Heinrich XX, 4th 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.

*********************

Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on June 29, 1794 in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt (now in Hesse, Germany), Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz was the third but the second surviving of the three sons of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg.

Heinrich XX had two brothers:

  • Prince Heinrich XVIII Reuss of Greiz (born and died 1787)
  • Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz (1790 – 1836), his father’s successor, married Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort, had two daughters

Before his marriage Heinrich XX had two illegitimate children:

An illegitimate son with Isabella, Baroness von Dachenhausen, born Isabella Acton

  • Heinrich (1822 – 1892), who was given noble status upon his marriage in 1857 to Bertha Thury de Tamásfalva as Baron von Rothenthal

An illegitimate daughter with Emilie Fritsch

  • Isabella Waldhaus (1824 – 1898), married Wilhelm Henning

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

Heinrich XX married Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1809 – 1838) on November 25, 1834, at Löwenstein Castle in Kleinheubach, now in Bavaria, Germany. Sophie was the daughter of Karl, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, and Countess Sophie Luise of Windisch-Graetz. Their childless marriage lasted a little less than four years due to Sophie’s early death on July 21, 1838. During his marriage to Sophie, 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, Heinrich XX became the 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1, 1839, 45-year-old Heinrich XX married 20-year-old Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany. Princess Caroline Amalie was the daughter of Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau.

Heinrich XX and Caroline Amalie had five children:

Heinrich XX ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz as an absolute monarch until the German Revolutions of 1848 – 1849 which aimed to remove the old monarchy structures and create independent nation-states. The people of Reuss-Greiz were not really in a revolutionary mood.  This caused procrastination by Heinrich XX and his government, leading to only minor changes. Heinrich XX was forced to issue a new constitution for the Principality of Reuss-Greiz but it never went into effect.

Heinrich XX died on November 8, 1859, aged 65, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Heinrich XXIII, his thirteen-year-old son succeeded him as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XX’s widow Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867, during the minority of their son, Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz.

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-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XX. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XX._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XX,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (n.d.). Revolution von 1848/1849 in Reuß älterer Linie. Wikipedia. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_von_1848/1849_in_Reu%C3%9F_%C3%A4lterer_Linie