German Monarchies Before 1918: The Grand Duchies, Duchies & Principalities 3/3

The German Monarchies Abolished in 1918 Part 3. The Grand Duchies, Duchies, and Principalities Thank you to the Paired app for sponsoring this video. When studying European history, the various German monarchies come up a lot. They were figuratively and literally in the middle of everything – the Protestant Reformation, various wars and revolutions, and they married their offspring to royals across the continent, to the extent that most modern monarchs have more German heritage than local. But to call these many German monarchies a Gordian Knot is an understatement. They were constantly shifting borders, merging, dividing, and changing names, because of battles, treaties, and dynastic developments. And their allegiance to the Holy Roman Empire and then to Prussia shifted over time. So let's slice through the Gordian Knot and take a closer look at all of the German monarchies that existed at a single point in time, when they were abolished following Germany's defeat in World War I. Over three episodes, we'll examine the four kingdoms, five grand duchies, five duchies, and six principalities that existed in 1918, look back at the dynasties that founded them and notable family members along the way, find out which monarch was in the hot seat when the revolution came, and meet their modern descendants, who no longer rule but still have plenty of clout, cash, and castles. In the last two episodes, we explored the three kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, and Württemberg, and the Kingdom of Saxony and its offshoots, the Saxes, who became known as the breeding pens of European royalty. Today, we'll complete the puzzle of historic German monarchies, with a jaunt through the other four grand duchies, two duchies, and six principalities. Among their ranks, we'll find many familiar names and faces, including Queen Charlotte of the UK, Tsarina Alexandra of Russia, several of Queen Victoria's in-laws, Prince Philip, and more. THE GRAND DUCHIES THE GRAND DUCHY OF BADEN In 1112, Hermann II of the House of Seringen built a castle high on the hill above the town of Baden. He celebrated the occasion by adopting the title Margrave of Baden. His descendants were loyal supporters of the Dukes of Swabia, one of the five Stem Duchies that emerged after Charlemagne, who elected the King of the Germans. With the patronage of this powerful house, the Margraves of Baden were able to expand their territory. Dynastic divisions caused the family to split in two, creating Baden-Baden and Baden-Hochberg. Over the centuries, battle and dynastic shifts caused more changes. In 1771, two of the family lines had gone extinct, and the patchy remains of Baden were all inherited by Carl Friedrich. He used the Napoleonic Wars to his advantage to fill in the gaps. By fighting against the French, he gained the support of Tsar Alexander I of Russia, who helped him become Prince-Elector of Baden in 1803. Two years later, Carl Friedrich changed sides and lent his support to Napoleon. He was rewarded again by being elevated to Grand Duke, and his territory was quadrupled at the expense of the Kingdom of Württemberg. After the death of his first noble wife, Carl Friedrich made a morganatic marriage to his mistress, and they had five more children. Because of the French alliance, his grandson and heir, Carl was forced to wed Stéphanie du Bourgogne, Napoleon's adopted daughter. They hated each other, but their three daughters married into royal and noble families in Sweden, Prussia, and Scotland, and are ancestors to the modern monarchs of Belgium and Monaco. As Carl had no male heirs, he was succeeded by his childless uncle, Ludwig I. A young man named Caspar Hauser came forward, claiming to be Carl's secret son and the true Grand Duke. He said that he had been raised in a dark dungeon. The 21-year-old claimant was lured into a park by persons unknown, and stabbed to death, ending his claim to the With no Zieringens left to rule Baden, King Maximilian I Josef of Bavaria was licking his chops to annex the Grand Duchy. But the law was changed to allow it to be ruled by Leopold, Carl Friedrich's son, from his second morganatic marriage. Leopold was a liberal monarch, and allowed elections and a constitution. Still, strong French influence caused revolution to break out in Baden during the 1848 springtime of the people. Baden became the first democracy in Germany, and Leopold was forced to flee. Within months, the Prussian army marched in and returned him to power, but for the rest of his reign he honored his people's wishes. His grandson, Friedrich II, inherited the throne in 1907. After being deposed during the German Revolution in 1918, he remained in Baden. He had no children, so the family title, now degraded back to Margrave of Baden, went to his cousin, Maximilian, a politician who served briefly as the last Chancellor of the German Empire before its collapse. His son, Bernhold, married Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, one of Prince Philip's four older sisters. Margarita, Cecily, Sophie, and their husbands all joined the Nazi party, but Theodora and Berthold wanted nothing to do with Adolf Hitler. Their grandson, Bernhard, has been Margrave since 2022. He is King Charles III of the UK's first cousin once removed. He was one of only 30 people invited to Prince Philip's funeral during Covid. Bernhold is a lawyer and manages his family's properties, including Stauffensberg Castle. He oversaw the transfer of Eberstein Castle to the German state to shore up the family finances. THE DUCHY OF HESSE The House of Hesse began with the 1241 marriage of Sophie, daughter of the Landgrave of Thuringia and Heinrich II, Duke of Brabant. Sophie was the heiress of Hesse, which she passed to her son, Heinrich. In 1523, Landgrave Philip made a political marriage to Christine of Saxony. She was unattractive, and he preferred lady-in-waiting, Margrethe von der Seele. The Landgrave had recently converted to Protestantism, and he wrote to Martin Luther, arguing in favor of bigamy. Luther agreed that it was a lesser sin than adultery, and gave his blessing for Philip to marry a second wife. Christine and Margrethe gave birth to ten and nine children respectively, and were often pregnant at the same time. This scandal was a serious blow to the Reformation, and Philip was imprisoned by Emperor Charles V for five years. After Philip's death, Hesse was divided between his four sons by Christine. The property of the middle brothers was eventually reabsorbed, but those of the eldest and youngest, Hesse-Kessel and Hesse-Darmstadt, continued separately. The Hessians are renowned for their many illustrious marriages. In 1701, Marie-Louise of Hesse-Kessel, daughter of Landgrave Karl I, wed Johann Willem Friso, Prince of Orange. For many years, the couple were the most recent common ancestors of all ten modern European monarchs, though that honor has recently been taken by an even more recent royal couple from Hesse, Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken, Countess Palatine, who were married in 1741. Check out my episodes. Marie-Louise's brother married Ulrika Eleonora. She inherited the throne of Sweden in 1718. Two years later, the parliament pushed her to abdicate in favor of her husband, who became King Friedrich I of Sweden, but he had little power and no legitimate heirs. In the 1700s, the Landgraves of Hesse-Kessel found that they could make a fortune renting out their men as soldiers to fight in wars between other nations. All Hessian men between the ages of 16 and 30 were required to serve. Over 30,000 Hessian soldiers were shipped across the Atlantic to fight in the American Revolution. They comprised 25 percent of Britain's army. In the legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman was a Hessian mercenary who was decapitated by a cannonball. In 1803, Napoleon reorganized Hesse-Kessel into an electorate. Ludwig I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, willingly joined Napoleon's Confederation of the Rhine. He was rewarded by being elevated to Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. In 1842, Louise of Hesse-Kessel married the future King Christian IX of Denmark. Together they produced six children who occupied thrones in Denmark, Greece, the UK, and Russia. Check out my episodes. In 1866, Hesse-Kessel became one of the many domains absorbed by Prussia, but the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine remained independent. In 1862, Queen Victoria's second daughter, Alice, married Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. Their daughter Alex fell in love with Tsar Nikolai II of Russia and became Tsarina Alexandra Feodrovna. Her great-uncle, Prince Alexander, fell in love with a lady-in-waiting, Yulia von Hauke. They married morganatically and she and their five children were given the titles Prince and Princess of Battenberg. They warrant a full episode in the future, but the highlights are their eldest son Louis and third son Henry moved to the UK and married Queen Victoria's granddaughter Victoria and daughter Beatrice respectively. During World War I, King George V advised them to anglicize their name to Mountbatten. Among the Mountbatten offspring are Louise, Queen of Sweden, Louis Mountbatten, Earl of Burma, Victoria Eugenie, Queen of Spain, and Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark. When her son Prince Philip immigrated to the UK, he took the surname Mountbatten. He married the future Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 and his uncle was thrilled that the British royal dynasty would now be called Mountbatten, but the royals decided to keep the name Windsor instead. Tsarina Alexandra's eldest brother, Ernst Louis, was Grand Duke of Hesse when the German revolution came. He'd had a miserable marriage with his first cousin, Victoria Maleta of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but their mutual grandmother, Queen Victoria, refused to let them divorce. She spread rumors that she had caught her husband in bed with a man. She abandoned their daughter, Elizabeth, who died of typhoid at the age of eight, breaking her father's heart. He had a more harmonious second marriage with Eleanor of Sommes-Hornson-Liech, and they had two sons. Ernst Louis also had a long-term relationship with Karl Lingner, the inventor of mouthwash. During World War I, he served as an officer at his cousin Kaiser Wilhelm's headquarters. He died in 1937, age 68. His son, George Donatus, married his first cousin, Princess Cecily of Greece and Denmark, the favorite sister of Prince Philip. The couple joined the Nazi party. In 1937, George, Cecily, and their two sons, Ludwig VI and Alexander IV, were on a small plane headed for the UK for his brother's wedding. Cecily went into labor. The pilot tried to make an emergency landing, but he struggled in bad weather. The plane crashed, and everyone on board was killed. In the wake of the tragedy, Louis' glamorous wedding was cancelled. He never had children, and the title of Landgrave of Hesse was absorbed by the senior Hesse-Kessel branch of the family. The current Landgrave is Donatus. He runs the family's numerous palaces, castles, and other properties. The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1167, Sovereign Prince Pribyslov bent the knee to the Saxon Duke Henry the Lion and converted to Christianity. He was rewarded with the title Prince of Mecklenburg, meaning Big Fortress. In 1364, Duke Albrecht managed to claim the Swedish throne because two of his great-grandmothers had been Swedish princesses. But in 1389, he was deposed by Queen Margrethe II, who added Sweden to Denmark and Norway to form the Kalmar Union. In 1701, a violent succession dispute between Friedrich Willem and his uncle Adolphus Frederick erupted. Foreign powers had to get involved to avoid civil war. The duchy was thus bisected into Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1761, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the sister of Duke Adolphus Frederick, married King George III and became Queen of Great Britain. She gave birth to 15 children and introduced the German tradition of the Christmas tree to Britain. After Napoleon's defeat, the 1815 Congress of Vienna elevated both duchies to Grand Duchies. Adolphus Frederick VI inherited Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1914, just as World War I was beginning. He wanted to dedicate his life to painting and had no interest in marriage. But after his only brother was killed in a duel, he was hounded by rumors that he would get engaged to a princess. Depressed, Adolphus took his own life in 1918, age 35. This caused a succession crisis, as his heir presumptive was in the Russian army fighting against Germany. So Mecklenburg-Strelitz went to his distant cousin, Friedrich Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and the two halves merged after 200 years. Frederick's double reign lasted only nine months before the revolution forced him to flee to Denmark. He died in 1945, age 63. His son, Friedrich Franz, went against his father and joined the Nazis, so he was disinherited. Headship of the House of Mecklenburg bounced back to the Strelitz side of the family. The current duke is Borwin, a grape-breeding engineer. He reclaimed Remplin Palace, which had been badly damaged in the war. He auctioned it off in 2019. With so many weddings between Germans and other European royals, there were many miserable marriages, but also some relationships which were genuinely devoted, caring, and loving. Whether you and your partner are just settling into your palace, or you've been dodging coups together for decades, maintaining communication and intimacy takes time and work, but it's well worth the effort. The paired app makes it easy and fun to connect with your partner every day through conversations, games, and challenges. It's science-based and designed by therapists and experts to foster happier relationships. There are tons of topics and journeys to explore together, like mastering good communication, reconnecting for parents, sharing your mental load, and reigniting your sex life. The paired app has been a great supplement to our communication and happiness. Click the link below to get a 7-day free trial and 25% off paired premium, so you can maintain and deepen your connection with your partner. Grand Duchy of Oldenburg The first Count of Oldenburg was Elmar I in the 1100s. In 1448, Count Christian became King of Denmark through his maternal ancestry. His descendants are still on the Danish throne today, and have also reigned in Norway, Sweden, Russia, Greece, and the UK. When Christian became king, he left Oldenburg to his brother, Gerhard. He was tyrannical, and dragged his people into wars. He was forced to abdicate in favor of his son. Count Antony Gunther remained neutral during the Thirty Years' War, but he quietly lent horses to the Catholics, so Oldenburg was spared the devastation suffered by the rest of the empire. He grew rich from tolls on ships on the Weser River, and built Oldenburg Palace. In 1667, he died childless, and Oldenburg went to King Friedrich I of Denmark. It was a possession of the next five kings of Denmark, until Christian X traded Oldenburg to Paul I of Russia for his own ancestral lands of Schleswig and Holstein. Paul passed Oldenburg to his cousin, Friedrich Augustus I, and promoted him to Duke. He was already the Prince-Bishop of Lübeck, and he added that territory to Oldenburg. In 1815, it was upgraded to a Grand Duchy. Friedrich Augustus II became Grand Duke in 1900. He had served in the navy, but was too old to fight in WWI. After abdicating, he remained at Rosted Castle, but sold most of his art collection to support himself. He died in 1931, aged 78. His great-grandson, Christian, is the current Duke of Oldenburg. He owns Rosted Palace and other properties, but Oldenburg Palace has been given to the state as a museum. THE DUCHIES The Duchy of Anhalt originated with the House of Ascania in the 9th century. In 1218, Heinrich I was granted the title Prince of Anhalt by Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa. For the next 600 years, Anhalt was repeatedly divided amongst sons, and chipped away by Prussia. In 1863, all but one line had gone extinct, and Leopold IV reunited Anhalt into a single, though geographically divided, duchy. His descendant, Joachim Ernst, was just 17 when his father died, and he became Duke in September 1918. Two months later, he lost his birthright. Joachim fell for Hitler's promise to reinstate the German thrones. He later became critical of the Nazis and was thrown in Dachau concentration camp. After being liberated, he believed he would be exonerated for his time in the Nazi party, but he was arrested by the Soviets and placed in a work camp, where he died at 46. His only surviving son, Edvard, is the current claimant to the headship of the House of Ascania. He was born in 1941. Because his father was in Dachau from 1938 to 1944, members of the family have questioned his legitimacy. His sister, Alexandra, told the press that his real father was Heinrich Himmler. His aunt, Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt, watered down the family legacy by adopting 35 adults for money so that they could claim to be German royals. The most famous was Friedrich von Anhalt, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor's ninth and final husband. He too has sold many adult adoptions. Edvard has repeatedly stated that these individuals will never be officially recognized as members of the royal house. He has attempted to reclaim Ballenstedt Castle, but was unsuccessful. The Duchy of Brunswick was held by the Welf family since 1235. In the 1580s, Duke Wilhelm suffered bouts of mental illness, and his wife and children fled for their safety. His youngest son, George, built Leine Palace in Hanover and launched a new cadet branch of the family named after the city. His youngest son, Ernst Augustus, fought in the Great Turkish War. He was rewarded by Emperor Leopold I by being named Prince-Elector. Ernst married Princess Sophia of the Palatinate, a granddaughter of King James VI of Scotland and First of England. Their son George married his cousin, Sophia Dorothea of Sow. He was chronically unfaithful, but when she dared to take a lover, he was outraged and probably had her boyfriend murdered. He definitely had Sophia imprisoned for the rest of her life. In 1714, George of Hanover was the closest living Protestant relative to Childless Queen Anne of Great Britain. He moved to London to take his place as King George I. He hated England and went back to Hanover often. But from then on, the kings of Great Britain also held the title Elector of Hanover. After Napoleon's defeat, King George III was in a prime position to get Hanover elevated to a kingdom. George later suffered serious mental illness, which may have been inherited from his ancestor, Duke Wilhelm. Meanwhile, the senior branch of the family continued to rule the Duchy of Brunswick. Duke Charles William Ferdinand married George III's older sister, Augusta. Their daughter, Caroline of Brunswick, married her first cousin, the Prince Regent. They hated each other. When he was crowned King George IV, he shut the door of Westminster Abbey in her face. In 1837, Queen Victoria inherited the British throne. The Hanoverian succession did not recognize women, so her uncle, Ernst Augustus, became King of Hanover. He took a lot of his mother, Queen Charlotte's, diamonds with him, leaving Victoria rather skint, until she rebuilt the royal jewelry collection with the spoils of the British Empire. In 1866, Prussia and Austria got into an argument over who should lead the German-speaking world. In the resulting Austro-Prussian War, Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick, sided with Prussia, while his Hanoverian cousin, George V, sided with Austria. Prussia won, and the Kingdom of Hanover was annexed, while the Duchy of Brunswick survived. Duke Wilhelm died childless and passed the throne to George V's son, Ernst Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover. His son, Ernst Augustus, married Kaiser Wilhelm's only daughter, Victoria. Their wedding in 1913 was the last time cousins King George V of the UK, Tsar Nikolai II of Russia, and the Kaiser were together before they went to war against each other. Ernst Augustus lost his crown in 1918, but maintained possession of Brunswick Palace and Blankenberg, Cumberland, and Marienburg castles. Hitler tried to get him to spy on his British relatives and arrange a marriage between his daughter Frederica and Edward, Prince of Wales, but he refused to help the Nazis. Frederica instead married King Paul of Greece. Ernst died in 1953, age 65. His grandson, Ernst Augustus, is the current Prince of Brunswick and Prince of Hanover. He is married to Princess Caroline of Monaco, though they are now estranged. The prince has faced numerous controversies and assault charges. In 2004, he signed over the family's castles and properties to his son, also called Ernst Augustus. He endeavors to preserve their historic legacy. The Principalities Principality of Lepa Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lepa in 1123. In 1643, Count Philip inherited the neighboring county of Schomburg and founded a new branch, the Principality of Schomburg-Lepa. The Counts of Lepa were promoted to imperial princes by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. The Schomburg-Lepas did not attain the same honor until 1815, when they joined the German Confederation. Leopold IV was the sovereign prince who faced abdication in 1918. In 1937, his nephew, Prince Bernhard of Lepa Bisterfeld, married the future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Their daughter, Beatrix, became queen in 1980. Though she is technically a member of the House of Lepa, the Royal House of the Netherlands officially remains known as the House of Orange Nassau. Leopold's three eldest sons were the first princes to join the Nazi party. Their father disapproved and disinherited them, in favor of his youngest son, Armand. His son, Stephan, is the current head of the House of Lepa. He lives in Detmold Castle. In 2012, he blocked a nature reserve which would have included parts of his forest. Adolf II was Prince of Schomburg-Lepa in 1918. He married actress Ellen Bischoff Courthouse. They were both killed in a plane crash in Mexico in 1936. The title went to Adolf's brother, Vollrott. His grandson, Alexander, is the current prince and resides in Bucherburg Palace. He is a jazz pianist and occasionally performs with Prince Carl Friedrich of Hohenzollern, who plays saxophone. Yes, that kind of sax. The Principality of Schwarzburg The Count of Schwarzburg Castle was first mentioned in 1071. In 1349, Count Gunther XXI von Schwarzburg managed to get himself elected German king, but he lost support before he could be crowned Holy Roman Emperor and was forced to renounce the throne. Gunther XL, known as the Rich, had a great talent for accumulating wealth. He knocked down the old castle and built a renaissance palace. His sons split up the already tiny principality. Heinrich XXXV, known as the Diamond King, spent gobs on jewels and stayed coaches while his people starved. In 1909, Prince Gunther Victor reunited the two halves of Schwarzburg. In 1918, he was reluctant to give up his throne. But on November 22, he became the last German monarch to sign his abdication. He died childless, and the palace and title went to his nephew, Prince Zitzel. His son, Prince Friedrich Gunther, died childless in 1971, so the claim passed to his sister, Princess Marie Antoinette. Her son, Friedrich Magnus VI, is the current head of the House of Schwarzburg. The Principality of Weideck and Pyrmont dates back to the counts who occupied Weideck Castle in the 12th century. In 1626, the family inherited the county of Pyrmont. In 1712, Count Friedrich Anthony Ulrich was elevated to prince by Emperor Charles VI. 19th century Prince George Victor of Weideck-Pyrmont had two daughters you might have heard of. Emma married King Wilhelm III of the Netherlands and was the mother of Queen Wilhelmina, who bravely stood up to Kaiser Wilhelm and refused to join his side in World War I. Helena wed Queen Victoria's youngest son, Prince Leopold. He died of hemophilia at 30, when she was pregnant with their son, Charles Edward. He later became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Emma and Helena's brother, Friedrich, was prince in 1918. He held out signing his abdication until revolutionaries agreed that he and his family could keep Adelsen Castle and the surrounding forest. His son, Josiah, became a general in the SS. After World War II, he spent three years in prison. His grandson, Karl Anton, hereditary prince of Weideck and Pyrmont, is the current head of the house. The Principality of Reuss-Greiz The House of Reuss descended from a knight in the service of 12th-century Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI. In his honor, every male member of the family since has been named Heinrich. So that brothers don't get mixed up, each Heinrich was given a number, and the numbering was reset every century. The Reuss family were given princely status in 1778 by Emperor Joseph II. Prince Heinrich XI took as his flag a tri-colored design of black, red, and gold, the meaning of which is, out of the blackness of servitude, through bloody battles to the golden light of freedom. This design was adopted in 1848 for the German Confederation, again in 1919 for the Weimar Republic, and finally it became the flag of the Republic of Germany in 1949. Back in 1806, a cadet branch of the Reuss family split off to create the Principality of Reuss-Gera. In 1880, the eldest child of Prince Heinrich XXII suffered an accident, which left him physically and mentally disabled. His parents hoped for another son. Instead, they got five daughters. Their mother died in childbirth, and their father, considering it divine retribution, resigned himself to leaving the throne to disabled Prince Heinrich XXIV. He was unable to rule or marry, so his cousin from the lower branch, Prince Heinrich XXVII, acted as his regent, and managed both Reuss principalities. They were both on the throne in 1918, and abdicated on November 10th and 11th. Heinrich XXIV died in 1927, age 49, and the senior line went extinct. The junior line continued with hereditary Prince Heinrich XXV. He joined the Nazi party and went missing in action on the Soviet front in 1945. His cousin, Heinrich IV, took over his claim. His son Heinrich is the current head of the princely house, and lives in Kassel-Ernstborn. Want even more tea on history? Check out the History Tea Time Podcast. If you enjoyed this video, please like, subscribe, comment your thoughts, and check out my other history videos. You can also join my Patreon to support my work and get early access to all of my multi-part series. Thank you for watching!