Württemberg-Neuenstadt

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Neuenstadt Castle

Württemberg-Neuenstadt is the name of two branches of the House of Württemberg in the 17th and 18th centuries, which had their seat in the city of Neuenstadt am Kocher .

First sideline

The first sideline of this name arose from the brotherly prince settlement of May 28th July. / 7 June 1617 greg. , in which the sons of Duke Frederick I (1557–1608) shared the inheritance. The eldest son, Johann Friedrich (1582–1628), received rule over the Duchy of Württemberg . The other brothers were resigned with other possessions, including the second youngest son Friedrich Achilles (1591–1631) received the Neuenstadt Castle, which was built as a secondary residence under Duke Christoph in the 16th century, and an annual payment of 10,000 guilders . After Friedrich Achilles died unmarried in 1631, the castle was withdrawn from the main line. After the Battle of Nördlingen in 1634, the Duke of Württemberg fled the country. The emperor handed the castle in Neuenstadt over to Count Maximilian von und zu Trauttmansdorff . After being billeted numerous times, the castle was completely looted at the end of the Thirty Years War .

Second sideline

Alliance coat of arms of Friedrich August von Württemberg-Neuenstadt and his wife Albertina, b. von Eberstein, from 1703 on the upper gate tower in Neuenstadt am Kocher

The second sideline was created in 1649 after the restitution of Württemberg at the end of the Thirty Years War . In the inheritance comparison of October 7th (according to the calendar at that time, September 27th), Duke Eberhard III. (1614–1674) gave his brother Friedrich (1615–1682) the offices of Neuenstadt, Möckmühl and Weinsberg to provide for him, but without the sovereignty that remained with Eberhard.

Duke Friedrich was married to Clara Augusta (1632–1700), daughter of August the Younger of Braunschweig. The connection had twelve children, of which three male descendants reached adulthood, namely Friedrich August (1654-1716), Ferdinand Wilhelm (1659-1701) and Carl Rudolf (1667-1742). Duke Friedrich was encouraged by his father-in-law and his library in Wolfenbüttel to set up his own library, which in 1681 comprised around 25,000 volumes. In addition, a coin cabinet and art chamber were built in Neuenstadt at that time . Friedrich died in 1682, his widow lived until her death in 1700 in Neuenstadt and on her widow's residence in Weißenhof near Weinsberg. The Neuenstadt library was sold to Stuttgart in 1688.

Family crypt of the Dukes of Württemberg-Neuenstadt in the Nikolauskirche in Neuenstadt

As Friedrich's eldest son, Friedrich August took over the inheritance. In 1679 he married Countess Albertine Sophie Esther, the last daughter of the extinct Counts of Eberstein , and moved with her into the inherited Gochsheim Castle in Kraichgau. In 1679 he moved back to Neuenstadt because of the War of the Palatinate Succession . In his absence, Gochsheim was burned down by the French. In 1700, after the end of the war and the restoration of the castle, Gochsheim was used as a residence again. Friedrich August died in 1716, his wife in 1728, Gochsheim was then drafted from the main line.

Friedrich August's marriage resulted in 14 children, of which only three daughters survived. Ferdinand Wilhelm had already died among the brothers of Friedrich August in 1701, so Carl Rudolf took over the inheritance in Neuenstadt in 1716. He was briefly regent for the underage Duke Carl Eugen of the main line. With his death in 1742, the Württemberg-Neuenstadt line became extinct in the male line.

While the Dukes of Württemberg-Neuenstadt did not appear to be significant builders in Neuenstadt and their nationally respected library was only granted a short duration, Friedrich, Ferdinand Wilhelm and Carl Rudolf achieved significant military honors and were each bearers of the Danish Elephant Order .

At last two daughters of Friedrich August lived in the palace in Neuenstadt; with the death of Friederike (1699–1781) the line died out completely and Neuenstadt finally lost its status as a princely residence. A total of 18 sarcophagi from dukes of the line and their wives and children have been preserved in the family crypt in the Nikolauskirche in Neuenstadt.

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