House of Stolberg
Encyclopedia
The counts of Stolberg are members of a large German noble family (Hoher Adel) that has many branches.
. Although Voigtstedt near Artern
was the initial seat of this comital family, it had moved to Stolberg (Harz)
no later than the beginning of the 13th century. The castle there remained in the hands of the family until they were dispossessed as part of the 1945 land reform in the Soviet Zone of Occupation created after the Second World War.
In 1429 the counts of Stolberg succeeded in purchasing the County of Wernigerode
in the North Harz
as part of a contract of inheritance and thereby extended their area of influence considerably.
In 1645 the house was permanently divided into the Older Main Line (Ältere Hauptlinie) of Stolberg-Wernigerode and the Younger Main Line (Jüngere Hauptlinie) of Stolberg-Stolberg. At the beginning of the 18th century, the lines of Stolberg-Gedern (to 1804) and Stolberg-Schwarza (to 1748) branched off from Stolberg-Wernigerode. In 1706, Stolberg-Stolberg was divided into the two lines of Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla.
In 1742 representatives of the line of Stolberg-Gedern were elevated to the Estate of Imperial Princes (Reichsfürstenstand) by Emperor Charles VII.
In the 18th century, as a result of mediatisation, the imperially immediate counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode were forced to subordinate themselves to the Kingdom of Prussia
and the counts of Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla likewise to the Electorate of Saxony
. On the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire's German nation
in 1806 the Stolbergs lost their imperial comital status and, in 1815, finally became mediatized Prussian princes.
The then lord and his first-born son and heir presumptive in the family estate of the Houses of Stolberg-Wernigerode or Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla were granted permission on 22 October 1890 and 1893 respectively by Emperor William II to bear princely titles. In 1980 a branch of the line of Stolberg-Stolberg was incorporated into the Dutch
nobility without, however, acknowledgement of their princely title.
_22.jpg)
The counts of Stolberg also had claims to the Belgian Agimont and bore this name in their title. However, an orthographic error crept in and it was not until an edict of 6 December 1780 that Count Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode corrected the hitherto erroneous name of Aigmont to Agimont.
Line of Stolberg-Wernigerode
Line of Stolberg-Gedern
Line of Stolberg-Stolberg
Line of Stolberg-Roßla
History
There are over ten different theories about the origin of the counts of Stolberg, but none has been become commonly accepted. However, it is most likely that they are descended from the counts of Hohnstein. The first representative of this family, Count Henry of Stolberg, appears in a 1210 document, having already been mentioned in 1200 as Count Henry of VoigtstedtVoigtstedt
Voigtstedt is a municipality in the district Kyffhäuserkreis, in Thuringia, Germany....
. Although Voigtstedt near Artern
Artern
Artern is a town in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, Thuringia, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Unstrut and Helme, 12 km south of Sangerhausen. It has railway connections to Erfurt and Sangerhausen. The railway connection to Naumburg was cancelled in December 2006. The...
was the initial seat of this comital family, it had moved to Stolberg (Harz)
Stolberg (Harz)
' is a town and a former municipality in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, in the German State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated in the southern part of the Harz mountains, approx. west of Sangerhausen, and northeast of Nordhausen...
no later than the beginning of the 13th century. The castle there remained in the hands of the family until they were dispossessed as part of the 1945 land reform in the Soviet Zone of Occupation created after the Second World War.
In 1429 the counts of Stolberg succeeded in purchasing the County of Wernigerode
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
in the North Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
as part of a contract of inheritance and thereby extended their area of influence considerably.
In 1645 the house was permanently divided into the Older Main Line (Ältere Hauptlinie) of Stolberg-Wernigerode and the Younger Main Line (Jüngere Hauptlinie) of Stolberg-Stolberg. At the beginning of the 18th century, the lines of Stolberg-Gedern (to 1804) and Stolberg-Schwarza (to 1748) branched off from Stolberg-Wernigerode. In 1706, Stolberg-Stolberg was divided into the two lines of Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla.
In 1742 representatives of the line of Stolberg-Gedern were elevated to the Estate of Imperial Princes (Reichsfürstenstand) by Emperor Charles VII.
In the 18th century, as a result of mediatisation, the imperially immediate counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode were forced to subordinate themselves to the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
and the counts of Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla likewise to the Electorate of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
. On the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire's German nation
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in 1806 the Stolbergs lost their imperial comital status and, in 1815, finally became mediatized Prussian princes.
The then lord and his first-born son and heir presumptive in the family estate of the Houses of Stolberg-Wernigerode or Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla were granted permission on 22 October 1890 and 1893 respectively by Emperor William II to bear princely titles. In 1980 a branch of the line of Stolberg-Stolberg was incorporated into the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
nobility without, however, acknowledgement of their princely title.
Former estates and seats (selection)
- County of StolbergCounty of StolbergThe County of Stolberg was a county of the Holy Roman Empire located in the Harz mountain range in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.The town of Stolberg was probably founded in the 12th century as a mining settlement. The Counts of Stolberg probably derived from a branch of the counts of...
- County of WernigerodeCounty of WernigerodeThe County of Wernigerode was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Harzgau region of the former Duchy of Saxony, at the northern foot of the Harz mountain range...
- Barony of Gedern
- Hohnstein Castle (Harz)
- Elbingerode (Harz)
- Ebersburg (Harz)
- Erichsberg Castle
- Grasburg (Rottleberode)Grasburg (Rottleberode)The Grasburg is a prehistoric refuge castle, in the form of a hillfort with a rampart and ditch system, near Rottleberode in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.- History :...
- Heinrichsberg CastleHeinrichsberg CastleHeinrichsberg Castle is a ruin north of Mägdesprung in the borough of Harzgerode in central Germany. It is not far from the B 185 federal road in the district of Harz in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- History :...
- MorungenMorungenMorungen may refer to:*Heinrich von Morungen, medieval German minnesinger*A suburb of the city Sangerhausen, Germany*An alternative spelling of Mohrungen, the German name of Morąg, Poland...
- Oberröblingen
- AllstedtAllstedtAllstedt is a town the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approximatively 10 km southeast of Sangerhausen.- References :...
(1542–1575) - PeterswaldauPieszycePieszyce is a town in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany.It lies approximately east of Dzierżoniów, and south-west of the regional capital Wrocław....
- Kreppelhof
- JannowitzJanowice WielkieJanowice Wielkie is a village in Jelenia Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Janowice Wielkie. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
- Königstein Castle (1535–1581)
- Ernstburg
- Hofgut RanstadtRanstadtRanstadt is a municipality in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 35 kilometers northeast of Frankfurt am Main....
The counts of Stolberg also had claims to the Belgian Agimont and bore this name in their title. However, an orthographic error crept in and it was not until an edict of 6 December 1780 that Count Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode corrected the hitherto erroneous name of Aigmont to Agimont.
Important members of the family (selection)
- Count Henry of Stolberg († 1357), Bishop of MerseburgMerseburgMerseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
- Count Botho of Stolberg the ElderBodo VII, Count of Stolberg-WernigerodeCount Bodo VII of Stolberg and Wernigerode was a german nobleman. He ruled the counties of Stolberg in the southern Harz and the Wernigerode in the northern Harz.- Life :...
(† 1455) - Countess Katharina of Stolberg (1463–1535), Abbess of Drübeck AbbeyDrübeck AbbeyDrübeck Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery for nuns in Drübeck on the northern edge of the Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Today it is a conference venue for the Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony with an educational-theological institute and pastoral centre.-...
- Count Henry the Younger of Stolberg (1467–1508), Governor of FrisiaFrisiaFrisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
- Count Botho of Stolberg (1467–1538)
- Count Wolfgang of Stolberg (1501–1552)
- Anna II of Stolberg (1504–1574), imperial abbess of Quedlinburg
- Anna III of Stolberg (1565–1601), imperial abbess of Quedlinburg
- Count Ludwig of Stolberg (1505–1574)
- Countess Juliana of StolbergJuliana of StolbergJuliana, Countess of Stolberg-Wernigerode was the mother of William the Silent, the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish in the 16th century....
(1506–1580) - Count Henry of Stolberg (1509–1572)
- Count Wolf Ernest of Stolberg (1546–1606)
- Count Henry Ernest of Stolberg (1593–1672), founder of the Old Main Line of the House of Stolberg
- Count John Martin of Stolberg (1594–1669), founder of the Younger Main Line of the House of Stolberg
- Count Ernest of Stolberg (1650–1710)
Line of Stolberg-Wernigerode
- Count Christian Ernest of Stolberg-WernigerodeChristian Ernest of Stolberg-WernigerodeCount Christian Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode was a German politician. He ruled the County of Wernigerode in the Harz mountains, which in 1714 became a dependency of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1710 to 1771.- Life :Christian Ernest was the tenth child from the second marriage of Count Ludwig...
(1691–1771) - Count Henry Ernest of Stolberg-WernigerodeHenry Ernest of Stolberg-WernigerodeHenry Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode was a German politician, canon, dean and author of many hymns. He also published some poetry and collections of songs. He was Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode from 1771 until his death.- Life :...
(1716–1778) - Count Christian Frederick of Stolberg-WernigerodeChristian Frederick of Stolberg-WernigerodeCount Friedrich Christian of Stolberg-Wernigerode succeeded his father as ruler of the County of Wernigerode in 1778.- Life :Count Christian Frederick was the only son of Count Henry Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode and Princess Anna of Anhalt-Köthen. He was a member of the noble family...
(1746–1824) - Countess Luise of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1771–1856), Abbess of Drübeck Abbey
- Count Henry of Stolberg-WernigerodeHenry of Stolberg-WernigerodeCount Henry of Stolberg-Wernigerode succeeded his father in 1824 as ruler of the County of Wernigerode.- Life :...
(1772–1854) - Count Anthony of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1785–1854)
- Count William of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1807–1898), Prussian politician and general
- Count Eberhard of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1810–1872)
- Countess Anna of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1819–1868), Matron of Bethany (Oberin zu Bethanien)
- Count Bolko of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1823–1884), Landrat of the district of Franzburg
- Count Theodore of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1827–1902), member of the German ReichstagReichstag (German Empire)The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
- Countess Eleonora of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1835–1903)
- Prince Otto of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1837–1896), Governor of the Prince of Hanover, German Vice-Chancellor under BismarckBismarck- People :* Bismarck family, a German noble family descending from Herebord von Bismarck* Otto von Bismarck , German statesman of the 19th century* Herbert von Bismarck , Secretary of State, son of Otto von Bismarck...
- Princess Anna of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1837–1907), wife of Prince Otto
- Count Udo of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1840–1910)
- Count Constantine of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1843–1905), Governor of the Province of HanoverProvince of HanoverThe Province of Hanover was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation...
- Magdalene, Countess of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1875–1955), Abbess of Drübeck Abbey
- Albert, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1886–1948)
- Otto Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1893–1984)
Line of Stolberg-Gedern
- Prince Frederick Charles of Stolberg-GedernFrederick Charles of Stolberg-GedernPrince Frederick Charles of Stolberg-Gedern was a German politician. Frederick Charles founded the Stolberg-Gedern line of the House of Stolberg, which became extinct in the male line in 1804 and fell to the line of Stolberg-Wernigerode.- Life :He was the son of Count Louis Christian of Stolberg...
(1693–1767) - Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern (1752–1824)
Line of Stolberg-Stolberg
- Countess Sophie Eleonora of Stolberg-Stolberg (1669–1745), funeral sermon compiler
- Count Christopher Frederick of Stolberg-Stolberg (1672–1738 in Stolberg) was a German regent
- Count Christian of Stolberg-Stolberg (1748–1821), translator and lyricist
- Count Frederick Leopold of Stolberg-Stolberg (1750–1819), poet, translator and lawyer
- Countess Augusta Louise of Stolberg-Stolberg (1753–1835)
- Countess Marianne of Stolberg-Stolberg (1780–1814)
- Count John Peter Cajus of Stolberg-Stolberg (1797-1874), manorial estate owner and Reichstag MP
- Count Leopold Frederick of Stolberg-Stolberg (1799–1840)
- Countess Louise of Stolberg-Stolberg (1799–1875), lyricist, translator and editor
- Count Joseph Theodore of Stolberg-Stolberg (1804–1859)
- Count Alfred of Stolberg-Stolberg (1835–1880), manorial estate owner and Reichstag MP
- Count Frederick of Stolberg-Stolberg (1836-1904), land lord and Reichstag MP
- Count Adalbert of Stolberg-Stolberg (1840-1885), manorial estate owner and Reichstag MP
- Hermann Joseph Count of Stolberg-Stolberg (1854–1925)
- Christoph Count of Stolberg-Stolberg (1888–1968), major general
- Frederick-Leopold Count of Stolberg-Stolberg (* 1962), lawyer
Line of Stolberg-Roßla
- Count Jost Christian of Stolberg-Roßla senior (1676–1739)
- Count Frederick Botho of Stolberg-Roßla (1714–1768), Regent in Roßla from 1739
- Count Jost Christian of Stolberg-Roßla junior (1722–1749)
- Count William Christoph of Stolberg-Roßla (1748–1826), Regent of the County of Stolberg-Roßla
Coat of arms
Family coat of arms : In Gold ein schreitender schwarzer Hirsch; auf dem Helm mit schwarz-goldenen Decken ein natürlicher Pfauenschweif zwischen 2 silbernen Straußenfedern.Sources
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Band XVIII, 2007
- Philipp Fürst zu Stolberg-Wernigerode und Jost-Christian Fürst zu Stolberg-Stolberg (ed.): Stolberg 1210–2010: Zur achthundertjährigen Geschichte des Geschlechts. Verlag Janos Stekovics, Dößel 2010, ISBN 978-3-89923-252-3.