Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, was born on March 20, 1878 in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the eldest of the six children and the only son of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, daughter of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

Heinrich XXIV had five younger sisters:

Heinrich XXIV’s five sisters – left to right – Hermine, Ida, Marie, Caroline, and Emma; Credit – Wikipedia

As a result of a childhood accident, Heinrich XXIV had physical and mental disabilities. His parents knew that these disabilities would prevent their son from marrying and ruling the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. On September 28, 1891, Heinrich XXIV’s mother died from complications that occurred during the birth of her sixth child and fifth daughter. One can reasonably assume that Heinrich XXII and his wife Ida were hoping that each successive pregnancy would produce a healthy boy. Heinrich XXIV’s father considered his wife’s death as a divine sentence and refused to marry again, knowing that this decision would mean the end of the House of Reuss-Greiz. Because of Heinrich XXII’s conservative attitude, there was no question of changing the family law in favor of the rule of one of his daughters.

When Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died from heart disease on April 19, 1902, his disabled son nominally succeeded him as Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera (also called the Younger Line) successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1902 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918, when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.

Unteres Schloss (Lower Castle); Credit – Von Wolfgang Pehlemann Wiesbaden Germany – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32945973

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Unteres Schloss (link in German) (Lower Castle) in Greiz and lived there until his death.

Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz died on October 13, 1927, aged 49, in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. He was buried with his parents at the Waldhaus Mausoleum (link in German) that his father had built in the forest near Greiz. By 1969, the Waldhaus Mausoleum had fallen into disrepair and the remains of Heinrich XXII, Ida, and their son Heinrich XXIV were taken to Werdau Crematorium, cremated, and placed in urns. The urns were reburied at the Neue Friedhof (New Cemetery) in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Since 1997, the resting place of the urns has been at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Greiz.

Upon the death of Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz (the Elder Line) in 1927, the House of Reuss-Greiz (the Elder Line) became extinct and claims to its titles passed to Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera. When he died in 1928, the claims to the titles of the House of Reuss-Greiz and the House of Reuss-Gera passed to his son Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss Younger Line. The childless Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss Younger Line, disappeared after he had been arrested in August 1945 by the Soviet military. He was legally declared dead in 1962 and the claims to the titles of the House of Reuss-Greiz and the House of Reuss-Gera went to the Head of House of Reuss-Köstritz where they remain today.

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Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XXIV. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXIV._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXIV,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Principality of Reuss-Gera. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Reuss-Gera [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xxii-5th-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020].