Bernhart Otto Peter, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (born 15 November 1962) is German businessman and the current head of the Princely House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein was a county between Hesse-Darmstadt and Westphalia. It was formed by the 1657 partition of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein and raised from a county to principality in 1801. It belonged from 1806 to 1815 to the Grand Duchy of Hesse and after 1816 to Prussia. The capital...

.

Family and career

Prince Bernhart was born in Marburg

Marburg

Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...

 the son of Christian-Heinrich, Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein and Princess Dagmar of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (1919–2003).

Prince Bernhart was married at Schwarzenau, Germany on 31 August 1996 to Countess Katharina von Podewils-Durniz, the daughter of diplomat Count Max von Podewils-Dürniz and his wife Baroness Elisabeth von Hirschberg. His wife, now known as Katharina Prinzessin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein, has a Doctorate in Art History

Art history

Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...

 and in 2003 was appointed Sotheby's

Sotheby's

Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...

 representative in Hamburg. The couple have one child, Wenzel Hereditary Prince Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (b. 1997).

Prince Bernhart is Chairman of the Board of the Fürst Wittgenstein`sche Waldbesitzergesellschaft Forestry company and also joint Managing Director of Verlag Dashoefer publishers. Among his roles, Prince Bernhart was the patron of the 300th Anniversary celebrations for the Schwarzenau Brethren

Schwarzenau Brethren

The Schwarzenau Brethren, originated in Germany, the outcome of the Radical Pietist ferment of the late 17th and early 18th century. Hopeful of the imminent return of Christ, the founding Brethren abandoned the established Reformed and Lutheran churches, forming a new church in 1708 when their...

, which were held on his grounds in 2008.

Head of the House

Prince Bernhart is currently the heir to both the (junior) branch of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein was a county between Hesse-Darmstadt and Westphalia. It was formed by the 1657 partition of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein and raised from a county to principality in 1801. It belonged from 1806 to 1815 to the Grand Duchy of Hesse and after 1816 to Prussia. The capital...

, and to the more senior House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg was a county , most of which is located in the present district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, Germany . Its seat was the town and palace in Berleburg...

. This is because the Hereditary Prince of the Berleburg House, Gustav, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Gustav, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Gustav Frederik Philip Richard, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg , is the eldest child and only son of Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Benedikte of Denmark....

, remains unmarried and childless, and Prince Robin of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Prince Robin of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Prince Robin Alexander Wolfgang Udo Eugen Wilhelm Gottfried of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg is the son of Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Margareta of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg....

 (as the younger brother of the current Prince, Richard, would be the presumed next heir after Gustav,) is ineligible to become Head of the Princely House due to his two morganatic marriages.

The reuniting of two of the three branches of the family would specifically involve the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg branches, first separated in 1605. The re-merging of the two branches will create one of the most substantial private estates in Germany, encompassing six major estates, the 5,000 acre Forest Estate Ditzrod, Schloss Wittgenstein in Bad Laasphe

Bad Laasphe

Bad Laasphe is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district.-Location:The town of Bad Laasphe lies in the upper Lahn Valley, near the stately home of Wittgenstein Castle in the former Wittgenstein district...

, Schloss Berleburg and the town of Bad Berleburg, all in North Rhine-Westphalia. The third branch or line, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, became extinct (insofar as accordance with House laws) in 1846.

Additional Notes on Inheritance

Son: Hereditary Prince Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg;has no brothers

Father: Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; one brother (see "Uncle" on next line)

Uncle: Prince Robin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; is excluded (married in contravention of House law)

Grandfather: Prince Gustav-Albrecht zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Great Uncle (Older of two younger brothers of grandfather): Prince Christian-Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein; married according to House law with Beatrix Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen (firstly) and with Dagmar Fürstin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (secondly)

Sons of Prince Christian-Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein: with Beatrix Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen, Prince Albrecht zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein; died in infancy
with Dagmar Fürstin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein, Bernhard, the present Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein, who is married in accordance with House laws to Katharina Countess von Podewils-Dürniz, with legitimate issue

Ancestry