Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...

, with its capital at Sondershausen.

History

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

until 1697. In that year, it became a principality, which lasted until the fall of the

German monarchies This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (''Regnum Teutonicum''), from the division of the Frankish Empire in 843 and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until the collapse of the German Empir ...

in 1918, during the German Revolution of 1918–1919. After the German Revolution, it became a republic and joined the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

as a constituent state. In 1920, it joined with other small states in the area to form the new state of

. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen had an area of 862 km² (333 sq. mi.) and a population of 85,000 (1905). Towns placed in the state were:

Arnstadt Arnstadt () is a town in Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany, on the river Gera about south of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. Arnstadt is one of the oldest towns in Thuringia, and has a well-preserved historic centre with a partially preserved town ...

, Sondershausen,

Gehren Gehren is a town and a former independent municipality in the Ilm-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 7 km southeast of Ilmenau. It officially became a town in its own right ('Stadt') in 1855. However, since July 2018, it ...

Langewiesen Langewiesen is a town and a former municipality in the Ilm-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. Since July 2018, it is part of the town Ilmenau. It is situated on the river Ilm Ilm or ILM may refer to: Acronyms * Identity Lifecycle Manager ...

, Großbreitenbach,

Ebeleben Ebeleben is a town in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the ...

Großenehrich Großenehrich is a town and a former municipality in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 13 km south of Sondershausen, and 34 km northwest of Erfurt. Since January 2021 it is part of the town Greußen ...

Greußen Greußen is a town in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 17 km southeast of Sondershausen, and 29 km north of Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thur ...

and

Plaue Plaue is a town in the Ilm-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Gera, 11 km north of Ilmenau, and 8 km southwest of Arnstadt. The former municipality Neusiß was merged into Plaue in January 2019. Plaue s ...

Rulers of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, 1552–1918

Counts of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

* 1552–1586 John Günther I * 1586–1631 Günther XLII, ''with'' Anton Henry, John Günther II and Christian Günther I * 1631–1638 Günther XLII, ''with'' Anton Henry and Christian Günther I * 1638–1642 Günther XLII, ''with'' Christian Günther I * 1642–1643 Günther XLII, ''with'' Anton Günther I * 1643–1666 Anton Günther I * 1666–1697 Christian William, ''with'' Anton Günther II ''Raised to Principality in 1697''

Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

* 1697–1716: Anton Günther II * 1697 – 10 May 1721: Christian William * 10 May 1721 – 28 November 1740: Günther XLIII * 28 November 1740 – 6 November 1758: Henry XXXV * 6 November 1758 – 14 October 1794: Christian Günther III * 14 October 1794 – 19 August 1835: Günther Friedrich Karl I * 19 August 1835 – 17 July 1880: Günther Friedrich Karl II * 17 July 1880 – 28 March 1909:

Karl Günther Karl Günther (25 November 1885 – 27 June 1951) was an Austrian film actor. Selected filmography * '' The Masked Ones'' (1920) * ''The Riddle of the Sphinx'' (1921) * ''The Adventuress of Monte Carlo'' (1921) * ''The Call of Destiny'' (1922) * ' ...

''United under Prince Günther Victor of

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany, with its capital at Rudolstadt. History Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands. Since th ...

'' * 28 March 1909 – November 1918: Günther Victor

Heads of the princely house of Schwarzburg

On the death of the childless Prince Günther Victor in 1925, he was succeeded by Prince Sizzo (1860–1926), who was the son of Prince Friedrich Günther (1793–1867) from his second,

morganatic Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...

marriage. Prince Sizzo was recognised as a full member of the

House of Schwarzburg The House of Schwarzburg was one of the oldest noble families of Thuringia. Upon the death of Prince Friedrich Günther in 1971, a claim to the headship of the house passed under Semi-Salic primogeniture to his elder sister, Princess Marie An ...

in 1896. He was succeeded in 1926 by his son, Prince Friedrich Günther (1901–1971). He was the last in the male line. * 1918–1925: Prince Günther Victor (1852–1925) * 1925–1926: Prince Sizzo (1860–1926) * 1926–1971: Prince Friedrich Günther (1901–1971)

Villages with more than 2000 people

References

External links

* {{Authority control

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with its capital at Sondershausen. History Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county until 1697. In that year, it became a principality, which la ...

1599 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1920 disestablishments in Germany States and territories established in 1599 States of the German Empire States of the German Confederation States of the Confederation of the Rhine States of the Weimar Republic Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire States of the North German Confederation