Category Archives: Reuss Royals

Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg, Princess Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

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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The wife of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz, Princess Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg was born on September 28, 1765, in The Hague, then in the Dutch Republic, now in The Netherlands. She was the fourth of the nine children and the second of the five daughters of Karl Christian, Duke of Nassau-Weilburg and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau. Wilhelmine Luise’s paternal grandparents were Karl August, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and Princess Auguste Friederike of Nassau-Idstein (link in German). Her maternal grandparents were Willem IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal (daughter of King George II of Great Britain).

Caroline of Orange-Nassau and her children, circa 1778; Left to Right: Karoline, Caroline of Orange-Nassau, Amalia, Karl, Wilhelmine Luise, Marie, and Friedrich Wilhelm; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmine Luise had a total of eight siblings but only five survived childhood. Her sister Amalia is an ancestor of the Dutch Royal Family and her sister Henriette is an ancestor of the British House of Windsor through Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom:

The family lived in The Hague, then in the Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, mostly because Wilhelmine Luise’s father Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg served in the Dutch army. However, because Carolina of Orange-Nassau, Wilhelmine Luise’s mother, was one of the four successive regents for her only surviving sibling Willem V, Prince of Orange, it was also necessary that the family stay in The Hague. Carolina and Willem V’s father Willem IV, Prince of Orange had died at age 40 and was succeeded by his son Willem (V) who was only three years old. Willem V would not reach his majority for fifteen years, and until then he had four successive regents. In 1769, Wihelmine Luise’s family moved to Weilburg in her father’s Principality of Nassau-Weilburg, now in the German state of Hesse, but in 1773, Wilhelmine Luise’s father Karl Christian was appointed Governor of Maastricht in the Dutch Republic, and so the family once again returned to the Dutch Republic. In 1784, Wilhelmine Luise’s father resigned as Governor of Maastricht and the family moved back to Weilburg.

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz, Wilhelmine Luise’s husband; Credit – Wikipedia

Twenty-year-old Wilhelmine Luise married thirty-eight-year-old Heinrich XIII, the heir to the throne of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, on January 9, 1786, in Kirchheim, Principality of Nassau-Weilburg, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Wilhelmine Luise and Heinrich XIII had four sons:

Wilhelmine Luise’s husband Heinrich XIII served in the Austrian Army. He attained the rank of General Feldzeugmeister, commander-in-chief of the artillery, one of the highest officers in the army. Heinrich XIII was a close personal friend of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. In 1789, Heinrich XIII represented the Holy Roman Empire at the court of the Kingdom of Prussia.

The Lower Castle in Greiz, with the Upper Castle in the background; Credit – Von Wolfgang Pehlemann Wiesbaden Germany – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32945991

Upon his father’s death in 1800, Heinrich XIII succeeded as Prince Reuss of Greiz. On April 6, 1802, a large fire destroyed much of Greiz, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, now in the German state of Thuringia. Approximately 430 buildings were destroyed. Many other buildings were demolished to prevent the fire from spreading. Heinrich XIII oversaw the rebuilding of Greiz in the neoclassical style and moved his residence from the Obere Schloss (link in German) (Upper Castle) to the Untere Schloss (link in German) so he could be closer to the people and social life of Greiz.

Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz; Credit – Von Tilman2007 – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41473525

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz died on January 29, 1817, aged 69, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Wilhelmine Luise survived her husband by twenty years, dying on October 10, 1837, aged 72, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. She was buried with her husband.

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

  • Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Christian,_Prince_of_Nassau-Weilburg (Accessed: 21 August 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020) Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xiii-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ (Accessed: 21 August 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2016) Willem V, Prince of Orange, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/william-v-prince-of-orange/ (Accessed: 21 August 2023).
  • Louise, Princess Reuss of Greiz (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise,_Princess_Reuss_of_Greiz (Accessed: 21 August 2023).
  • Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Carolina_of_Orange-Nassau (Accessed: 21 August 2023).
  • Вільгельміна Луїза Нассау-Вайльбурзька (Luise of Nassau-Weilburg) (2023) Wikipedia (Ukrainian). Available at: https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D1%96%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BC%D1%96%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9B%D1%83%D1%97%D0%B7%D0%B0_%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B0%D1%83-%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B7%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B0 (Accessed: 21 August 2023).

Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss and the 2022 Attempted Coup d’etat in Germany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss; Credit – By Steffen Löwe  Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=126413465

On December 7, 2022, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss was arrested on suspicion of being one of the ringleaders of a terrorist organization planning a coup d’etat in Germany. A total of 25 people were arrested.

Why so many Heinrichs? Why do they all have numbers?

All males of the House of Reuss were and still are 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 a 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.

Modern Use of Titles

After World War I ended in 1918, all German monarchies were abolished. In August 1919, Germany’s first democratic constitution officially abolished royalty and nobility, and any privileges previously held. However, former hereditary titles were and still are permitted as part of surnames. These surnames can then be inherited by a person’s children. Therefore, “Prince Reuss” is the surname of Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss.

The title Fürst was used for a reigning German sovereign ruler. Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).

Who is Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss?

Heinrich XIII and his mother in 2018; Credit – By Steffen Löwe – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=126411903

Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss was born on December 4, 1951 in Büdingen, West Germany, now in Hesse, Germany. He is the fifth of the six children and the fourth of the five sons of Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz (1910 – 1982) and Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1918 – 2019). Heinrich XIII comes from the Reuss-Köstritz branch of the House of Reuss, a cadet branch of the House of Reuss-Gera (Younger Line).

Heinrich XIII’s mother was the first cousin of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (wife of King Christian X of Denmark), Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (wife of Wilhelm, the last German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia), and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Heinrich XIII’s paternal grandparents were Prince Heinrich XXXIV Reuss of Köstritz and Princess Sophie Renate Reuss of Köstritz. His maternal grandparents were Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Viktoria Feodora Reuss of Gera.

To many reading this article, the names Viktoria and Feodora may be familiar. Heinrich XIII’s maternal grandmother Viktoria Feodora Reuss of Gera was the eldest child of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince (Fürst) Reuss of Gera (reigned 1913-1918) and Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (full name: Elise Victoria Feodora Sophie Adelheid), a granddaughter of Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Therefore, Heinrich XIII is a descendant of Queen Victoria’s mother Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and her first husband Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen.

Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera, the son of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Gera, was the Head of the House of Reuss from 1927 until his arrest by the Soviet military and subsequent disappearance in 1945. As Heinrich XLV was unmarried and had no heirs, he named Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz to succeed him as the Head of the House of Reuss. However, Heinrich XLV wanted his money to stay within his family. Only two of his siblings, both sisters, survived to adulthood and only one sister had a child, Princess Viktoria Feodora Reuss of Gera who died in childbirth a day after giving birth to her only child, a daughter Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Heinrich XIII’s mother. Therefore, Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera adopted Woizlawa Feodora’s husband and Heinrich XIII’s father Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz for inheritance reasons only, and his private assets remained in the family.

Heinrich XIII has one sister and four brothers:

  • Feodora Princess Reuss (born 1942), married Gilbert Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode, had two sons
  • Heinrich VIII Prince Reuss (born 1944), married Dorit Baroness von Ruffin, had two sons
  • Heinrich IX Prince Reuss (born 1947), Amelie Besserer von Thalfingen
  • Heinrich X Prince Reuss (born 1948), married (1) Elisabeth Åkerhielm af Margrethelund, had one daughter and one son, divorced (2) Antonia von Arnim, no children
  • Heinrich XV Prince Reuss (born 1956), married Anja Charlotte Nooth-Cooper, had children

Heinrich XIII operated a company in Frankfurt, Germany called Büro Prinz Reuss which dealt in real estate and the production of sparkling wine. In 1989, Heinrich XIII married Iranian-born Susan Doukht Jalali (born 1956), who uses the name Princess Susan Reuss. She practices naturopathy, a form of alternative medicine, and served as Germany’s representative to UNESCO in support of its program Education for Children in Need. The couple, now divorced, had two children:

  • Elena Princess Reuss (born 1989), has Down’s Syndrome
  • Heinrich XXVIII Prince Reuss (born 1991)

Heinrich XIII left the House of Reuss Family Association in 2008. His great-grandfather Heinrich XXVII, was the 5th and last reigning Prince (Fürst) Reuss of Gera. However, this descent is through his mother. In his male line, Heinrich XIII would be 17th in the line of succession as Head of the House of Reuss as of the writing of this article in December 2022.

German Empire (1871 – 1918)

The Constituent States of the German Empire; Credit – Wikipedia

The Principality of Reuss-Gera and the Principality of Reuss-Greiz were two of the 26 constituent states of the German Empire. The German Empire existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the abdication of Wilhelm II, German Emperor (also King Wilhelm II of Prussia) in 1918 after World War I when all the constituent monarchies in the German Empire were abolished. The German Empire consisted of 26 states, most of them ruled by royal families. They included four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities, three free Hanseatic cities, and one imperial territory.  The King of Prussia was also the German Emperor (Kaiser) and the capital of the German Empire was Berlin. The member states retained their own governments but lost some aspects of sovereignty. For example, both postage stamps and currency were issued for the German Empire as a whole.

House of Reuss-Greiz (Older Line)

The House of Reuss began its 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 (Fürst) Prince Reuss, Older Line, or (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last (Fürst) 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 (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913, and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV, the last (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Greiz retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death in 1927.

House of Reuss-Gera (Younger Line)

Heinrich XLII became Count of Reuss-Schleiz in 1784, and then also became Count of Reuss-Gera in 1802. In 1806, the united county was raised to the Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line, and Heinrich XLII became the 1st (Fürst) Prince of Reuss-Gera. Between 1824 and 1848, the senior line of Gera gradually combined the territory of the surviving cadet branches of Lobenstein, Köstritz, and Ebersdorf.

On November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII, 5th (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Gera abdicated his position as Prince Reuss of Gera. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII and granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

In 1927, upon the death of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th (Fürst) Prince Reuss of Greiz, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and the claims to its titles passed to Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and the last reigning (Fürst) 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 of Gera. However, Heinrich XLV was unmarried and childless and he named Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz his successor as the Head of the House of Reuss. The childless Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera, 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 officially went to Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz, Head of House of Reuss-Köstritz. Upon the death of Heinrich IV in 2012, his son Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz became Head of the House of Reuss.

Why was Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss arrested?

Jagdschloss Waidmannsheil, Heinrich XIII’s ancestral hunting lodge where the plot was planned and weapons were stored

Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss and 24 others were accused of plotting to overthrow the German government, conspiring to execute Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, and conspiring to replace the Federal Republic of Germany with an authoritarian state modeled on pre-1918 Germany with Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss as the monarch. Those arrested belonged to the right-wing terrorist group Patriotic Union. One of the other twenty-four people arrested was Vitalia B., a Russian citizen, and Heinrich XIII’s partner. She is suspected of having helped Heinrich XIII in contacting representatives of the Russian Federation.  However, there is no evidence that the Russian Federation would have cooperated with the plot.

The Patriotic Union was divided into a political arm, the “Council” under Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, and a military arm led by former German Army Lieutenant Colonel Rüdiger von Pescatore. Members of the Patriotic Union believe that the Federal Republic of Germany is not a sovereign country but a corporation set up by the Allies after World War II. The plot was planned and weapons were stored at Jagdschloss Waidmannsheil, Heinrich XIII’s ancestral hunting lodge in the spa town of Bad Lobenstein in the German state of Thuringia.

Heinrich XIV Prince Reuss, Head of the House of Reuss called Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss a “confused old man” and “a marginal figure” and noted that their last common ancestor lived in the early 19th century. He said, “We are 60 family members, 30 of them Heinrich with different numbers. It’s very confusing.” Heinrich XIV said the behavior of Heinrich XIII was a “catastrophe” for the Reuss family, who had been tolerant rulers and were now associated with “terrorists and reactionaries”. Heinrich XIV Prince Reuss, Head of the House of Reuss has had no personal contact with Heinrich XIV Prince Reuss since 2012.

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

  • 2022 German coup d’état plot (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_German_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_plot (Accessed: December 19, 2022).
  • Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Woizlawa_Feodora_of_Mecklenburg (Accessed: December 19, 2022).
  • Heinrich XIII. Prinz Reuß (2022) Wikipedia (German). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIII._Prinz_Reu%C3%9F (Accessed: December 19, 2022).
  • Heinrich XIII Reuss (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Reuss (Accessed: December 19, 2022).
  • Mdr.de (2022) Nach Razzia: Haus Reuß schockiert über vorgänge um Heinrich XIII., Nach Razzia: Haus Reuß schockiert über Vorgänge um Heinrich XIII. | MDR.DE. MDR. Available at: https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/thueringen/ost-thueringen/saale-orla/heinrich-xiv-fuerst-reuss-interview-razzia-100.html (Accessed: December 19, 2022).
  • Principality of Reuss-Gera Index (2020) Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/current-monarchies-article-index/german-royals-index/principality-of-reuss-gera-index/ (Accessed: December 19, 2022).
  • Principality of Reuss-Greiz Index (2020) Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/principality-of-reuss-greiz-index/ (Accessed: December 19, 2022).
  • Solomon, E. and Bennhold, K. (2022) The prince, the plot and a long-lost Reich, The New York Times. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/world/europe/germany-prince-heinrich-xiii.html (Accessed: December 19, 2022).

Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz and his wife at the 2011 of Otto von Habsburg; Credit – Wikipedia

IMPORTANT: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz (Older 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. Reuss-Köstritz was a cadet branch of the House of Reuss-Gera. 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.

In August 1919, Germany’s first democratic constitution officially abolished royalty and nobility, and any privileges previously held.  However, former hereditary titles were and still are permitted as part of the surname. These surnames can then be inherited by a person’s children. Therefore, “Prince Reuss” is used as a surname.

Fürst/Prince was used for a reigning sovereign ruler or monarch. Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).

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Born on July 14, 1955, in Vienna, Austria, Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz has been Head of the House of Reuss since 2012. He is the only son and the eldest of the four children of Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (1919 – 2012) and Marie Luise, Princess of Salm-Horstmar (1918 – 2015).

Henirich XIV has three younger sisters:

  • Anna Princess Reuss of Köstritz (born 1957), married Phillip Baron von Hohenbuhl Ansitz Gleifheim
  • Karoline Princess Reuss of Köstritz (born 1959), married Carl Philipp Baron von Hohenbuhel gennant Heufler zu Rasen
  • Esperance Princess Reuss of Köstritz (born 1962), married Johannes Ferdinand Count of Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau

On April 30, 1995, in Regensburg, Germany, Heinrich IV married Johanna Baroness Raitz von Frentz (born 1971), daughter of Jan Baron Raitz von Frentz and Kunigunde Baroness von Hoenning O’Carroll. The couple had two sons and two daughters:

  • Heinrich XXIX Hereditary Prince Reuss (born 1997)
  • Tatiana Princess Reuss (born 2001)
  • Luise Princess Reuss (born 2005)
  • Heinrich V Prince Reuss (born 2012)

Ernstbrunn Palace in Austria which the family still owns; Credit – Von Henry Kellner – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42911625

Heinrich IV and his family live in the Reuss-Köstritz family home, Ernstbrunn Palace (link in German) in Ernstbrunn, Austria. They have another home in Bad Köstritz in the German state of Thuringia, but previously a part of the Principality of Reuss-Gera.

Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz became Head of the House of Reuss upon the death of his 92-year-old father Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz on June 20, 2012. Originally, there were two Reuss principalities, both constituent states of the German Empire, the Principality of Reuss-Greiz and the Principality of Reuss-Gera. Both ceased to be monarchies in 1918, at the end of World War I. In 1927, upon the death of Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and the claims to its titles passed to Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera. When Heinrich XXVII 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 of Gera.

In August 1945, the childless Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera was arrested by the Soviet military and has been missing ever since. He was likely imprisoned and killed at NKVD special camp Nr. 2, the former German concentration camp Buchenwald, which had been transformed into one of the post–World War II internment camps in the Soviet-occupied parts of Germany. The childless Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera had named Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz his successor as the Head of the House of Reuss. Heinrich IV unofficially became Head of the House of Reuss in 1945 when Heinrich XLV went missing. In 1962, when Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera was legally declared dead, the claims to the titles of the House of Reuss-Greiz and the House of Reuss-Gera went to Heinrich XIV’s father Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz who officially became Head of House of Reuss.

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

  • Heinrich lV Reuß zu Köstritz, Fürst (2022) Geni. Available at: https://www.geni.com/people/Heinrich-lV-Reu%C3%9F-zu-K%C3%B6stritz-F%C3%BCrst-G1/6000000014594770830 (Accessed: December 16, 2022).
  • Heinrich XIV Prinz Reuss zu Köstrit (2004) The Peerage. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/p11136.htm (Accessed: December 16, 2022).
  • Obituary – Fürst Heinrich IV Reuß (1919-2012) (2012) Eurohistory. Available at: http://erhj.blogspot.com/2012/07/furst-heinrich-iv-reu-1919-2012.html (Accessed: December 16, 2022)

Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Heinrich IV in 2011 at the funeral of Otto von Habsburg in Vienna, Austria Credit – By János Korom Dr. from Wien, Austria – Kondukt in Wien (305), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24604547

IMPORTANT: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz (Older 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. Reuss-Köstritz was a cadet branch of the House of Reuss-Gera. 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.

In August 1919, Germany’s first democratic constitution officially abolished royalty and nobility, and any privileges previously held.  However, former hereditary titles were and still are permitted as part of the surname. These surnames can then be inherited by a person’s children. Therefore, “Prince Reuss” is used as a surname.

Fürst/Prince was used for a reigning sovereign ruler or monarch. Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).

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Born at Ernstbrunn Palace (link in German) in Ernstbrunn, Austria on October 26, 1919, Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz was unofficially Head of the House of Reuss after 1945, and then officially in 1962 until his death in 2012. He was the eldest of the six children and the eldest of the three sons of Prince Heinrich XXXIX Reuss of Köstritz (link in German) and Countess Antonia of Castell-Castell.

Heinrich IV had five younger siblings:

  • Heinrich VI, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (1922 – 1942), unmarried, killed in action in the Siege of Leningrad during World War II
  • Amadea Caroline, Princess Reuss of Köstritz (1923 – 2015), married Dr. Reinhold Sachs, had ? children
  • Gertrud Renata, Princess Reuss of Köstritz (1924 – 2011), married Baron Henri-Charles-Alexandre Grand d’Esnon, had five children
  • Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (1927 – 2002), married Baroness Brigitte van Tuyll van Serooskerken, had three children
  • Elisabeth-Donata, Princess Reuss of Köstritz (1932 – 2022), married Peter Coleman, Bishop of Crediton (UK), had four children

During World War II, Heinrich served as a 1st Lieutenant in the 24th Panzer Division (tanks) of the German Army. He was a Commander of the Order of Saint John (German: Johanniterorden), the German Protestant branch of the Knights Hospitaller, the oldest surviving chivalric order.

Originally, there were two Reuss principalities, both constituent states of the German Empire, the Principality of Reuss-Greiz and the Principality of Reuss-Gera. Both ceased to be monarchies in 1918, at the end of World War I. In 1927, upon the death of Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and the claims to its titles passed to Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera. When Heinrich XXVII 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 of Gera.

In August 1945, the childless Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera was arrested by the Soviet military and has been missing ever since. He was likely imprisoned and killed at NKVD special camp Nr. 2, the former German concentration camp Buchenwald, which had been transformed into one of the post–World War II internment camps in the Soviet-occupied parts of Germany. The childless Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera had named Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz his successor as the Head of the House of Reuss. Heinrich IV unofficially became Head of the House of Reuss in 1945 when Heinrich XLV went missing. In 1962, when Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera was legally declared dead, the claims to the titles of the House of Reuss-Greiz and the House of Reuss-Gera went to Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz who officially became Head of House of Reuss.

Ernstbrunn Palace in Austria which the family still owns; Credit – Von Henry Kellner – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42911625

After World War II, Heinrich IV’s family estates in the state of Thuringia in Germany were now in Communist-controlled East Germany and the estates were confiscated. However, Ernstbrunn Palace, the summer estate in Austria remained under family control. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of Germany, the family regained some of the confiscated lands in Thuringia. In 1990, the family began a forestry operation on their regained land.

On June 10, 1954, Heinrich IV married Marie Luise, Princess of Salm-Horstmar (1918 – 2015). The couple had one son and three daughters:

  • Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (born 1955), current Head of the House of Reuss, married Johanna Raitz, Baroness von Frentz, had two sons and two daughters
  • Anna, Princess Reuss of Köstritz (born 1957), married Phillip Baron von Hohenbuhl Ansitz Gleifheim
  • Karoline, Princess Reuss of Köstritz (born 1959), married Carl Philipp, Baron von Hohenbuhel gennant Heufler zu Rasen
  • Esperance, Princess Reuss of Köstritz (born 1962), married Johannes Ferdinand Count of Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau

On June 20, 2012, Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz died at Ernstbrunn Palace in Ernstbrunn, Austria at the age of 92, and was buried in the park of Ernstbrunn Palace. His only son Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz became Head of the House of Reuss.

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

  • Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (2022) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_IV,_Prince_Reuss_of_K%C3%B6stritz (Accessed: December 16, 2022).
  • Heinrich lV Reuß zu Köstritz, Fürst (2022) Geni. Available at: https://www.geni.com/people/Heinrich-lV-Reu%C3%9F-zu-K%C3%B6stritz-F%C3%BCrst-G1/6000000014594770830 (Accessed: December 16, 2022).
  • Obituary – Fürst Heinrich IV Reuß (1919-2012) (2012) Eurohistory. Available at: http://erhj.blogspot.com/2012/07/furst-heinrich-iv-reu-1919-2012.html (Accessed: December 16, 2022)

Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

NOTE: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz (Older 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.

Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera was born on May 13, 1895, at Schloss Ebersdorf (link in German) in Ebersdorf, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany. He was the youngest of the five children and the youngest of the three sons of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera and Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Heinrich XLV had four elder siblings:

  • Princess Viktoria Feodora Reuss of Gera (link in German) (1889 – 1918) married Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Viktoria Feodora died in childbirth a day after giving birth to her only child, a daughter Woizlawa Feodora
  • Princess Luise Adelheid Reuss of Gera (1890 – 1951), unmarried
  • Prince Heinrich XL Reuss of Gera (born and died 1891)
  • Prince Heinrich XLIII Reuss of Gera (1893 – 1912), died at age 18

Sitting: Heinrich XLIII & Elise, Princess Reuss of Gera; Standing: Heinrich XLV & Viktoria Feodora; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XLV attended the Rutheneum-Gymnasium (since 1949 the Goethe-Gymnasium), founded in 1608, the oldest high school in Gera, then the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in the German state of Thuringia. In the German education system, a Gymnasium is the most advanced of the three types of German secondary schools. He also attended the Vitzthum-Gymnasium in Dresden, then in the Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony.

Heinrich XLV was the only surviving son of his parents. The eldest son Heinrich XL died shortly after his birth in 1891 and the second son Heinrich XLIII died in 1912 at the age of 18. In 1913, when his father succeeded to the throne of the Principality of Reuss-Gera, Heinrich XLV became the Hereditary Prince Reuss of Gera. During World War I, Heinrich XLV served as a first lieutenant in the Imperial German Army. After World War I, Heinrich XLV studied literature, musicology, and philosophy at universities in Leipzig, Marburg, Munich, and Kiel.

Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera, Elise, Princess Reuss of Gera and their son Heinrich XLV; Credit – WIkipedia

On November 11, 1918, following the German defeat in World War I, Heinrich XLV’s father, Heinrich XXVII, abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land. After his abdication, Heinrich XXVII continued to live with his family at Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera. When Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz died in 1927, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and any claims to titles passed to Heinrich XXVII. When Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera died on November 21, 1928, Heinrich XLV became Head of the House of Reuss.

Heinrich XLV was a lover of theater and worked in the theater as a director, author, and consultant. In 1923, he became head of the dramaturgy at the Reussian Theatre (link in German) in Gera. In 1931, with Hans Oppenheim, he founded the Deutsche Musikbühne, a touring opera company. Hans Oppenheim was forced out of the opera company in 1933 because of his Jewish origins and immigrated to the United States. Heinrich XLV gave up his position in 1934.

Because Heinrich XLV was unmarried and had no heirs, he adopted Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz for inheritance reasons but not for succession rights as the Head of the House of Reuss. Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz married Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the daughter of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Viktoria Feodora Reuss of Gera, the sister of Heinrich XLV. Viktoria Feodora had died delivering Woizlawa Feodora, her only child. Woizlawa Feodora was the only niece or nephew of Heinrich XLV and so Heinrich XLV’s private assests would remain in the family.

Heinrich XLV became a Nazi sympathizer and member of the Nazi Party. After World War II, the area that included the property and assets of Heinrich XLV was in the area of Germany which was controlled by the Soviet Union. It eventually became part of East Germany. In August 1945, Heinrich XLV was arrested at Schloss Ebersdorf by the Soviet military and has been missing ever since. He was likely imprisoned and killed at NKVD special camp Nr. 2, the former German concentration camp Buchenwald, which was transformed into one of the post–World War II internment camps in the Soviet-occupied parts of Germany. However, Heinrich XLV’s name is not on any of the internment camps’ lists of the dead. He was legally pronounced dead on January 5, 1962, by a court in Büdingen, West Germany, retroactive to December 31, 1953.

Heinrich XLV’s entire personal fortune was seized and confiscated in 1948 by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany, including Schloss Ebersdorf, Schloss Thallwitz, Schloss Osterstein and Jagdschloss Waidmannsheil (all links in German) as well as other property in Gera and works of art. After the German reunification in 1990, Heinrich XLV’s niece Woizlawa Feodora, as her husband’s heir, sued for restitution based on the fact that her late husband was of British nationality, as well as German, and his property should not have been confiscated under occupation law. A legal restitution claim for movable assets (works of art) was passed by the Bundestag (the German legislature) and many works of art in museums were returned to Woizlawa Feodora. In another settlement, Woizlawa Feodora received two castles and some forest property. Woizlawa Feodora lived to be 100 years old, dying in 2019.

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.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XLV. (Reuß Jüngere Linie). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XLV._(Reu%C3%9F_j%C3%BCngere_Linie)> [Accessed 24 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Feodora Reuß Jüngere Linie. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feodora_zu_Reu%C3%9F> [Accessed 24 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Duchess Woizlawa Feodora Of Mecklenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Woizlawa_Feodora_of_Mecklenburg> [Accessed 24 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss Younger Line. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XLV,_Hereditary_Prince_Reuss_Younger_Line> [Accessed 24 March 2020].

Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was the wife of Heinrich XXVII, 5th and the last reigning Prince Reuss of Gera. Elise Victoria Feodora Sophie Adelheid was born on September 4, 1864, in Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She was the second of the three children and the elder of the two daughters of Hermann, 6th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden. Elise’s paternal grandmother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and two of Elise’s names reflect that family connection.

Elise had two siblings:

  • Ernst, 7th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1863 – 1950), married Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (granddaughter of Queen Victoria via her son Prince Alfred), had three daughters and two sons; their son Gottfried married Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Princess Feodora Viktoria Alberta of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1866 – 1932), married Emich, 5th Prince of Leiningen (grandson of Karl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen, half-brother of Queen Victoria), had four sons and one daughter; their son Karl married Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (granddaughter of Queen Victoria via her son Prince Alfred)

Since 1806, the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg were no longer reigning princes. The Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was mediatized, annexed to another state while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign such as retaining titles, to the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806. Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before being recognized as Kingdom in 1806 by Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies. Between 1803 and 1806, the final years of the Holy Roman Empire, the vast majority of the states of the Holy Roman Empire were mediatized. These states lost their imperial rights and became part of other states. The number of states was reduced from about three hundred to just thirty-nine.

Heinrich XXVII Reuss of Gera and Elise, 1884; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 11, 1884 in Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany Elise married Heinrich XXVII, the future 5th Prince Reuss of Gera, son of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera and Duchess Agnes of Württemberg.

Heinrich XXVII and Elise had five children:

Elise with three of her children, before 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1902, Elise’s father-in-law Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and 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. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death in 1913.

Elise with her husband Heinrich XXVII, circa 1910; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his father on March 29, 1913, Elise’s husband Heinrich XXVII became the 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. His reign was only five years long. After the German defeat in World War I, on November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

After his abdication, Heinrich XXVII and his wife Elise continued to live at Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera. When the disabled Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz died in 1927, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and any claims to titles passed to Heinrich XXVII. Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera died at the age of 70 on November 21, 1928, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany. Elise survived her husband by only four months, dying on March 18, 1929, aged 64, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany. Elise and her husband were buried in the family cemetery in the Park of Schloss Ebersdorf (link in German), now in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany.

Tombs at Schloss Ebersdorf; Credit – https://www.saalburg-ebersdorf.de/touristinformation/sehenswertes/park

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.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. German Mediatisation. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_mediatisation> [Accessed 23 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Hohenlohe-Langenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenlohe-Langenburg> [Accessed 23 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Elise Of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elise_of_Hohenlohe-Langenburg> [Accessed 23 March 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan., 2020. Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss Of Gera. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xxvii-5th-prince-reuss-of-gera/> [Accessed 23 March 2020].

Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera

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 (Older 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-Gera: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XLII became Count of Reuss-Schleiz in 1784, and then also became Count of Reuss-Gera in 1802. In 1806,  the united county was raised to the Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line.  Between 1824 and 1848, the senior line of Gera gradually combined the territory of the surviving cadet branches (Lobenstein, Köstritz, and Ebersdorf).

On November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII and granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXVII, 5th Prince Reuss of Gera, the last reigning Prince of the Principality of Reuss-Gera, was born on November 10, 1858, in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the eldest of the two children and the only son of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera and Duchess Agnes of Württemberg.

Heinrich XXVII had one sibling, a younger sister:

Heinrich XXVII had one half-brother, born to Friederike Graetz in 1875. In 1890, four years after his mother died, Heinrich XXVII’s father morganatically married Friederike Graetz and gave her the title of Baroness von Saalburg. Heinrich XXVII’s half-brother was then styled as Baron von Saalburg.

  • Baron Heinrich von Saalburg (1875 – 1954), married Margarethe Groenwoldt, no children

Heinrich XXVII studied at the Witzum Gymnasium (in the German education system the most advanced of the three types of German secondary schools) in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony. From 1879 – 1880, he studied at the University of Bonn and the University of Leipzig. After completing his studies, Heinrich XXVII joined the Prussian Army as an officer of the Hussar Regiment of the Life Guards. He later became a captain and led the squadron. Heinrich XXVII retired from active duty in 1891 and was given the honor of wearing a regimental uniform but had no official position. In 1911, he was given the unpaid honorary title of General of the Cavalry. During World War I, Heinrich XXVII was assigned to the general command of the XI Army Corps of the German Army.

Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Credit – Wikipedia

On November 11, 1884, Heinrich XXVII married Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the daughter of Hermann, 6th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden. Elise’s paternal grandmother was Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Heinrich XXVII and Elise had five children:

Elise with three of her children, before 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1902, the father of Heinrich XXVII, Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and 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. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death in 1913.

Heinrich XXVII with his wife Elise, circa 1910; Credit – Wikipedia

When his father died on March 29, 1913, Heinrich XXVII became the 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. His reign was only five years long. After the German defeat in World War I, on November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII that granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

Heinrich XXVII during World War I; Credit – Wikipedia

After his abdication, Heinrich XXVII continued to live with his family at Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera. When the disabled Heinrich XXIV, the 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz died in 1927, the House of Reuss-Greiz became extinct and any claims to titles passed to Heinrich XXVII. Heinrich XXVII, the 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera died at the age of 70 on November 21, 1928, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Germany. His wife Elise survived her husband by only four months. Both were buried in the family cemetery in the Park of Schloss Ebersdorf (link in German), now in Saalburg-Ebersdorf in Thuringia, Germany.

Tombs at Schloss Ebersdorf; Credit – https://www.saalburg-ebersdorf.de/touristinformation/sehenswertes/park

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.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XXVII. (Reuß Jüngere Linie). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXVII._(Reu%C3%9F_j%C3%BCngere_Linie)> [Accessed 22 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXVII,_Prince_Reuss_Younger_Line> [Accessed 22 March 2020].
  • Uk.wikipedia.org. 2020. Генріх XXVII (Князь Ройсс-Ґери). [online] Available at: <https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%80%D1%96%D1%85_XXVII_(%D0%BA%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B7%D1%8C_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%81-%D2%90%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8)> [Accessed 22 March 2020].

Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Agnes of Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Duchess Agnes of Württemberg (Pauline Louise Agnes), wife of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, was born in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now Pokój, Poland, on October 13, 1835. She was the youngest of the four children and the younger of the two daughters of Duke Eugen of Württemberg and his second wife Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Agnes had three older siblings:

Agnes also had three elder half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Princess Mathilde of Waldeck and Pyrmont who died in childbirth giving birth to her last child who died a few days later:

Agnes’ father, Duke Eugen of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Agnes’ father was Duke Eugen of Württemberg, son of Duke Eugen of Württemberg and Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern. Her father was the nephew of Friedrich I, the first King of Württemberg; Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, Empress Maria Feodorovna, the second wife of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia; and Elisabeth of Württemberg, the first wife of Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor (later Franz I, Emperor of Austria). Under the initial patronage of his aunt Empress Maria Feodorovna, Agnes’ father had a career in the Russian Army which continued during the reigns of his first cousins Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia and Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. Duke Eugen fought in the Napoleonic Wars and attained the rank of General. After 1829, Duke Eugen did not take an active part in the Russian Army or Russian court life. He lived mainly in his estates in Silesia, now mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany, but he often visited Russia.

Agnes’ mother, Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Agnes’ mother Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was the daughter of Karl Ludwig III, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth. One of Helene’s elder brothers Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg married Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Schloss Carlsruhe Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Agnes grew up at Schloss Carlsruhe, then in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Pokój, Poland. In 1649, a cadet branch of the House of Württemberg inherited land in the Duchy of Oels in Silesia. A hunting lodge was built in the area that later became Carlsruhe. According to legend, in 1745, Duke Karl Christian Erdmann of Württemberg-Oels got lost while hunting near the lodge, fell asleep in the forest, and had a dream about founding a city. Later, Karl Christian planned and built the residential city of Carlsruhe (now Pokój, Poland), following the architectural concept of Karlsruhe, then in the Electorate of Baden, later in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. He also built Schloss Carlsruhe. Karl Christian had no heir and left his properties and Schloss Carlsruhe to his cousin Duke Eugen of Württemberg, Agnes’ grandfather. After Silesia became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, the family retained ownership of their properties in Carlsruhe and Schloss Carlsruhe.

Agnes’ father inherited Carlsruhe and Schloss Carlsruhe upon his father’s death. Duke Eugen, Agnes’ father, built a theater and a chapel at Schloss Carlsruhe. He was a great patron of the composer Carl Maria von Weber, who became his secretary. In 1806, von Weber was named Kapellmeister (director of music) at Schloss Carlsruhe. Sadly, at the end of World War II, Schloss Carlsruhe was destroyed by the Red Army of the Soviet Union.

Agnes’ husband, Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 6, 1858, at Schloss Carlsruhe in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now Pokój, Poland, Agnes married the future Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, son of Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera and Princess Adelheid Reuss of Ebersdorf.

Agnes and Heinrich XIV had two children:

As Princess of Reuss-Gera, Agnes founded many organizations and institutes that bore her name, such as the Agnes School, a training institute for female servants in Gera, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera. She was also an author and used Angelica Hohenstein as her pen name. Agnes died, aged 50, on July 10, 1886, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera. She was buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany.

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.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Agnes Von Württemberg (1835–1886). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_von_W%C3%BCrttemberg_(1835%E2%80%931886)> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Eugen Von Württemberg (1788–1857). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_von_W%C3%BCrttemberg_(1788%E2%80%931857)> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl Christian Erdmann (Württemberg-Oels). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Christian_Erdmann_(W%C3%BCrttemberg-Oels)> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Duchess Agnes Of Württemberg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Agnes_of_W%C3%BCrttemberg> [Accessed 21 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Pokój, Opole Voivodeship. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%B3j,_Opole_Voivodeship> [Accessed 21 March 2020].

Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera

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 (Older 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-Gera: The House of Reuss began its rule circa 1010. Heinrich XLII became Count of Reuss-Schleiz in 1784, and then also became Count of Reuss-Gera in 1802. In 1806,  the united county was raised to the Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line.  Between 1824 and 1848, the senior line of Gera gradually combined the territory of the surviving cadet branches (Lobenstein, Köstritz, and Ebersdorf).

On November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII and granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera was born on May 28, 1832, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany. He was the sixth of the eight children and the fourth and the only surviving son of the five sons of Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera and Princess Adelheid Reuss of Ebersdorf.

Heinrich XIV had seven siblings but only his sister Anna survived childhood:

  • Prince Heinrich V Reuss of Gera (1821 – 1834), died in childhood
  • Princess Anna Reuss of Gera (1822 – 1902), married Prince Adolf of Bentheim-Tecklenburg (link in German), had four sons and three daughters
  • Princess Elisabeth Reuss of Gera (1824 – 1833), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Gera (1827 – 1828), died in infancy
  • Prince Heinrich XI Reuss of Gera (1828 – 1830), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich XVI Reuss of Gera (1835 – 1836), died in infancy
  • Princess Marie Reuss of Gera (1837 – 1840), died in childhood

Heinrich XIV attended gymnasium, in the German education system the most advanced of the three types of German secondary schools, in Meinigen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany. After finishing his studies in Meiningen, he joined the Prussian Army. On March 23, 1850, he was promoted to second-lieutenant. From 1850 – 1853, Heinrich XIV took a break from the army while he studied history and law at the University of Bonn, then called Rhine University, in the Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. He returned to the Prussian Army in August 1853, serving in the 1st Guards Infantry Regiment until 1859. After retiring from active duty, Heinrich XIV was taken over into the officers à la suite, princes and generals who were given a special honor. As an officer à la suite, Heinrich LXVII’s highest rank was general. He was entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position.

Duchess Agnes of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 6, 1858 in Carlsruhe, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now Pokój, Poland, Heinrich XIV married Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, daughter of Duke Eugen of Württemberg and his second wife Princess Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Heinrich XIV and Agnes had two children:

Schloss Osterstein; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1863, Heinrich XIV and his family lived at the newly restored Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera. During the summer, the family was in residence at Schloss Ebersdorf (link in German). The Reuss-Gera family came into the possession of Schloss Ebersdorf after the German revolutions of 1848, when Heinrich LXXII, Prince Reuss of Lobenstein and Ebersdorf abdicated. Lobenstein and Ebersdorf then were united with Reuss-Gera.

Heinrich XIV in 1871; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his father Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera on July 11, 1867, Heinrich XIV became the 4th Prince Reuss of Gera. In 1871, upon the formation of the German Empire, the Principality of Reuss-Gera became one of the German Empire’s twenty-six constituent states. Despite the loss of foreign policy sovereignty, the constituent states remained sovereign in internal affairs

Heinrichstrasse in Gera circa 1900-1906, the electric tram can be seen in the photo; Credit – Wikipedia

The capital city Gera became an industrial center due to the growth of textile production and the development of machine-building factories and population growth increased significantly. During Heinrich XIV’s reign as the 4th Prince Reuss of Gera, a chain of stores was created, a municipal water system was established, an electric tram system began, and a sports organization was founded. The Principality of Reuss-Gera provided its population with a good education. In addition to the elementary schools, there were gymnasiums (in the German education system the most advanced of the three types of German secondary schools), girls’ schools, trade and construction schools, an agricultural college, a seminary, and a school for the deaf.

In 1886, Heinrich XIV’s wife Agnes died at the age of 50. Four years after the death of his first wife, on February 14, 1890, in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German federal state of Saxony, 57-year-old Heinrich XIV morganatically married 49-year-old Friederike Graetz. On May 28, 1890, Heinrich XIV gave his wife the title of Baroness von Saalburg. The couple had a son who was born fifteen years before the marriage:

  • Baron Heinrich von Saalburg (1875 – 1954), married Margarethe Groenwoldt, no children

In 1902, Heinrich XIV became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and 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. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death in 1913. His son and successor Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera then became Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until the German monarchies were abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.

Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera died on March 29, 1913, aged 80, in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera. He was buried with his first wife at the Bergkirche St. Marien (link in German) now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany.

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XIV. (Reuß Jüngere Linie). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIV._(Reu%C3%9F_j%C3%BCngere_Linie)> [Accessed 20 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIV,_Prince_Reuss_Younger_Line> [Accessed 20 March 2020].
  • Uk.wikipedia.org. 2020. Генріх XIV (Князь Ройсс-Ґери). [online] Available at: <https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%80%D1%96%D1%85_XIV_(%D0%BA%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B7%D1%8C_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%81-%D2%90%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8)> [Accessed 20 March 2020]. (Ukrainian Wikipedia)

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera

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 (Older 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-Gera: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XLII became Count of Reuss-Schleiz in 1784, and then also became Count of Reuss-Gera in 1802. In 1806,  the united county was raised to the Principality of Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line.  Between 1824 and 1848, the senior line of Gera gradually combined the territory of the surviving cadet branches (Lobenstein, Köstritz, and Ebersdorf).

On November 11, 1918, Heinrich XXVII abdicated his position as 5th Prince Reuss of Gera and as Regent abdicated for the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. The new government of Reuss-Gera made an agreement with Heinrich XXVII and granted him some castles and land. The territory encompassing the Principality of Reuss-Gera is now located within the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on October 20, 1789, in Schleiz, then in the County of Reuss-Schleiz, later in the Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany, Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera was the fourth of the eight children and the third but second surviving of the six sons of Heinrich XLII, 1st Prince Reuss of Gera and Princess Caroline of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg.

Heinrich LXVII had seven siblings but only two survived childhood:

  • Princess Philippine Reuss of Gera (1781 – 1866), unmarried
  • Count Heinrich LVIII Reuss of Schleiz (born and died 1782), died in infancy
  • Countess Ferdinande Reuss of Schleiz (1784 – 1785), died in infancy
  • Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera (1785 – 1854), his father’s successor, unmarried
  • Count Heinrich LXV Reuss of Schleiz (1788 – 1790), died in early childhood
  • Count Heinrich LXVIII Reuss of Schleiz (1791 – 1792), died in infancy
  • Count Heinrich LXXI Reuss of Schleiz (1793 – 1794), died in infancy

Heinrich LXVII had a career in the Prussian Army which he joined on February 28, 1805, as a lieutenant. From 1806 – 1809, he took a break from the Prussian Army while he studied in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony. In 1814, Heinrich LXVII fought in the Napoleonic Wars in Central Europe. He was promoted to Major in 1818.  In 1836, he retired from active duty and was taken into the officers à la suite, princes and generals who were given a special honor. As an officer à la suite, Heinrich LXVII received the ranks of colonel, major general, lieutenant general, and general of the cavalry over the years and was entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position.

On April 18, 1820, Heinrich LXVII married Princess Adelheid Reuss of Ebersdorf (1800 – 1880), the younger daughter of Heinrich LI, Prince Reuss of Ebersdorf and Countess Luise of Hoym.

Heinrich LXVII and Adelheid had eight children but only two survived childhood:

  • Prince Heinrich V Reuss of Gera (1821 – 1834), died in childhood
  • Princess Anna Reuss of Gera (1822 – 1902), married Prince Adolf of Bentheim-Tecklenburg (link in German), had four sons and three daughters
  • Princess Elisabeth Reuss of Gera (1824 – 1833), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Gera (1827 – 1828), died in infancy
  • Prince Heinrich XI Reuss of Gera (1828 – 1830), died in childhood
  • Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera (1832 – 1913), married Duchess Agnes of Württemberg, had one son and one daughter
  • Prince Heinrich XVI Reuss of Gera (1835 – 1836), died in infancy
  • Princess Marie Reuss of Gera (1837 – 1840), died in childhood

Upon the death of his unmarried brother Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera on June 19, 1854, Heinrich LXVII became the 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera. His reign was reactionary to the failed German Revolutions of 1848 which had demonstrated discontent with the traditional, autocratic political structure of the thirty-nine independent states of the German Confederation. Under Heinrich LXII’s government, his minister Eduard Heinrich von Geldern-Crispendorf (link in German) implemented a reactionary amendment to the constitution that limited the legislature’s power. During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Heinrich LXVII, as ruler of the Principality of Reuss-Gera, remained neutral but voluntarily agreed on June 26, 1866, that his principality would join the Prussian-led North German Confederation.

Schloss Osterstein; Credit – https://gera.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=50024

In 1848, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Gera had moved from Schleiz to Gera. From 1859 to 1863, Heinrich LXVII oversaw the renovation of Schloss Osterstein (link in German) in Gera. In 1908, the wedding of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria and Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz took place at Schloss Osterstein. After the end of the monarchies of the German Empire in 1918, the Reuss-Gera family used Schloss Osterstein as their residence until 1945. On April 6, 1945, Schloss Osterstein was destroyed during the bombing by the American Air Force. The ruins were demolished on December 9, 1962. Today, only the former castle keep from the 12th century, the 1857 Wolf Bridge leading to the castle, remains of farm buildings and the courtyard are all that remains of the original structure.

Castle Keep of Schloss Osterstein; Credit – Von Steffen Löwe – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4933602

Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera died on July 11, 1867, aged 78, at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera. He was buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien (link in German) now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany. His wife Adelheid survived him by thirteen years, dying on July 25, 1880, aged 80. She was buried with her husband.

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.

Reuss-Gera Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Bg.wikipedia.org. 2020. Хайнрих LXVII (Ройс Млада Линия). [online] Available at: <https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_LXVII_(%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81_%D0%BC%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B0_%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F)> [Accessed 19 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich LXVII. (Reuß Jüngere Linie). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_LXVII._(Reu%C3%9F_j%C3%BCngere_Linie)> [Accessed 19 March 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Schloss Osterstein (Gera). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Osterstein_(Gera)> [Accessed 19 March 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich LXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_LXVII,_Prince_Reuss_Younger_Line> [Accessed 19 March 2020].