House_of_Schwarzburg

House of Schwarzburg

House of Schwarzburg

Noble family of Thuringia, Germany

The House of Schwarzburg was one of the oldest noble families of Thuringia, which is in modern-day central Germany. Upon the death of Prince Friedrich Günther in 1971, a claim to the headship of the house passed under Semi-Salic primogeniture to his elder sister, Princess Marie Antoinette of Schwarzburg who married Friedrich Magnus V, Count of Solms-Wildenfels.[1][2] Reigning over the County of Schwarzburg and founded by Sizzo I of Schwarzburg (died 1160), the family split in the 16th century into the lines of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, with the Sondershausen dying out in 1909.

Quick Facts Schwarzburg, Country ...
Coat of arms of the Schwarzburg family

Family history

The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. It was ruled by counts from the House of Schwarzburg. Schwarzburg Castle was first mentioned in a 1071 deed. In 1123 Count Sizzo III of Käfernburg (Kevernburg), mentioned by the medieval chronicler Lambert of Hersfeld and according to the Annalista Saxo a grandson of Prince Yaropolk Izyaslavich of Turov by his mother, rebuilt the castle calling himself a "Count of Schwarzburg". Sizzo also established Georgenthal Abbey and in 1157, he accompanied Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa during his campaign against High Duke Bolesław IV the Curly of Poland.

In 1197, Sizzo's grandson Henry II divided the common heritage with his brother Günther III and made Schwarzburg Castle his residence. His territory then also comprised the nearby castle of Blankenburg.

The most famous family member is Günther XXI von Schwarzburg. In 1349, he was elected as German king by the majority of electors. But, due to waning support, he renounced some months later and died shortly after.

The Schwarzburg lands were again divided among his successors until in 1538 when Count Günther XL the Rich was able to unite the territories including Frankenhausen and Rudolstadt under his rule. He was succeeded by his eldest son Günther XLI. However, after his death in 1583, his younger brothers again divided the county: John Günther I received the territory around Arnstadt, later called Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, while Albrecht VII inherited the lands of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The partition was finally confirmed by the 1599 Treaty of Stadtilm.

  • The castle at Schwarzburg. The building is being renovated now.
  • Sondershausen Palace.
  • The Schwarzburg principalities in 1910
      Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
      Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Rulers of Schwarzburg

House of Schwarzburg

Partitions of Schwarzburg under Schwarzburg rule

Note:Below it is presented a simplified organisation of the Schwarzburg lands. Some particularities of certain feuds are explained in footnotes.

       Property of the
comital family of
Loccum-Hallermund
County of Schwarzburg
(1030-1320)		 County of
Käfernburg
1st creation: 1070-1118
2nd creation: 1160-1184
      
       County of
Hallermund
(1197-1411)
(inherited)[3]
              County of
Wiehe
(1223-1338)
       County of
Blankenburg[4]
(1278-1538)		 County of
Arnstadt
(1st creation)
(1275-1306)[5]		 County of
Käfernburg[6]
(3rd creation)
(1223-1386)
             
County of
Leutenberg[7]
(with Schwarzburg
half 1)
(1320-1564)		 County of
Wachsenburg
(with Schwarzburg
half 2)
(1320-1461)		        County of
Arnstadt
(2nd creation)
(1324-1357)[8]
County of
Sondershausen
(1st creation)
(1338-1390)		        Annexed to
Weimar-
Orlamünde
       County of
Schwarzburg
(half 1)
(1358-1399)		 County of
Schwarzburg
(half 2)
(1355-1450[9])		 County of
Wachsenburg
(1320-1406)		       
       Annexed to
Meissen
County of
Leutenberg
(1320-1564)
(Sondershausen line from 1390)
       Sold to
Brunswick-
Lüneburg
      
County of
Sondershausen
(2nd creation)
(1476-1537)		 County of
Arnstadt
(3rd creation)
(1488-1564)[10]		       
      
County of Schwarzburg
(1564-1571)
(Arnstadt line)
County of
Frankenhausen
(1571-1597)		 County of
Rudolstadt
(1571-1710)		 County of
Sondershausen
(1571-1697)		 County of
Arnstadt
(5th creation)
(1571-1697)[11]

Raised to:
Principality of
Arnstadt
(1697-1716)
      
Raised to:
Principality of
Rudolstadt
(1710-1909)		 Raised to:
Principality of
Sondershausen
(1697-1909)
             
Principality of Schwarzburg
(1909-1918)
(Rudolstadt line)

Table of rulers

Note: There are two manners for numbering the rulers of this noble family: birth numbers or regnal numbers. Albeit the birth number is more commonly used, the table uses the sequential regnal numbers presented in Stammliste des Hauses Schwarzburg, to avoid confusion or holes in the counting. According to this alternative numbering, there's a different counting for Schwarzburg, Käfernburg (from 1223 onwards) and Hallermund (as an already existing county which came into the family by marriage). However, even this alternative counting is not perfect: it counts only the ruling members, but by birth order, which means that people with higher count may start to rule first than others. These cases will be pointed out in the table.

More information Ruler, Born ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    The House of Schwarzburg on Heraldica.org
  2. [2]
    James, John Almanach de Gotha, Volume I, 2013.
  3. [3]
    As it is an inherited land, the counting of the presented rulers respects the one of the land, and not the family's.
  4. [4]
    Leutenberg briefly separated from Blankenburg in 1287-1326 before being inherited by the Leutenberg branch.
  5. [5]
    Arnstadt was ruled by two counts: Gunther VI and Gunther VII. Otto (Gunther VI's son) gave his part to Blankenburg in 1306; Gunther VII died in 1302 and passed it to his two daughters: Irmgard's part went to Hohnstein family; Adelaide's part went to the County of Weimar-Orlamünde; Adelaide's daughter remarries into Schwarzburg family and marries Henry VII, Count of Blankenburg, bringing with her her mother Adelaide's part of Gunther VII's fraction of Arnstadt.
  6. [6]
    From 1223 a different numbering starts from the one at Schwarzburg
  7. [7]
    Leutenberg proper was acquired in 1326.
  8. [8]
    Gunther IX's part of the inheritance possibly corresponded with the original Otto's fraction of Arnstadt, inherited by Blankenburg in 1306.
  9. [9]
    At Ehrenstein, Schwarzburg rule lasted until 1461, and was then annexed to the House of Mansfeld.
  10. [10]
    Briefly reunited with Sondershausen in 1503-1526
  11. [11]
    Arnstadt briefly reunited with Sondershausen in 1583-1643
  12. [12]
    According to Europäische Stammtafeln. Detlev Schwennicke: Europäische Stammtafeln, Neue Folge, Band I.3, Tafel 312, Publisher: Vittorio Klostermann, Frankfurt am Main, 2000.
  13. [13]
    According to Cronica Reinhardsbrunnensis. Cronica Reinhardsbrunnensis 1034, MGH SS XXX.1, p. 517.
  14. [14]
    Despite ruling in Kafernburg, Gunther III is also counted as Count of Schwarzburg.
  15. [15]
    His maternal uncle was Count Ludolf I
  16. [16]
    From Gunther IV on, the alternative counting gives an independent numbering for the Counts of Kafernburg.
  17. [17]
    His great-grandmother's father and brother were respectively Counts Wilbrand I and Wilbrand II.
  18. [18]
    Brothers Gunther VI and Henry V seem to have ascended later than their cousins anad brothers Henry VI and Gunther VII, despite the former pair being elder than the latter. It's possible that Gunther VI and Henry V were already co-ruling with their father (Gunther V) at least c.1270, or at least shortly before their cousins Henry VI and Gunther VII arrived in power (1287).
  19. [19]
    The brothers Henry VIII and Gunther X apparently ascended first than their cousins Henry VII and Gunther IX. It's possible that they were numbered that way because Henry VII and Gunther IX were elder than Henry VIII and Gunther X, or because the former two (Henry VII and Gunther IX) were possibly co-ruling jointly with their father Henry VI in Blankenburg, before dividing their estates in 1326.
  20. [20]
    As said previously, Gunther IX's part was probably from Otto of Arnstadt, and as so part of Blankenburg patrimony since 1306.
  21. [21]
    According to some sources he died in 1362.
  22. [22]
    In the period 1350-1400, there were a lot of co-rulerships of children who didn't survive their fathers, which compromised and confused the counting order. Gunther XIV, official ruler from 1373 at Arnstadt, possibly co-ruled with his father Henry IX (and his brothers Henry XII and Henry XIII) since c.1360. Gunther XV, started his rule in 1362 in Wachsenburg. Gunther XVI started his co-rulership in Sondershausen in 1368. Gunther XVII, didn't survive his father John II, but co-ruled with him in half 2 of Schwarzburg from 1373. Gunther XVIII ascended in half 1 of Schwarzburg, in 1382.
  23. [23]
    In the period 1350-1400, there were a lot of co-rulerships of children who didn't survive their fathers, which compromised and confused the counting order. Henry XII and Henry XIII, official rulers from 1373 in Blankenburg, possibly co-ruled with their father Henry IX (and their brothers Gunther XIV) since c.1360. Henry XIV started his co-rulership in Sondershausen in 1368. Henry XV didn't survive his father John II, but co-ruled with him in half 2 of Schwarzburg from 1373.Henry XVI, despite ascending alone in 1402, probably co-ruled with his father (Henry XI) since c.1390. Henry XVII, ascended in Wachsenburg in 1397. Henry XVIII started his co-rulership in Blankenburg with his father Henry XIV and uncle Gunther XVI in c.1400.
  24. [24]
    Henry XXIII and Henry XXIV were cousins and were numbered according to their birth order, but the latter ascended first than the former.
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