Günther Friedrich Carl I. (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)

Prince Günther Friedrich Carl I. von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Günther Friedrich Carl I. von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (* December 5, 1760 in Sondershausen ; † April 22, 1837 at the hunting lodge " zum Ante " near Sondershausen) was the ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen , Count von Hohnstein , Lord from 1794 to 1835 to Arnstadt , Sondershausen, Leutenberg and Blankenburg .

Life

Günther Friedrich Carl I was the eldest son of Prince Christian Günther von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1736–1794) and his wife Princess Charlotte Wilhelmine (1737–1777), daughter of Prince Victor Friedrich von Anhalt-Bernburg .

After the death of his father in 1794 he took over the government in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and continued it in its spirit. He often held court at Schloss zu Ebeleben , especially during the hunting season, as he was a passionate patron of the hunt.

His reign was full of upheavals. The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation collapsed in 1806 and Napoleon Bonaparte took the world stage. The prince secured the sovereignty of his principality by first joining the Rhine Confederation in 1807 . In 1815 he moved to the German Confederation via the Congress of Vienna . After a period of relaxation, there was even a cultural boom in his principality, so that he became quite popular.

The prince promoted the arts and in 1825 had a theater built on the site of the Sondershäuser Palace . He is also considered to be the founder of the so-called Lohor Orchestra with its wage concerts . These were particularly popular in the 19th century and attracted crowds of visitors from all over Germany to Sondershausen. This symphony orchestra , which still exists today, emerged from a six-member brass band that the prince initially carried with him on the Sunday hunt. From this arose the tradition under Günther Friedrich Carl that every Sunday the citizens of Sondershausen were serenaded free of charge on Lohplatz .

In the 19th century, the liberal bourgeoisie increasingly wanted to have a say in politics, but the prince still ruled absolutely and was considered very conservative. He did not accept any concessions, which made him increasingly unpopular. The prince was heavily criticized for his favoritism and finally forced to abdicate by his son in a palace revolt in 1835 (the so-called Ebeleben Revolution ).

After that he spent his old age at the hunting lodge to antics . However, he was buried in Ebeleben .

progeny

Günther Friedrich Carl I. had been married to Caroline (1774–1854), daughter of Prince Friedrich Karl von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt , since June 23, 1799 , and had the following children with her:

• Emilie Friederike Caroline (1800–1867) ⚭ 1820 Prince Leopold II. Zur Lippe (1796–1851)
• Günther Friedrich Carl II (1801–1889), Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

The prince had four other illegitimate children.

literature

• Apfelstedt , Börner u. Donhof: local history for the residents of the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. 3rd Part History of the Princely Schwarzburg House (1856) (Hardcover - May 1998)
• HF Apfelstedt : The House of Kevernburg-Schwarzburg from its origins to our time . ISBN 3-910132-29-4
• Jens Beger: Affair of the Schwarzburger. In Zeitschrift des Verein für Thüringische Geschichte Vol. 48, Jena 1994, pp. 47–67; here: pp. 59–61.
• Kamill von Behr: Genealogy of the ruling royal houses in Europe , Leipzig 1870.
• Christa Hirschler, Ulrich Hahnemann: The Princely House Schwarzburg-Sondershausen . German Princely Houses, Issue 10. Börde-Verlag, Werl 2004, ISBN 3-9809107-0-9
• Manfred Ohl: Günther Friedrich Carl I. von Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen. A prince and his time. In special houses contributions. Püstrich. Journal for Schwarzburg culture and regional history. No. 7, 2003. pp. 91-129.

See also

• Family list of the Schwarzburg family

predecessor	Office	successor
Christian Günther	Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen 1794–1835	Günther Friedrich Carl II.