Reuss-Lobenstein

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Flag of the Principality of Reuss-Lobenstein

Reuss-Lobenstein is the name of a lordship , later county and finally a principality of the Princely House Reuss in the southeast of today's Free State of Thuringia on the border with Saxony and Bavaria , with the capital and residence town of Lobenstein as the center. For the sake of simplicity, the rulers of this territory, the lords, counts and princes Reuss zu Lobenstein from the Reuss younger line are sometimes named that way.

The rule of Lobenstein in the time before the Russians

The rule of the bailiffs of Gera from 1278 to 1550

Dominion of the bailiffs of Weida, Gera and Plauen around 1350

Long before the Russians, the area around Lobenstein was owned by their close relatives, whose rule has been proven since 1278. Heinrich II., The elder, Vogt of Gera , expanded his property in 1278 to include the rule of Lobenstein. A town charter from this year testifies that Lobenstein was already a town at that time and is considered the first documentary mention. The son of Heinrich II., Heinrich IV., The elder, acquired the Schleiz lordship around 1314 with the maintenance of Saalburg and Burgk Castle , thus further rounding off his property. In the house of the bailiffs of Gera, who, like their closest relatives, the bailiffs of Plauen , descended from the bailiffs of Weida , it was the custom since they were appointed bailiffs by Emperor Heinrich VI. to name all male descendants Heinrich in his honor . This tradition was taken over by the House of Reuss . For all members of this large family association, the ordinal numbers have only the purpose of differentiation and no meaning with regard to the succession, as is otherwise usual in ruling circles.

As a result of the Vogtland War (1354 to 1357), the Gera bailiffs had to recognize the Wettins as masters. As feudal bearers of the Crown of Bohemia and the House of Wettin, the bailiffs of Gera gave up their old title and dubbed themselves Lords of Gera . Another loss of power was due to the inheritance law that was common in the late Middle Ages , which led to the emergence of a large number of smaller and very small domains in the Holy Roman Empire . All sons inherited the property after their father's death and often ruled it together. Due to differences of opinion and often to secure one's own claim to power and to care for the numerous descendants, the property was divided several times. These divisions, which often lasted a few years with numerous negotiations and the issuing of documents about the new ownership, were restarted every time a branch of the family died out, sometimes only caused by the death of a single brother. This principle, which dragged on for centuries, was the cause of the German small states .

A division of the country in the line of the bailiffs of Gera in 1425 had no further consequences, as only one of the dividing brothers, Heinrich IX, the Middle (* 1406, † 1482), left descendants. This had received the rule of Lobenstein, to which Zeulenroda also belonged, which he endowed with town charter in 1438 . After the death of his younger brother, he received around 1452 as heir of his rule, devastated by the Saxon Brotherly War (1446 to 1451), with the almost completely destroyed city of Gera and Schleiz. 1482 divided the three sons of Henry IX. the dominion again under itself. His grandson Heinrich XV., The younger (* 1476; † 1550), united the rulers in his hand for the last time in 1538. In 1543, with the support of the Saxon Elector Johann Friedrich I, he introduced the Reformation in the Lobenstein rule. When he died childless, the rule of the bailiffs of Gera ended in 1550 and the rule of Lobenstein fell to Heinrich IV of Meißen , the closest relative of the bailiffs of Plauen.

The brief rule of the Burgraves of Meissen from 1550 to 1572

Heinrich IV. Burgrave von Meißen from the dynasty of the Vögte von Plauen fought as a military leader in the Schmalkaldic War on the side of Emperor Charles V. His closest relatives, who had adopted the name Reuss von Plauen to distinguish themselves from the older line of the Vögte von Plauen , fought like their somewhat more distant relatives, the bailiffs of Gera, on the side of the Protestant sovereigns and cities under the leadership of Electoral Saxony and Hesse . After the decisive battle of Mühlberg and the victory of the imperial troops, Heinrich IV received the Vogtland rulers, including the cities of Plauen and Oelsnitz, from the possession of the Saxon Elector in 1547 . In 1547 he also received the rule of Greiz from the Reuss von Plauen and the rule of Gera from the governors of Gera. With their extinction in 1550, he also inherited the lords of Lobenstein and Schleiz with Saalburg.

Already with his younger son Heinrich VI. the rule of his line over the won territories ended. In 1562 the Reussians , with whom they had a common ancestor in the person of the founder of the bailiffs of Plauen, regained the Greiz rule and added the Gera rule. 1572 ended with the death of Henry VI. the older line of the bailiffs of Plauen. The remaining younger line, the Reussians, now inherited the Schleiz and Lobenstein rulers as well, but without first coming into their possession.

The Reuss-Lobenstein rule from 1572 to 1673

The beginnings

Heinrich VI., The last burgrave of Meißen, had inherited from his father not only his extensive possessions, but also his enormous debts. Due to complete insolvency, the Vogtland had to be pledged to Elector August von Sachsen and was ultimately lost to him after the attachment period had expired. In 1569 he pledged the rule of Lobenstein to Georg Vitzthum von Eckstädt for 60,000 guilders, which could be repurchased for six years. The legal heirs since 1572, Messrs Reuss von Plauen, only succeeded in redeeming the pledge from the Vitzthum von Eckstädt family in 1577.

In 1564 the House of Reuss had split into three lines in a large division of the country, the older , middle and younger lines. Each of these lines received an equal share of the Lobenstein rule, which was jointly administered by them. In 1585 the lords of the older line sold their shares to the younger line for 41,712 guilders and in 1588 those of the middle line for 35,660 guilders, whose sole representative Heinrich II Posthumus now owned the entire Lobenstein estate in addition to the Reuss-Gera rulership. In 1616 the middle line of the House of Reuss died out and Heinrich Posthumus received the rule Schleiz with Saalburg as an inheritance. Heinrich Posthumus, who not only made a contribution to the promotion of the economy and the school system, stipulated around 1608 that his court at Gera should be borne entirely from the income of this rulership, but the income from the other rulers as repayment of debt should be used. Thanks to this economical budget policy, he had already managed to settle a debt of 45,000 guilders by 1613.

The old tower and the small tower in the wintry Bad Lobenstein

1619 which was at the instigation of coining money , occupied by imperial privileges and confirmation certificates, through the Münzprobationskonvent in Frankfurt (Oder) recognized and later that year he was in Saalfeld ausmünzen gold, and the following year in the castle Lobenstein and 1,621 more in Gera mints Create .

During the Thirty Years' War , the country was badly ravaged by looting and plague . In 1632 Lobenstein Castle was ruined by the Swedes and then by the storming of the imperial troops. Only the approximately 30 meter high keep and a smaller wall tower have been preserved.

After the death of Heinrich Posthumus in 1635, his sons remained in the common property of the inherited lords until 1647. In that year, the descendants shared the estate. The rule of Lobenstein was given to the youngest of his sons, Heinrich X. (* 1621; † 1671). He became the founder of the Reuss-Lobenstein family.

Reuss-Lobenstein as an independent rule

Heinrich X. Reuss zu Lobenstein took over the government in 1647 in what now belonged to him as sole ruler, but remained in many areas with the other branches of the younger line, who resided in Gera, Schleiz and Saalburg. So the consistory , the general national and military successes , the land tax permit , customs, potion and mountain tithe , claw tax and the state government in Gera remained unaffected by the division of the country and continued to be joint.

The Reussian territories in the 18th century
Green: Reuss older line (Greiz, Burgk)
Red: Reuss-Gera (with Saalburg); Yellow: Reuss-Schleiz
Brown: Reuss-Lobenstein
Garden side of the castle in Bad Lobenstein

In 1664, Heinrich X. bought Hirschberg Castle and Care from the von Beulwitz family . After his death in 1671, the four sons kept the property jointly. Two years later there were only three heirs who, like all other members of the Reuss family , were raised to the rank of imperial count on August 26, 1673 .

The county of Reuss-Lobenstein from 1673 to 1790

In 1678 the three count brothers carried out the last division of the country in the Reuss younger line. In 1690, instead of equal succession, the right of the firstborn, the primogeniture , was introduced.

The county was divided into equal parts as far as possible, with the oldest brother receiving the town and castle Lobenstein, the middle town and castle Hirschberg as a residence, but the youngest brother no longer having a town that could have been allocated to him. The "capital" of his county was the village of Ebersdorf and the existing manor was only turned into a castle under his direction .

Count Heinrich III. Reuss zu Lobenstein (* 1648, † 1710), the eldest of the brothers, also left three sons, of which only the eldest, Count Heinrich XV. (* 1674; † 1739), who succeeded him. His uncle, Count Heinrich VIII. Reuss zu Hirschberg, died in 1711 without sons and the Reuss-Hirschberg house was extinguished. With his Ebersdorf cousin Heinrich XXIX. a new division came about. In 1712 each of the two received half of the old Lobenstein rule.

In 1714 a large part of the town of Lobenstein with the residential palace, the church and most of the public buildings was destroyed by a town fire. The New Palace was built as a residence from 1714 to 1718 . As early as 1732, another city fire destroyed the church, school and large parts of the city on an even larger scale. The lock survived the fire with slight damage.

Successor of Henry XV. was his only surviving son, Count Heinrich II. Reuss zu Lobenstein (* 1702; † 1782). He had only one son, Count Heinrich XXXV. Reuss zu Lobenstein (* 1738; † 1805). On October 11, 1790 Heinrich XXXV. on the occasion of the imperial coronation in Frankfurt by Emperor Leopold II. in the Imperial Prince collected.

Coats of arms of all princely lines of the Reuss younger line

The Principality of Reuss-Lobenstein from 1790 to 1824

Prince Heinrich XXXV. remained unmarried and so his property fell to a Lobenstein branch line after his death in 1805. His successor Count Heinrich LIV. was also raised to the rank of imperial prince on July 5, 1806 by Emperor Franz II . In October of the same year, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte temporarily took up quarters in the neighboring Ebersdorf Palace during the campaign against Prussia . The passage of French troops through the Principality of Reuss-Lobenstein brought plunder and devastation to the country. The neutral principality was spared fighting, but almost 200,000 soldiers marched through the town of Lobenstein for three days and nights and caused enormous damage.

Prince Heinrich LIV. joined the Rhine Confederation with his country in 1807 and the German Confederation in 1815 . Despite two marriages, the prince remained childless and with his death in 1824 the division of the country, which had existed since 1678, ended. When the Reuss-Lobenstein family died out, the area passed to Prince Heinrich LXXII. Reuss zu Ebersdorf , who united it with his principality to form the principality of Reuss-Lobenstein and Ebersdorf.

The Principality of Reuss-Lobenstein and Ebersdorf from 1824 to 1848

In 1824 Prince Heinrich was LXXII. just 27 years old and was considered a cheerful bachelor, who was also accused of being eccentric and lacking in instinct. When he demanded increased taxes in 1826, some peasants resisted and the prince had forcibly seized. Farmers from several villages moved to Harra to prevent the seizure. There was a scuffle ( Harra battle ) in which more than ten farmers were shot. Bourgeois newspapers were appalled and the Bundestag demanded the investigation of the case and the punishment of the prince.

Principalities of Reuss since 1848 (map from 1894)

The dancer Lola Montez , who had accepted an invitation from the Prince to Ebersdorf, caused an even greater stir in 1843 . Capricious and arrogant, she behaved so impossibly for a few weeks that the prince had to expel her. When asked to leave the country within 24 hours, the bold Lola is said to have replied that, given the size of the principality, she only needed ten minutes. Whether she made it in the time she specified is to be assumed, with 7.75 square miles and 23,000 inhabitants, the principality was one of the smallest German federal states . The fact is that Lola Montez was then also expelled from Berlin, Warsaw and Baden-Baden, and finally ended up in Munich in 1846 . There she became the maitress of King Ludwig I , who had to vacate the throne in the revolution of 1848 because of her .

Location in today's Saale-Orla district ; (western yellow area of ​​the state division existing until 1922)

In the same year there were riots in the Principality of Reuss-Lobenstein and Ebersdorf, especially in Hirschberg and in the capital Lobenstein . The people demanded freedom of the press, representation of the people and independent judiciary. In the course of the unrest in the revolutionary year of 1848, around 400 people moved to Ebersdorf to present claims to the sovereign. Heinrich LXXII. made some concessions, but thanked surprisingly on October 1, 1848 in favor of Prince Heinrich LXII. Reuss to Schleiz . He withdrew to the family estates inherited from his mother in Saxony and died five years later unmarried.

Prince Heinrich LXII. After 200 years of division, Reuss zu Schleiz united all principalities of the younger line of the House of Reuss in one hand. The principalities of Reuss-Schleiz , Reuss-Gera and Reuss-Lobenstein and Ebersdorf now merged with the Principality of Reuss younger line , with Gera as the state capital.

Overview of the regents

Mr. Reuss zu Lobenstein

  • Heinrich X. (1647–1671) (* 1621; † 1671)
  • Henry III. (1671–1673) (* 1648; † 1710)
  • Heinrich V (1671–1672) (* 1650; † 1672)
  • Henry VIII (1671–1673) (* 1652; † 1711)
  • Heinrich X. (1671–1673) (* 1662; † 1711)

Count Reuss zu Lobenstein

  • Henry III. (1673–1710) (* 1648; † 1710)
  • Heinrich VIII. (1673–1678) (* 1652; † 1711), since 1678 Count Reuss zu Hirschberg
  • Heinrich X. (1673–1678) (* 1662; † 1711), since 1678 Count Reuss zu Ebersdorf
  • Henry XV. (1710–1739) (* 1674; † 1739)
  • Heinrich II. (1739–1782) (* 1702; † 1782)
  • Heinrich XXXV. (1782–1790) (* 1738; † 1805)
  • Heinrich LIV. (1805–1806) (* 1767; † 1824)

Prince Reuss zu Lobenstein

  • Heinrich XXXV. (1790–1805) (* 1738 - † 1805)
  • Heinrich LIV. (1806-1824) (* 1767; † 1824)

Prince Reuss zu Lobenstein and Ebersdorf

  • Heinrich LXXII. (1824–1848) (* 1797; † 1853), since 1822 Prince Reuss zu Ebersdorf

See also

literature

  • André Thieme: Regional rule and imperial immediacy: observations made by the Burgraves of Meißen from the House of Plauen and other successor families of the bailiffs of Weida, Gera and Plauen, in: Noble rule in Central Germany (1200 to 1600): Forms, legitimation, representation . Ed .: Jörg Rogge. 2003.
  • Family tables on the history of the European states , tables 163–174
  • Chronicle of the princely house of the Reussen von Plauen . 1811

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