his nephew Johann Friedrich in 1767, 59-year-old Ludwig Günther became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and his son Friedrich Karl became the Hereditary Prince. Ludwig Günther and his wife Sophie Henrietta moved to Schloss Heidecksburg, the principal residence of the Princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Four years later, Sophie Henrietta died on January 22, 1771, aged 60, and was buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German), the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle.

For the most part, Ludwig Günther left government affairs to Chancellor Christian Ulrich von Ketelholdt, with whom he had a good relationship. At his previous residence Schloss Ludwigsburg, Ludwig Günther established a princely school of art. The natural history collection owned by Hereditary Prince Friedrich Karl and Ludwig Günther’s coin collection were displayed there. In 1778, Ludwig Günther II laid the foundation stone for the palace library in the west wing of Schloss Heidecksburg which now has around 7,000 books.

After a reign of twenty-three years, Ludwig Günther died at the age of 81, on August 29, 1790, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was buried with his wife at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ludwig Günther II. (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_G%C3%BCnther_II._(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 30 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Louis Günther II, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_G%C3%BCnther_II,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 30 October 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].

Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

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Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on January 8, 1721 in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Johann Friedrich was the only son and the eldest of the three children of Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Johann Friedrich had two younger sisters but one died in infancy and the other never married:

Sophia Wilhelmina of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1723)
Sophia Albertine of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1724 – 1799), unmarried

Johann Friedrich was raised and educated by private tutors from the age of four. When he was six-years-old, Johann Friedrich’s mother died. In 1729, his father married again to Christina Sophia of East Friesia but the marriage was childless. From 1737 – 1741, Johann Friedrich made the customary Grand Tour through Europe. He attended lectures on theology at the University of Strasbourg and lectures on mathematics and physics at the University of Utrecht. While in Utrecht, Johann Friedrich visited King George II of Great Britain who was also visiting Utrecht. During his time in France, Johann Friedrich was exposed to the ideas of the Enlightenment. In 1742, he represented his father at the coronation of Holy Roman Emperor Karl VII (also Prince-Elector of Bavaria).

Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his father Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt on September 1, 1744, 23-year-old Johann Friedrich became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Two months later, on November 19, 1744, in Eisenach, Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia, Johann Friedrich married Princess Bernardina Christina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1724 – 1757). Bernardina Christina was the daughter of Ernst August I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and his first wife with Eleonore Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Köthen. Sadly, Bernadina Christina died in 1757 at the age of 33. She was deeply mourned by her husband who never remarried.

Johann Friedrich and Bernadina Christina had six children but only two daughters survived childhood:

Princess Friederike of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1745 – 1778), married her first cousin once removed Friedrick Karl, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had six children including Ludwig Friedrich II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Daughter (born and died 1746)
Son (born and died 1747)
Princess Sophie Ernestine of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1749 – 1754), died in childhood
Princess Wilhelmina of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1751 – 1780) married Ludwig I, Prince of Nassau-Saarbrücken, had one son
Princess Henrietta Charlotte of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1752 – 1756), died in childhood

Heidecksburg Castle; Credit – Von © R.Möhler, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41580216

Johann Friedrich continued and completed the reconstruction project his father had started at Heidecksburg Castle (link in German) after a fire in 1735 caused two wings to be burned down to the ground floor. The fire had also destroyed the principality’s sheet music collection and Johann Friedrich with the assistance of his Kapellmeister Georg Gebel built up a new collection.

Johann Friedrich founded a theological seminary and a public library in Rudolstadt. He added his private library to the previous collections and from 1751 made the books available to the public once a week. During his reign, Johann Friedrich acquired more books for the Princely Public Library in Rudolstadt. The collection is now partly part of the historical library in Rudolstadt and partly in the collection at the Heidecksburg Castle library.

Leda and the Swan, circa 1785, an example from the porcelain factory in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit- Wikipedia

In 1760, Johann Friedrich granted Georg Heinrich Macheleid a license to run a porcelain factory. Johann Friedrich was the co-managing director of the porcelain factory which still exists under the name Volkstedter Porzellanmanufaktur. In 1764, upon the 100th anniversary of the local school in Rudolstadt being declared the Princely State School, Johann Friedrich officially declared it a gymnasium (secondary school), renamed it the Gymnasium Friedericianum, and added teaching posts for mathematics and natural science. The Gymnasium Friedericianum Rudolstadt is still in existence.

Johann Friedrich; Credit – Wikipedia

Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt died at the age of 46 on July 10, 1767, in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, (link in German) the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle (link in German) in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, where his wife Bernadina Christina had been buried. Because he had no son, Johann Friedrich was succeeded by his uncle Louis Günther II. In 1763, Louis Günther II’s eldest son, the new Hereditary Prince Friedrich Karl, had married Johann Friedrich’s eldest daughter Friederike. Friedrich Karl succeeded his father Louis Günther II as the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1790.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas where Johann Friedrich and his wife are buried; Credit – Von Michael Sander – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=543007

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Johann Friedrich (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Friedrich_(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 29 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. John Frederick, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frederick,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 29 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Bernardina Christina Sophia Of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Bernardina_Christina_Sophia_of_Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach> [Accessed 29 October 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].

Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer

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Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on August 14, 1692, in Rudolstadt, then in the County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was the eldest of the thirteen children and the eldest of the four sons of Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Friedrich Anton had twelve younger siblings. His youngest sibling Ludwig Günther also was a reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He succeeded to the throne upon the death of Friedrich Anton’s only son Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt who had no sons.

Friedrich Anton’s siblings:

Amalie Magdalene of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Sophie Luise
Sophie Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Amalie Magdalene
Sophie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1694 – 1776), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
Wilhelm Ludwig of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1696 – 1757), married morganatically Caroline Henriette Gebauer who was created Baroness of Brockenburg, had three sons and two daughters
Christine Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1697 – 1698), died in infancy
Albrecht Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1698 – 1720), unmarried
Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1699 – 1774), unmarried
Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1700 – 1780), married Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had four sons and four daughters
Sophia Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1737), unmarried, twin of Friederike Luise
Friederike Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1787), unmarried, twin of Sophia Dorothea
Magdalena Sibylle of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1707 – 1795), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
Ludwig Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1708 – 1790), married Sophie Henriette of Reuss-Untergreiz, had two daughters and two sons

Friedrich Anton was raised mainly by his paternal grandfather Albrecht Anton, Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt who ensured his grandson received a solid education in the sciences and religion. The young prince was especially fond of poetry and even wrote some poetry himself.

Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Friedrich Anton’s first wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 8, 1720 in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in the German state of Thuringia, Friedrich Anton married Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1693 – 1727). Sophia Wilhelmina was the eldest daughter of Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and his second wife Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen.

Friedrich Anton and Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld had three children but only two survived childhood:

Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1721 – 1767), married Bernardina Christiane of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, had four surviving daughters
Sophia Wilhelmina of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1723)
Sophia Albertine of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1724–1799), unmarried

Friedrich Anton’s second wife Christina Sophia of East Friesia; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Friedrich Anton and Sophia Wilhelmina lasted only seven years as Sophia Wilhelmina died on December 4, 1727, aged 34. On January 6, 1729, Friedrich Anton married again to Christina Sophia of East Friesia (1688 – 1750). Christina Sophia was the eldest daughter of Prince Christian Eberhard of East Friesia and Eberhadine Sophie of Oettingen-Oettingen. Unfortunately, the marriage was childless.

Upon the death of his father on June 24, 1718, Friedrich Anton became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He was not very interested in the day-to-day governing of the principality and left that to his Chancellor, Georg Ulrich von Beulwitz. He did seem interested in offering religious refuge. In 1727, Friedrich Anton issued a letter of protection to two Jewish families and allowed them to settle in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Between 1727 and 1737, nine more Jewish families were granted the same privilege. These families developed into the Jewish community of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. In 1732, 2,000 Protestant exiles from Salzburg, Austria arrived in Rudolstadt. They had been expelled when Salzburg began enforcing Catholicism in 1731. They were welcomed with the ringing of church bells and a church service in the St. Andreas Church in Rudolstadt.

Schwarzburg Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Anton had to deal with several financial issues. His brother Wilhelm Friedrich was always in debt and Friedrich Anton needed to bail him out several times. In 1726, a fire damaged Schwarzburg Castle (link in German) and the Schlosskirche (castle church, link in German). Reconstruction necessitated by a 1695 fire had just been completed in 1713. A fire at Heidecksburg Castle (link in German) in 1735 caused two wings to be burned down to the ground floor. The reconstruction costs were substantial and the reconstruction on Heidecksburg Castle was not completed until 1744, two months after Friedrich Anton’s death

Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, circa 1890; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt died September 1, 1744, aged 52, in Rudolstadt. He was buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. Friedrich Anton’s second wife Christina Sophia survived him by six years, dying on March 31, 1750, aged 62. Both wives were buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early 1940s, the remains of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg were transferred to the Stadtkirche St. Andreas in Rudolstadt, (link in German) Thuringia, Germany before the demolition of Schwarzburg Castle and Schlosskirche Schwarzburg by the German government who planned to convert the castle into Adolf Hitler’s Imperial Guest House. However, the construction was never completed and the ruins of the castle and the incomplete construction of the guest house were left for years until reconstruction of the original castle, which is still occurring, began.

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Anton (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Anton_(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 29 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Frederick Anton, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Anton,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 29 October 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].

Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

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Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was born on October 25, 1667, in Rudolstadt, County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was the eldest of the two children of Albrecht Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Countess Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingen. Emilie Juliane was the most productive of the German female hymn-writers, composing nearly 600 hymns. She was an early adherent of Pietism, a movement within Lutheranism that emphasized biblical doctrine, individual piety, and living a vigorous Christian life.

Ludwig Friedrich had one younger sister who died in infancy:

Albertina Antonia of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1668)

As was typical for German princes at that time Ludwig Friedrich made a Grand Tour of Europe from May 1687 to October 1688. Accompanied by his tutor Johann von Asseburg, he was received at the Palace of Versailles by King Louis XIV of France and in Vienna, Austria by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. He was also received by Duke Frederick I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, whose daughter Anna Sophie he later would marry.

Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 15, 1691 at Friedenstein Palace in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, Ludwig Friedrich married Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1670 – 1728). She was the eldest of the eight children and the eldest of the six daughters of Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels.

Ludwig Friedrich and Anna Sophie had thirteen children:

Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1692 – 1744), married (1) Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had one son and two daughters (2) Christina Sophia of East Frisia, no children
Amalie Magdalene of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Sophie Luise
Sophie Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Amalie Magdalene
Sophie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1694 – 1776), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
Wilhelm Ludwig of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1696 – 1757), married morganatically Caroline Henriette Gebauer who was created Baroness of Brockenburg, had three sons and two daughters
Christine Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1697 – 1698), died in infancy
Albrecht Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1698 – 1720), unmarried
Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1699 – 1774), unmarried
Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1700 – 1780), married Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had four sons and four daughters
Sophia Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1737), unmarried, twin of Friederike Luise
Friederike Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1787), unmarried, twin of Sophia Dorothea
Magdalena Sibylle of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1707 – 1795), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
Ludwig Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1708 – 1790), married Sophie Henriette of Reuss-Untergreiz, had two daughters and two sons

Ludwig Friedrich’s daughter Anna Sophie who was the Duchess of of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld by marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

Via their daughter, Anna Sophie who married Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Ludwig Friedrich and Anna Sophie are the ancestors of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert and Leopold I, King of the Belgians. The royal families of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are their descendants.

In 1697, Albrecht Anton, Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Ludwig Friedrich’s father, was raised to a Prince and the County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was raised to a principality by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. However, he chose not to accept his elevation due to his religious modesty which focused on the Pietism of his mother. He also wanted to avoid a confrontation with his neighbors, the dukes from the Ernestine lines of the House of Wettin, (whose duchy names began with “Saxe”) who had opposed his elevation. In 1710, the elevation to Prince was offered again and this time, Albrecht Anton accepted it. However, he did not publish notice of his elevation and continued to use the style Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

View of Schwarzburg Castle, lithograph around 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 15, 1710, Albrecht Anton died and his son Ludwig Friedrich succeeded him. Ludwig Friedrich published notice of the elevation to Prince in 1711 and began using the style Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt on April 15, 1711. The elevation strengthened the position of the House of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt against the House of Wettin. The Imperial Hall, which was added to the Schwarzburg Castle (link in German) between 1713 and 1719, was created in connection with the elevation. It contained full-length images of Holy Roman Emperors and the members of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family and represented the dignity and the descent of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family.

Even before he succeeded to the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt throne, Ludwig Friedrich had assisted his father in administrating the principality. After he inherited the throne, he reformed the administration on an absolutist basis. In 1713, an agreement was reached with the other ruling branch of the Schwarzburg family, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, whereby primogeniture was introduced in both branches, and further division of the family’s possessions was prevented.

Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, circa 1890; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 24, 1718, Ludwig Friedrich I, aged 50, died in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German), the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle, in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. Anna Sophie, Ludwig Friedrich’s wife, survived him by ten years, dying on December 28, 1728, at the age of 58, and was buried with her husband at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early 1940s, the remains of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg were transferred to the Stadtkirche St. Andreas (link in German) in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, before the demolition of the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg and Schwarzburg Castle. The German government took possession of Schwarzburg Castle and compensated the widow of the last reigning prince. They planned to convert the castle into Adolf Hitler’s Imperial Guest House. In June 1940, demolition began on Schwarzburg Castle, one of the most important Baroque castles in central Germany. In 1942, the construction was stopped and the Imperial Guest House was never finished. The ruins of the castle and the incomplete construction of the guest house were left for years. The only thing that remained of the castle church was the tower dome but it was destroyed in a fire caused by fireworks on New Year’s Eve 1980. There has been much reconstruction on the castle especially after Schwarzburg Castle was transferred to the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation in 1994.

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Albert Anton (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Anton_(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 20 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Emilie Juliane Of Barby-Mühlingen. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countess_Emilie_Juliane_of_Barby-M%C3%BChlingen> [Accessed 20 October 2020].
De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ludwig Friedrich I. (Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Friedrich_I._(Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt)> [Accessed 20 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Louis Frederick I, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Frederick_I,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt> [Accessed 20 October 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 20 October 2020].

Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe: In 1647, the County of Schaumburg-Lippe was formed through the division of the County of Schaumburg by treaties between the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and the Count of Lippe. In 1808, the County of Schaumberg-Lippe was raised to a Principality and Georg Wilhelm, Count of Schaumburg became the first Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.

At the end of World War I, Adolf II, the last Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, was forced to abdicate on November 15, 1918, and lived out his life in exile. In 1936, Adolf II and his wife were killed in an airplane crash in Mexico. Today, the land encompassing the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe is in the German state of Lower Saxony.

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Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

Adolf II (Adolf Bernhard) was the last reigning Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. He was born on February 23, 1883, at Stadthagen Castle (link in German), the residence of the Hereditary Prince in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. At the time of his birth, his father was the Hereditary Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. Adolf was the eldest of the seven sons and the eldest of the nine children of Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg.

Adolf had eight younger siblings:

Prince Moritz Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe (1884 – 1920), unmarried
Prince Peter of Schaumburg-Lippe (born and died 1886), died in infancy
Prince Wolrad of Schaumburg-Lippe (1887 – 1962), married his second cousin Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, had three sons and one daughter, Wolrad was Head of the House of Schaumberg-Lippe from 1938 until his death
Prince Stephan of Schaumburg-Lippe (1891 – 1965), married Duchess Ingeborg of Oldenburg, had one son and one daughter
Prince Heinrich of Schaumburg-Lippe (1894 – 1952), married Countess Marie-Erika von Hardenberg, had one daughter
Princess Margareth of Schaumburg-Lippea (1896 – 1897), died in infancy
Prince Friedrich Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe (1906 – 1983), married (1) Countess Alexandra zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, had two daughters and one son (2) Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, no children (3) Helene Mayr, no children
Princess Elisabeth of Schaumburg-Lippe (1908 – 1933), married (1) Benvenuto Hauptmann, no children, divorced (2) Baron Johann Herring von Frankensdorff, had one son and one daughter

Upon his father’s death on April 29, 1911, Adolf became the reigning Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. During Adolf’s reign, the huge Bückeburg Mausoleum (link in German) was built between 1911 and 1915 on the Bückeburg Palace grounds to replace the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martini Church in Stadthagen (links in German) as the family burial site. Adolf’s father was the first in the family to be buried there. After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, Adolf II was forced to abdicate on November 15, 1918, and the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe became the Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe. Adolf was exiled from the Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe and lived in the Brionian Islands, then Italy, now in Croatia.

Ellen von Bischoff-Korthaus

On January 10, 1920, in Berlin, Germany, Adolf married actress Elisabeth Franziska (Ellen) von Bischoff-Korthaus. Ellen was born on November 6, 1894, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. The marriage was childless. Adolf was not the first prince Ellen married. On August 24, 1918, Ellen married Prince Eberwyn of Bentheim and Steinfurt (1882 – 1949), son of Prince Alexis of Bentheim and Steinfurt and Princess Pauline of Waldeck and Pyrmont, daughter of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his first wife Princess Helena of Nassau. The couple was divorced on December 13, 1919.

While living in Italy, Adolf and Ellen were investigated by the Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei, Secret State Police) beginning in June 1934. They were later denounced by Kurt von Behr, head of the Nazi Party in Italy.

On March 26, 1936, Adolf, aged 53, and his wife Ellen, aged 42, were killed in an airplane crash in Zumpango, Mexico, along with eight other passengers from Germany, Austria, and Hungary, and four crew members. Their plane developed engine trouble and crashed between the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl as they were flying from Mexico City, Mexico to Guatemala City, Guatemala. The plane had been chartered by Hamburg-American Line which brought the Europeans to Mexico on a tour. It was the worst Mexican plane crash at that time.

The bodies of Adolf and Ellen were recovered and returned to Germany thanks to the intervention of Adolf’s youngest brother Friedrich Christian who was aide-de-camp to Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. Friedrich Christian joined the Nazi Party in 1928, one of the first German princes to do so. He never distanced himself from the Nazi ideology and championed it until the end of his life. Initially, Friedrich Christian was against the idea of burying Ellen’s remains in the Bückeburg Mausoleum because he thought that she was not of Aryan origin. When Friedrich Christian was proven wrong, Ellen was buried with Adolf at the Bückeburg Mausoleum (link in German) on the grounds of Bückeburg Castle. Wolrad, Adolf’s next surviving brother, who was also a member of the Nazi Party, succeeded him as Head of the House of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Bückeburg Mausoleum; Credit – Von Corradox – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7328133

Schaumburg-Lippe Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Adolf II. (Schaumburg-Lippe). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_II._(Schaumburg-Lippe)> [Accessed 21 October 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Adolf II, Prince Of Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_II,_Prince_of_Schaumburg-Lippe> [Accessed 21 October 2020].
It.wikipedia.org. 2020. Adolfo II Di Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_II_di_Schaumburg-Lippe> [Accessed 21 October 2020].
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2020. Adolfo II, Príncipe De Eschaumburgo-Lipa. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_II,_Pr%C3%ADncipe_de_Eschaumburgo-Lipa> [Accessed 21 October 2020].
Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1936. 14 Die In Worst Mexican Air Crash; Three Titled Germans Among Dead; Plane Carrying Ten Tourists From Europe And Four In Crew Falls Between Two Volcanoes, Killing All — Prince And Princess Adolf Of Schaumburg-Lippe Lose Lives. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1936/03/27/87926235.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0> [Accessed 21 October 2020].

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