Gustav Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gustav Frederik Philip Richard Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born January 12, 1969 in Frankfurt am Main ) is a German entrepreneur and, as the head of the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg family, also head of the Sayn-Wittgenstein family .

Family and origin

Berleburg Castle

The Sayn-Wittgenstein family belongs to the German nobility . The first documentary mention of a Count zu Wittgenstein was made as early as 1174. The Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg line was founded by Count Georg (1565–1631). The ancestors of Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg were imperial direct counts who were raised to the rank of prince in 1792 . In 1806 their territory was mediatized and lost its independence. The former rulers became gentlemen of the German Confederation . With the abolition of the privileges of the nobility in the Weimar constitution in 1919, the former nobility titles became part of the name. The Sayn-Wittgenstein family has lived at Berleburg Castle for over 600 years .

Gustav is the eldest of three children and the only son of Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1934-2017) and his widow, Princess Benedektiven of Denmark (born April 29, 1944). His paternal grandparents were Gustav Albrecht zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1907–1944) and the Swedish Countess Margareta Fouché d'Otrante (1909–2005), and the Danish King Friedrich IX on his mother's side . (1899–1972) and his wife, the Swedish king's daughter Ingrid (1910–2000). He is thus a nephew of the Danish Queen Margrethe II and the Greek ex-Queen Anne-Marie of Denmark . Gustav grew up with his siblings Alexandra and Nathalie at Berleburg Castle, became head of the family after his father's death and is unmarried.

Life

Inheritance dispute

Gustav's grandfather of the same name, has been missing since 1944 in Russia and declared in 1969 to be dead, had for a furlough in 1943 in a ten-page testament his then eight-year-old son Richard for provisional heir and future eldest grandson in a straight line to his heirs used. The will laid down certain criteria that the future heir had to meet. For decades there has been public speculation about the content of these criteria, which supposedly also include thoughts from National Socialism , but also ties to the heir's religion and marriage . After the death of his father Richard, Gustav claimed his grandfather's inheritance. However, a dispute arose over the subsequent inheritance. As early as 2017, his father's cousin, Ludwig Ferdinand , considered himself entitled to interpret the will at the Bad Berleburg district court in his favor and to assert his own claims. Because of the initially unclear legal situation, a curator was appointed. Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg announced through his press spokesman that ideas from the Nazi era no longer had any legal or moral basis for him and his family and could not be used as a claim for an inheritance entitlement. The Agricultural Court of the AG Bad Berleburg ruled that Gustav fulfilled the relevant criteria of the grandfather's will and on April 18, 2019 rejected the alleged entitlement of the applicant from Bad Laasphe in the first instance. In the second instance, the Hamm Higher Regional Court confirmed the decision of the AG Bad Berleburg on July 23, 2020 (Az. 10 W 84/19). The decision of the OLG Hamm is not contestable; a legal complaint to the BGH was not allowed. This means that Gustav can inherit his grandfather's legacy, which is said to consist of 13,000 hectares of forest, Berleburg Castle and various properties with a total value of around 500 million euros, at the age of 51.

Grove on the slopes of the Truftetal.

Private forest property

With a forest area of ​​approx. 13,000 hectares, Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg took over the largest private forest enterprise in North Rhine-Westphalia . The annual logging is up to 100,000 m³, of which approx. 80% is softwood and approx. 20% is hardwood. Around 2/3 of the areas are overgrown with spruce stands , almost 30% with beech trees . The remaining stock consists of oak , Douglas fir , silver fir , larch and other tree species. The wood is available in accordance with the principles of sustainability for the domestic economy and for worldwide export. In addition to the management of the land, nature conservation is the focus of the owner. In the meantime, around 4,000 hectares, i.e. a third of the property area, have been designated as FFH area .

Species protection project

Wisent wilderness on the Rothaarsteig.

In 2003, on the initiative of Gustav's father Richard, a species protection project that was unique in Western Europe was started. The bison , which had been extinct in Germany for several centuries, was released back into the wild in the private forest of the princely family. For this purpose, the non-profit sponsoring association Wisent-Welt-Wittgenstein eV was founded , on whose board the head of the Berleburger Rentkammer, Johannes Röhl, participates and represents the interests of his employer.

The well-known project, also published under the name Wisent-Wildnis am Rothaarsteig , is funded with two bison herds. A small herd lives in a 20 hectare enclosure between Wingeshausen and the hunting lodge ; Since April 2013, a group of initially eight animals has been released into the wild in the Wittgenstein forests around Bad Berleburg and Schmallenberg . In May and June 2013, the first two bison were born in the wild for centuries. The number of calves born in the forests has now increased significantly.

Because of the peeling damage that occurs, the species protection project is not without controversy, especially among forest farmers from the Hochsauerland district , who have already filed lawsuits, demanding compensation and demanding that the wild bison be fenced off. The disputes are now in federal court pending after both parties revision had appealed against the decision of the Higher Regional Court of Hamm.

The species protection project enjoys a high level of media interest and is scientifically supported with seven-figure funding from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation , the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the operating association. Gustav, involved in the species protection project from the start, continues to support this project in the spirit of his father.

Exclusion from the Danish line of succession

Although Gustav's mother is the sister of the Danish queen and used to be third in line to the Danish throne , Gustav was excluded from her (according to the Danish constitutional lawyer Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard). The question regarding the inheritance rights of Princess Benedektiven's children came up in 1997 when the two sisters Gustavs, Alexandra and Nathalie applied for Danish citizenship and the Danish Ministry of Justice was asked by the Folketing for an opinion on the succession. The then Danish Justice Minister Frank Jensen forwarded a note to Parliament that the consent to the marriage between Princess Benedorien and Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg was tied to conditions that the applicants later failed to meet (including permanent residence in Denmark after reaching the Compulsory school age). The Ministry of Justice did not issue an opinion on Gustav's Danish victims, but since his living conditions were the same as those of his sisters, an analogous conclusion can be assumed. The opinion of the Danish Ministry of Justice has not been questioned by the applicants' family, nor by the Danish royal family or a member of the Folketing and is therefore generally accepted.

Literature (selection)

  • Johannes Burkardt and Ulf Lückel: The Princely House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Werl 2005, ISBN 3-9810315-0-4
  • Genealogical manual of the nobility, Princely houses XIX. "Sayn-Wittgenstein". CA Starke Verlag, Limburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6 , pp. 314-338.
  • Rikarde Riedesel, Johannes Burkardt, Ulf Lückel on behalf of the community association Bad Berleburg eV (Hg): Bad Berleburg - Die Stadtgeschichte , Bad Berleburg 2008.
  • Philipp Dickel: Family table of the mediatized house Sayn and Wittgenstein , Tables 5–8, oO (Wernigerode) 1907.
  • Johann Georg Hinsberg : Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Vol. I, The entire county of Wittgenstein until the formation of the independent county of Wittgenstein-Berleburg 1603/05 , Berleburg 1920.
  • Johann Georg Hinsberg: Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Bd V, History of the County of Wittgenstein-Berleburg under the government of Christian Heinrich, Count, since 1792 Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg , Berleburg 1920.
  • Günther Wrede : Territorial history of the county of Wittgenstein . (Marburg Studies on Older German History, I. Series, Vol. 3, (edited by Edmund E. Stengel)), Marburg 1927.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Berleburg and Hohenstein. In: Sayn Castle. Princely Palace Administration, accessed on August 3, 2020 .
  2. ^ Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg - Munzinger biography. Retrieved August 7, 2020 .
  3. ^ Philipp Dickel: Family table of the mediatized house Sayn and Wittgenstein , Table 5, oO (Wernigerode) 1907.
  4. ^ Johann Georg Hinsberg: Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Vol V, History of the County of Wittgenstein-Berleburg under the government of Christian Heinrich, Count, since 1792 Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg , Berleburg 1920, pp. 115–117.
  5. ^ Horst Conrad: State rule and self-administration. The constitution and administration of the city of Berleburg until the First World War. In: Bad Berleburg - Die Stadtgeschichte, Bad Berleburg 2008, p. 23.
  6. ↑ Art 109 WRV - single standard. Retrieved August 7, 2020 .
  7. ↑ https://wittgenstein-berleburg.net/familie-schloss/
  8. ^ Johannes Burkardt and Ulf Lückel: The Princely House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Werl 2005, p. 35.
  9. ↑ In Wittgenstein, a bitter dispute about the inheritance has broken out. In: Montfort headquarters press. August 24, 2018, accessed August 8, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Press release Jochen König, Duisburg and Head of Rentkammer Berleburg, Johannes Röhl from August 1, 2018, printed in the Westfalenpost , Wittgenstein local edition from the same day.
  11. ↑ Christoph Vetter, Westfalenpost from August 1, 2018: https://www.wp.de/staedte/wittgenstein/familienstreit-in-wittgenstein-um-das-erbe-von-prinz-richard-id214989751.html last access: 23 October 2018, 09.20 a.m.
  12. ^ Lars-Peter Dickel: Family dispute in the Princely House occupies the district court. The amount in dispute is estimated at half a billion euros. The background is a dispute over a 76 year old will. Westfalenpost dated February 5, 2019, p. PBB 1.
  13. ↑ Lars-Peter Dickel: Wisente: Estate curator has a clear position on the gate. February 27, 2020, accessed on August 4, 2020 (German).
  14. ↑ It's about 500 million euros. Retrieved August 17, 2020 .
  15. ↑ Nazi ideology no basis for a legacy. March 8, 2019, accessed on August 8, 2020 (German).
  16. ^ AG Bad Berleburg (Az. 2 Lw 3/17)
  17. ↑ Westfalenpost (PBB) dated May 7, 2019: First decision about royal inheritance .
  18. ^ Lars-Peter Dickel: Fürstenerbe: Decision is near . Westfalenpost, local edition Wittgenstein from July 15, 2020.
  19. ↑ Martin Völkel: Legal dispute over princely property continues. Siegener newspaper from July 14, 2020.
  20. ↑ Martin Völkel: Everything stays as usual at Berleburg Castle. OLG Hamm decides in the inheritance conflict in the house Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg - namely for Prince Gustav. Siegener newspaper from July 31, 2020.
  21. ↑ Lars-Peter Dickel: Line under the inheritance dispute . Westfalenpost, local edition Wittgenstein from July 31, 2020.
  22. ↑ NRW Justice: OLG Hamm: OLG Hamm confirms the decision of the Agricultural Court Bad Berleburg in an inheritance dispute. Retrieved August 4, 2020 .
  23. ^ Inheritance dispute in the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg house. In: ev-online.de. Retrieved August 8, 2020 .
  24. ^ Inheritance dispute in the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg house. In: ivz-themenwelten.de. Retrieved August 8, 2020 .
  25. ^ Inheritance dispute in the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg house. In: top.st. Retrieved August 8, 2020 .
  26. ^ Nobility - Hamm: inheritance dispute in the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg house In: sueddeutsche.de . July 30, 2020, accessed August 17, 2020 .
  27. ^ Aristocracy: The dispute over the royal inheritance in Bad Berleburg has been decided. In: wp.de . July 30, 2020, accessed August 17, 2020 .
  28. ↑ The Wittgenstein Princes' inheritance dispute decided. In: wdr.de. July 30, 2020, accessed August 17, 2020 .
  29. ^ Zoff about the castle: An 80 year old document causes an absurd aristocratic dispute in North Rhine-Westphalia. In: focus.de . July 30, 2020, accessed August 17, 2020 .
  30. ↑ Sustainable forest use requires a triad of economy, ecology and social concerns ›SPD Siegen-Wittgenstein. Retrieved on August 10, 2020 (German).
  31. ^ Wittgenstein-Berleburg'sche Rentkammer | Wittgenstein-Berleburg'sche Rentkammer. Retrieved on August 4, 2020 (German).
  32. ↑ David Hesse: Experiment with the largest land animal in Europe, Tagesanzeiger, Zurich, June 8, 2017, http://royfabian.de/tag/nordrhein-westfalen/
  33. ↑ https://www.wisent-welt.de/wp-content/uploads/media/NuL09-12_267-272-Tillmann.pdf
  34. ↑ https://www.wisent-welt.de/wp-content/uploads/media/Alumni-Artikel.pdf
  35. ^ Lars-Peter Dickel: Wisent dispute at the Federal Court of Justice goes into the next round. July 13, 2019, accessed on August 8, 2020 (German).
  36. ↑ RP ONLINE: Dispute over herd released into the wild: BGH rejects resettlement of wild bison in the Rothaar Mountains. Retrieved August 8, 2020 .
  37. ↑ fhaacker: BGH judgment in the bison dispute. In: German hunting newspaper. July 22, 2019, accessed on August 8, 2020 (German).
  38. ^ Bison Association. In: Wisent-Welt. Retrieved on August 4, 2020 (German).
  39. ↑ Wisent: Freedom for the European bison | Knowledge | SWR2. October 11, 2013, accessed August 4, 2020 .
  40. ↑ Due to the birth of several grandchildren of the Danish queen, Princess Benedigte zu Denmark is now 11th in line to the throne.
  41. ↑ Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter: Conditional consent, dynastic rights and the Danish Law of Succession . February 2, 1999 ( worldcat.org [accessed August 4, 2020]).
personal data
SURNAME Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Gustav Prince zu
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Gustav Frederik Philip Richard Prince zu (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German entrepreneur and future head of the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg family
DATE OF BIRTH January 12, 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH Frankfurt am Main