Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz; Credit – German Documentation Center for Art History – Photo Archive Photo Marburg

Princess Sophie Maria Theresia of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, the first wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz, was born on September 18, 1809, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. She was the fourth of the six children and the third of the five daughters of Karl Thomas, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Countess Sophie of Windisch-Grätz.

Sophie had five siblings:

The noble family of Löwenstein originated with Friedrich I, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Elector Palatine (1425 – 1476) from the House of Wittelsbach. The children from his morganatic marriage were not entitled to be part of the House of Wittelsbach and so they formed a separate, noble family. In 1611, the family split into the Protestant Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg line and the Catholic Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort line. Sophie’s family was from the Catholic line.

In 1812, the Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort family lost territory on the left bank of the Rhine, including Rochefort and so the name was changed to Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. By 1814, Sophie’s family had lost all its territory and were members of the landless high nobility. Regardless, Sophie’s father still held a seat in the First Chambers in Baden, Bavaria, Hesse, and Württemberg and always felt a strong bond with the Austrian Empire and its ruling Habsburg dynasty.

Löwenstein Castle; Credit – Von Fritz Geller-Grimm supported by Rüdiger Wandke – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12631060

Sophie was brought up with her siblings at Löwenstein Castle (link in German) in Kleinheubach, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany. The castle was built in the Baroque style between 1721 and 1732. It was at Löwenstein Castle, probably at the beautiful altar below, that Sophie married the future Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz on November 25, 1834.

Altar of the chapel at Löwenstein Castle; Credit – Von Altera levatur – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35625169

Sophie was Catholic and her husband was Lutheran. There is no information on whether Sophie remained Catholic or converted to Lutheranism. On October 31, 1836, Heinrich XX’s elder brother Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz died. Because his brother had no son to succeed him, Sophie’s husband became the 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Sophie’s husband Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophie was in ill health for most of her marriage and never had any children. She died on July 21, 1838, at the age of 29. Heinrich XX had the Sophienkreuz (Sophie Cross), also known as the White Cross, built in her memory on a hill overlooking Greiz. The cross has been knocked down several times due to bad weather but it has always been rebuilt.

Sophienkreuz; Credit – Vogtlandspiegel, Bilder vom und um das Weiße Kreuz in Greiz

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Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Karl Thomas zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Thomas_zu_L%C3%B6wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Schloss Löwenstein. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_L%C3%B6wenstein [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Sophie zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_zu_L%C3%B6wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Sophienkreuz. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophienkreuz [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xx-4th-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].