Royal Burial Sites of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz – Elder Line

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

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

The Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz, now in Thuringia, Germany, was the burial site for the Princes of Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line. There has been a church on this site since around 1225 and it became the nucleus of the emerging medieval town of Greiz. After the Reformation, the church became a Lutheran church. Extensive renovations began in 1727, expanding the size of the church and creating the Baroque-style church with the high tower that still can be seen today. The building was completed in 1736 and became the court church of the Princes Reuss-Greiz.

Waldhaus Mausoleum near Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Waldhaus Mausoleum was the original burial place of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz, his wife Ida and their only son Heinrich XXIV, 6th and last Prince of Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz had built  Jagdschloss Ida-Waldhaus, a hunting lodge in the forest. He loved the tranquility of that forest so much that he decided to be buried there. In 1878. Heinrich XXII commissioned Eduard Oberländer, the master-builder of Greiz, to build a Gothic-style chapel with a crypt, which was completed in 1883. Heinrich XXII, his wife Ida and their son Heinrich XXIV were all buried there. However, the mausoleum fell into disrepair and their remains were moved. In 1994, the Waldhaus Mausoleum was renovated.

IMPORTANT: 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.

Princes Reuss of Greiz

  • Heinrich XI (reigned Count Reuss of Obergreiz 1723 – 1768, Count Reuss of Untergreiz from 1768 – 1778, 1st Prince 1778 – 1800)
  • Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince (reigned 1800 – 1817)
  • Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince (reigned 1817 – 1836)
  • Heinrich XX, 4th Prince (reigned 1836 – 1859)
  • Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince (reigned 1859 – 1902)
  • Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince (reigned 1902 – 1918)

All images are from Wikipedia unless otherwise noted.

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Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz

Heinrich XI was the first Prince Reuss of Greiz. Previously, he was Count Reuss of Greiz, Count Reuss of Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Count Reuss of Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz). He was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Elder Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XI married twice, to Countess Conradine Reuss-Köstritz (1719 – 1770) and then to Countess Alexandrine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Heidesheim (1732 – 1809). Heinrich XI died on June 28, 1800, aged 78, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz.

Heinrich XI’s first wife, Countess Conradine Reuss-Köstritz, with whom he had eleven children, died before he became Prince of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany which had served as the burial place for the Counts Reuss of Schleiz. Heinrich XI’s second wife Countess Alexandrine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Heidesheim, who had no children, was buried with her husband at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz.

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Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz

Born in 1747, Heinrich XIII was the son of Heinrich XI, 1st Prince of Reuss of Greiz and his first wife Countess Conradine Reuss-Köstritz. In 1786, Heinrich XIII married Princess Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg (1765–1837). They had three sons: the first died in infancy and the other two were reigning Princess of Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XIII died on January 29, 1817, aged 69, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz. His wife Wilhelmine Luise survived him by twenty years and was buried with her husband.

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Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz

Heinrich XIX was born in 1790, the elder of the two surviving sons of Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg. He married Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort (1798 – 1871), in 1822. Because Heinrich XIX and his wife only had two daughters, his brother Heinrich XX became the reigning Prince of Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XIX died in 1836, aged 46, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz along with his wife who survived him by 35 years.

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Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz

Born in 1794, Heinrich XX was the younger of the two sons of Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg. In 1834, he married Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1809 – 1838) but their marriage was childless. Heinrich XX married in 1839 for a second time to Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg (1819-1872). The couple had three sons and two daughters. Heinrich XX died on November 8, 1859, aged 65, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz. His 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.

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Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz

Heinrich XXII, the eldest surviving son of Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz and his second wife Princess Caroline of Hesse-Homburg, was born in 1846 and became the reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz when he was thirteen-years-old. His mother served as Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz for the first eight years of his reign. Heinrich XII married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe (1852 – 1891) in 1872. Together they had one son who succeeded his father and five daughters including Caroline who married Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Hermine who was the second wife of the former German Emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II.

Heinrich XXII died on April 19, 1902, aged 56, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was first buried with his wife Ida in Waldhaus Mausoleum (link in German) in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. By 1969, the Waldhaus Mausoleum had fallen into disrepair and the remains of Heinrich XXII and his wife 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 in Greiz.

Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess Reuss of Greiz

Born in 1852, Ida was the daughter of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont. She married Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz in 1872. Sadly, on September 28, 1891, Ida died, aged 39, in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, from complications that occurred during the birth of her sixth child, a daughter, named Ida after her. Ida was first buried in Waldhaus Mausoleum (link in German) in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Her husband was buried with her when he died in 1902. By 1969, the Waldhaus Mausoleum had fallen into disrepair and the remains of Heinrich XXII and Ida 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 in Greiz.

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Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz

Born in 1878, Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, was the only son of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe. He 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, the last two reigning Princes Reuss of Gera served as Regents of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1902 until 1918 when the monarchy was abolished after World War I.

On November 11, 1918, the second Regent, Heinrich XXVII, 5th 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. He died on October 13, 1927, aged 49, in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. He was first buried with his parents in the Waldhaus Mausoleum (link in German)  in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. 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 in Greiz.

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