Hohenlohe-Langenburg () was a German county and later principality in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. It was located around

Langenburg Langenburg () is a town in the district of Schwäbisch Hall, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on a hill above the river Jagst, 18 km northeast of Schwäbisch Hall. It is also the place where Wibele - small, sweet, biscuit-l ...

in what is now northeastern

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

, Germany. Starting in

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

times and continuing until 1806, this small state was ruled by a branch of the House of

Hohenlohe The House of Hohenlohe () is a German princely dynasty. It formerly ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire, which was divided between several branches. In 1806, the area of Hohenlohe was 1,760 km² and its estimated pop ...

, first as lords, then as counts and ultimately as ruling

princes of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (, , cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors of the princely title bore it as immediate vassal ...

after 1764. The princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg still owns and lives in Langenburg Castle today.

History

In 1253, the town and castle of Langenburg were inherited by the lords of

, after the lords of Langenburg had become extinct. Despite repeated divisions during the 13th and 15th centuries and a donation to the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

in 1219, the House of Hohenlohe was able to form an almost complete territory of which Langenburg was a part. The lordship of Hohenlohe was elevated to the status of a county in 1495. The house often divided its possessions so that different lines emerged and sometimes merged again later. In 1586–1590, the Neuenstein line split into the Langenburg side line under Count Friedrich. Of the Protestant branch of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein, which underwent several partitions and inherited the county of Gleichen in Thuringia (with its residence at

Ohrdruf Ohrdruf () is a small town in the district of Gotha in the German state of Thuringia. It lies some 30 km southwest of Erfurt at the foot of the northern slope of the Thuringian Forest. The former municipalities Crawinkel, Gräfenhain an ...

) in 1631, the senior line became extinct in 1805, while in 1701 the junior line divided itself into three branches, those of Hohenlohe-Langenburg,

Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen was a German County of the House of Hohenlohe, located in northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, around Ingelfingen. Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen was a scion of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. It was raised from a County to a Principality i ...

and

Hohenlohe-Kirchberg Hohenlohe-Kirchberg was a German County and later Principality located in northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, around Kirchberg. It was ruled by a Protestant branch of the House of Hohenlohe. The county of Kirchberg was located between the ...

. Hohenlohe-Langenburg was raised from a county to a

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...

in 1701, and it was mediatised to

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...

in 1806. The House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg has remained

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, and it has been closely related to Europe's Protestant ruling dynasties.

Queen Adelaide Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (Adelaide Amelia Louise Theresa Caroline; 13 August 1792 – 2 December 1849) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen of Hanover from 26 June 1830 to 20 June 1837 as the wife of King W ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

was a Hohenlohe-Langenburg on her mother's side and her cousin, Prince Ernst, was married in 1828 to Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister of the future

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. In 1896, Feodora's grandson, another Prince Ernst, married Victoria's granddaughter,

Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria; 1 September 1878 – 16 April 1942) was the fourth child and third daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Th ...

. Prince Gottfried (1897–1960) was married in 1931 to his second cousin once removed,

Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (; 18 April 1905 – 24 April 1981) was a List of princesses of Greece, Greek and List of princesses of Denmark, Danish princess by birth and Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by marriage. An elder sister ...

(1905–1981). She was the eldest daughter of

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (; – 3 December 1944) was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I and Queen Olga of Greece. He was a grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark and the father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ...

and his wife

Princess Alice of Battenberg Princess Alice of Battenberg (Victoria Alice Elizabeth Julia Marie; 25 February 1885 – 5 December 1969) was the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, and paternal grandmother of King Charles III. Af ...

, and sister of

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

. Members of the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

therefore still occasionally visit Langenburg and, conversely, the Hohenlohe-Langenburgs are regular guests at the British court. Rothenhaus1

Prince Karl Gustav Wilhelm of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1777–1866), who came from a younger branch, founded a Catholic,

Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...

branch at Rothenhaus Castle (today Červený Hrádek Castle in

Jirkov Jirkov (; ) is a town in Chomutov District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 19,000 inhabitants. Jirkov creates a conurbation with Chomutov. Administrative division Jirkov consists of five municipal parts (in brack ...

, Czech Republic) during the 19th century. As one of 16 mediatized princely houses of the former Holy Roman Empire, then residing in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, this family had a hereditary seat in the

House of Lords (Austria) The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest extant institutions in the world, its orig ...

. Prince Max Egon (1897–1968) tried to prevent the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Hitler in 1938 through diplomatic negotiations with the British government. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Prince Max Egon was expropriated by the communist government. Due to the wealthy Spanish origins of his wife, his descendants lived mainly in Spain, including

Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Alfonso Maximiliano Victorio Eugenio Alejandro María Pablo de la Santísima Trinidad y Todos los Santos, Prinz zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg (28 May 1924 – 21 December 2003) was a Spanish businessman known for his promotion of the Spanish resorts of ...

, Prince Max of Hohenlohe-Langenburg,

Prince Marco of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Prince Marco de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 19th Duke of Medinaceli, GE (; ; 8 March 1962 – 19 August 2016), was a Spanish nobleman who was head of the ducal house of Medinaceli and a dynast of the princely house of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Life and ...

and

Princess Victoria of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 20th Duchess of Medinaceli Princess Victoria Elisabeth of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 20th Duchess of Medinaceli, GE (born 17 March 1997) is a Spanish noblewoman. Holding 43 officially recognised titles in the Spanish nobility, she is the most titled aristocrat in the world, a ...

Counts of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1610–1764)

* Philipp Ernst, Count 1610–1628 (1584–1628); son of Wolfgang zu Hohenlohe (died 1610) ** Ludwig Kraft, Count 1628–1632 (1613–1632) ** Joachim Albert, Count 1632–1650 (1619–1675); also Count of

** Henry Frederick, Count 1650–1699 (1625–1699) *** Christian Kraft, Count 1699–1701 (1668–1743); also Count of

*** Frederick Eberhard, Count 1699–1701 (1672–1737); also Count of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg *** Albert Wolfgang, Count 1701–1715 (1659–1715) **** Louis, Count 1715–1764 (1696–1765); raised to Prince Jan 7, 1764

Princes A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in some ...
of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1764–1806; titular to the present)

* Louis, 1st Prince 1764–1765 (1696–1765) ** Christian Albert, 2nd Prince 1765–1789 (1726–1789) *** Carl Ludwig I, 3rd Prince 1789–1825 (1762–1825) **** Ernst I, 4th Prince 1825–1860 (1794–1860) ***** Carl Ludwig II, 5th Prince April 12–21, 1860 (1829–1907); renounced his rights. With issue on the Barons von Bronn ***** Hermann, 6th Prince 1860–1913 (1832–1913) ****** Ernst II, 7th Prince 1913–1950 (1863–1950) ******* Gottfried, 8th Prince 1950–1960 (1897–1960) ******** Kraft, 9th Prince 1960–2004 (1935–2004) ********* '' Philipp Gottfried Alexander, 10th Prince 2004–present'' (born 1970) ********** ''Prince Max-Leopold''Langenburg Castle
/ref> ********** ''Prince Gustav'' ******** Prince Georg (1938–2021) ******** Prince Rupprecht (1944–1978) ******** Prince Albrecht (1944–1992) ********* ''Prince Ludwig Ferdinand'' (born 1976) ******* Prince Alfred (1911–1911) ***** Prince Victor (1833–1891); renounced his rights. With issue on the Counts von Gleichen **** Prince Henry Gustav of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1806-1861) *** Gustav Adolf (1764-1796) *** Ludwig Wilhelm (1767-1768) *** Christian August (1768-1796) ** Friedrich Karl (1728–1728) ** Wilhelm Friedrich (1736–1805) ** Philipp Karl (1738–1753) ** Friedrich August (1740–1810) ** Ludwig Gottfried (1742–1765) ** Friedrich Ernst (1750–1794) *** Prince Ludwig Christian (1774-1844) *** Prince Karl Gustav Wilhelm (1777–1866); founder of the catholic Bohemian branch **** Prince Friedrich Ernst (1817-1835) **** Prince Ludwig Karl Gustav (1823–1866) ∞ Gabriela of Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg (1840–1923), heiress of Rothenhaus Castle ***** Prince Gottfried Karl Joseph (1860–1933) ****** Prince Ludwig (1892-1945) ******* Prince Alexander (1922-1993) ******** ''Prince Alexander'' ******** ''Prince Albrecht'' ******* ''Prince Gottfried'' (1924) ****** Prince Max Egon (1897–1968), private diplomat in World War II ******* Prince Alfonso (1924–2003) ******** Prince Christoph (1956-2006) ******** '' Prince Hubertus'' (born 1959) ******* Prince Christian (1925-1980) ******* Prince Max (''Wonny'') (1931–1994) ******** Prince Marco, 19th Duke of Medinaceli (1962-2016) ********* ''Prince Alexander Gonzalo'', 14th

Duke of Ciudad Real Duke of Ciudad Real () is a hereditary title in the Spanish nobility, Peerage of Spain accompanied by the dignity of Grandee, granted in 1613 by Philip III of Spain, Philip III to Alonso de Idiázquez, 1st Count of Aramayona and Viceroy of Navar ...

(1999) ******** ''Prince Pablo'' (1963)

References

External links

European Heraldry page
{{coord missing, Baden-Württemberg Counties of the Holy Roman Empire 1610 establishments in Europe

History

Counts of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1610–1764)

See also

References

External links