Victor I, Duke of Ratibor, Prince of Corvey, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (; 10 February 181830 January 1893) was a member of House of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and later Duke of the Duchies of Silesia, Silesian duchy of Duchy of Racibórz, Ratibor (, ) and Princely Abbey of Corvey, Prince of Corvey.

Early life

Victor was born at Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, eldest son of Franz Joseph, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Franz Joseph, 1st Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1787–1841), and Princess Constanze of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1792–1847). Among his siblings were younger brother, Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Chlodwig, the Chancellor of Germany and Minister President of Prussia from 1894 to 1900. His paternal grandparents were Karl Albrecht II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürs and Baroness Judith Reviczky of Revisnye. His maternal grandparents were Karl Ludwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalie of Solms-Baruth. After initial private lessons, he attended the Royal Grammar School in Erfurt. He then studied law and modern languages in Göttingen, Bonn, Heidelberg and Lausanne. He also traveled to Switzerland, Italy, France and England.

Career

He subsequently managed the property of his uncle, the Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg, Victor Amadeus, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg, Victor Amadeus. These included the former monastery of Corvey in Westphalia, Ratibor in Upper Silesia. This area was 34,000 hectares in size and consisted mainly of forest areas. Victor was created Duchy of Racibórz, Duke of Ratibor and Prince of Corvey Abbey, Corvey on 15 October 1840 by Frederick William IV of Prussia, King Frederick William IV of Prussia.

Military career

During his military service, made at an early age in the cavalry. In the 1850s he commanded in repeated exercises the 2nd -Landwehr, Landwehr Regiment. During the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, he organized as Chairman of the Silesian Association Knights Voluntary Health Care. Since 1872, he led the honorary title of General of Cavalry à la suite. In 1893, he was elected as the first president of the Deutsche Versuchs- und Prüfanstalt für Jagd- und Sportwaffen, German Experimental Institute for Small Arms.

Political career

In 1847 Ratibor was a member of the Prussian United Diet. Between 1856 and 1893 he was a member of provincial parliament for Silesia Province. At first he was Marshal of the Assembly. After the introduction of the new provincial order, he was repeatedly chairman. He was also from 1849 to 1852 on the second chamber of the Preußischer Landtag, Prussian State Parliament. In 1850 Ratibor was a member of the Erfurt Union Parliament. From 1867 to 1870 he was a member of the Reichstag (North German Confederation), North German Reichstag, and from 1872 to 1890 of the Reichstag (German Empire), German Reichstag. He was also member from 1854 to 1893 of the Prussian House of Lords. In the latter, he was co-founder of the New Group in 1870/72, from 1877 to 1893 President of the House. Ratibor was one of the liberal-conservative Aristocracy, political reformants, he was a supporter of Otto von Bismarck. He was also one of the founders of the Free Conservative Party.

Personal life

Victor married 19 April 1845 at Donaueschingen to Princess Amélie of Fürstenberg (1821–1899), third child of Charles Egon II, Prince of Fürstenberg, Karl Egon II, Prince of Fürstenberg, and his wife, Amalie of Baden, Princess Amalie of Baden. Together, they had ten children: * Princess Amelia of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1846–1847), who died young. * Viktor II, Duke of Ratibor (1847–1923), who married Maria Breunner-Enkevoith, Countess Maria Breunner-Enkevoirth, in 1867. * Prince Franz of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1849–1925) * Princess Elisabeth of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1851–1928) * Prince Egon of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1853–1896), who married Princess Leopoldine of Lobkowicz, in 1885. * Princess Marie of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1854–1928) * Prince Maximilian of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1856–1924), who married Countess Franziska Grimaud d'Orsay, in 1882. * Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1857–1891) * Prince Karl Egon of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1860–1931) * Princess Margaret of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1863–1940) The Duke died at Rudy Palace-Monastery, Rauden Palace on 30 January 1893.

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:''Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat fur das jahr 1893''
p. 185
/ref>

Ancestry

Notes and sources

* Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Reference: 1956 * * Tiggesbäumker, Günter: ''Viktor I. Herzog von Ratibor und Fürst von Corvey, Prinz zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1818–1893)''. In: ''Westfälische Zeitschrift.'' Band 144, 1994. p. 266–280
Digitalisat
* Tiggesbäumker, Günter: ''Von Franken nach Westfalen und Schlesien. Der Erbprinz von Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst wird erster Herzog von Ratibor und Fürst von Corvey''. In: ''Frankenland.'' 3/2003. p. 207–212. * Tiggesbäumker, Günter: ''Das Herzogliche Haus Ratibor und Corvey. 7. erweiterte Auflage''. Werl: Börde-Verlag, 2012. (Deutsche Fürstenhäuser. 5.)

References

External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Victor 01, Duke Of Ratibor 1818 births 1893 deaths Princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst People from Langenburg People from the Kingdom of Württemberg House of Hohenlohe German Roman Catholics 19th-century German landowners Political party founders Free Conservative Party politicians Leaders of political parties in Germany Members of the Prussian House of Lords Members of the Reichstag of the North German Confederation Members of the Zollparlament Members of the 2nd Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 3rd Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 4th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 5th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 6th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 7th Reichstag of the German Empire Generals of Cavalry (Prussia) Recipients of the Iron Cross, 2nd class Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Gregory the Great Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX Knights of Malta