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.

• Holy Roman Empire, German Confederation, North German Confederation, and the German Empire Explained
• The Constituent States of the German Empire
• Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles

Below is an indexed listing with links to biographical articles about the Princely Family of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. If it says “Notable Issue” before a name, that means not all of the children for the parent of that person are listed. Also listed below are links to the Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Content Areas. Note that not all the wives of the Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen have articles due to the lack of information.

House of Schwarzburg

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1697 – 1918)

Anton Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Anton Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1697-1716)
• Augusta Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (no issue)

Family of Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1697-1721)
• Antonie Sybille of Barby-Mühlingen, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen (1st wife of Christian Wilhelm)
  • Notable Issue: Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (see below)
• Wilhelmine Christiane of Saxe-Weimar, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen (2nd wife of Christian Wilhelm)
  • Notable Issue: Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (see below)

Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1721-1740)
• Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Bernburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen (wife of Günther XLIII, no children)

Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1740-1758, unmarried)

Family of Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1758-1794)
• Charlotte Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Bernburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen (wife of  Christian Günther III)
  • Notable Issue: Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (see below)

Family of Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1794-1835, abdicated)
• Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen (wife of Günther Friedrich Karl I)
  • Notable Issue: Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Princess of Lippe
  • Notable Issue: Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (see below)

Family of Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1835-1880)
• Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen (1st wife of Günther Friedrich Karl II)
  • Notable Issue: Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (see below)
• Mathilde zu Hohenlohe-Öhringen (divorced, had two children)

Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

• Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1880-1909)
• Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (no children)

Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg

• Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg (Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 1890-1918, also Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen 1909 – 1918, after 1909, used the title Prince of Schwarzburg)
• Anna Luise of Schönburg-Waldenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg (wife of Günther Victor, no children)

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Content Areas

• Royal Burial Sites of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen