Reuss-Ebersdorf

Convention thaler from 1766 with Heinrich XXIV. (1747–1779)

Ebersdorf Palace residence , park side

Residenz Schloss Ebersdorf, street side

The County of Reuss-Ebersdorf was created after several divisions of the younger Reuss line, just like the County of Reuss-Hirschberg in 1678 from a division of the County of Reuss-Lobenstein and existed until 1848.

history

Ebersdorf became the main town in the county. It was first mentioned in a document in 1401 as the seat of a manor with several cottages. When Count Heinrich X moved in , Ebersdorf became a residence. The count began building a castle, which was systematically expanded under his successors. At the end of the 18th century it was given a classical southern front. A French-style park has started.

In 1712 half of the county of Hirschberg fell to Ebersdorf, and in 1824 the county of Lobenstein, which had since been ruled in the meantime. Despite these expansions, the little country, which was also raised to a principality in 1806, remained an area that did not exceed 24,000 inhabitants in a few square kilometers and thus represented a typical example of a German duo-duchy .

Due to family ties to Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf , the leader of the Moravian Brothers, Heinrich XXIX. In 1732 and in the following years groups of emigrants from the Brethren , who were expelled from the Catholic Church because of their beliefs, set up in Ebersdorf. They established their own settlement in the county and developed a lively social activity.

In 1806, during the campaign against Prussia , Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte temporarily took quarters in Ebersdorf Palace. The passage of the French troops brought plunder and devastation to the country. The present principality became impoverished and was only able to recover slowly.

The last years of the principality were quite turbulent. Heinrich LXXII. , a cheerful bachelor, invited the dancer Lola Montez to Ebersdorf in 1843 . Capricious and arrogant, she behaved so impossibly for a few weeks that the prince had to expel her. In 1846 she went to Munich and became the maitress of King Ludwig I , who had to vacate the throne because of her in the revolution of 1848.

In the same year there were riots in the Principality of Reuss-Ebersdorf. The people demanded freedom of the press, representation of the people and independent judiciary. Prince Heinrich LXXII., Close to the people and very popular, showed understanding, thanked his subjects to the amazement and withdrew to the family estates in Saxony. In the absence of descendants, the principality fell to Reuss-Schleiz , which together with Reuss-Gera formed the younger Reuss line.

Heinrich XXVII. , the last prince of Reuss's younger line, had his tomb, designed by Ernst Barlach , erected in Ebersdorf Park.

Overview of the regents

Count Reuss zu Ebersdorf

• Heinrich X. (1678-1711)
• Heinrich XXIX. (1711–1747)
• Heinrich XXIV. (1747–1779)
• Heinrich LI. (1779–1806), since 1806 Prince Reuss zu Ebersdorf

Prince Reuss zu Ebersdorf

• Heinrich LI. (1806-1822)
• Heinrich LXXII. (1822-1848)

See also: Princely House of Reuss

See also

• Princely House Reuss
• List of the counties of Germany