Reuss
Encyclopedia
Reuss was the name of several historical states located in present-day Thuringia
, Germany. Its rulers, the Reuss family, named all of their male children Heinrich (Henry) after the end of the 12th century in honour of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
(1190–97), to whom they owed the estates of Weida
and Gera
. The head of each branch of the family bore the German title Fürst
(Prince) as did their children.
become part of the two remaining lines (the Elder
and the Younger
lines). Before then, they had been part first of the Holy Roman Empire
, and then the Confederation of the Rhine
.
Otto I
(936–973). In church matters the region was under the Diocese of Zeitz (founded in 968), which became a suffragan of Magdeburg
. On account of the frequent inroads of the Slavs, the residence of the Bishop of Zeitz
was removed to Naumburg
in 1028, after which the See
was called Naumburg-Zeitz.
Upon its subjection to German authority, the whole province was allotted to the March of Zeitz
. As early as the year 1000, however, Emperor Otto III permitted the entire part lying on the eastern boundary of Thuringia
to be administered by imperial vogt
s, or bailiff
s (advocati imperii), whence this territory received the name of Vogtland
(Terra advocatorum), a designation that has remained to this day a geographical summary for Reuss, especially that part on the Saxon
borders. The position of vogt soon became hereditary. The princes of Reuss are descended from the vogts of Weida
.
. In 1244 Henry IV entered a German monastery. His sons divided his possessions, their seats being respectively at Weida
(extinct in 1535), Gera
(extinct in 1550), and Plauen
.
In 1306 the Plauen branch was subdivided into an elder line that died out in 1572, and a younger line called Plauen at Greiz
. Henry, the founder of the Plauen line (d. about 1300), on account of his marriage with a granddaughter of King Daniel of Galicia received the surname of "der Reusse" (Ruthenus
), whence the name passed to the country.
On account of the close relations of Reuss with the neighbouring Saxon states, Lutheranism speedily gained a foothold in Reuss. The rulers joined the Schmalkaldic League
against the German emperor, and forfeited their possessions, but afterwards recovered them.
the numbering covers all male children of the elder House, and the numbers increase until 100 is reached and then start again at 1. In the younger line the system is similar but the numbers increase until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This odd regulation was formulated as a Family Law in 1688, but the tradition of the uniformity of name was in practice as early as 1200. It was seen as a way of honoring the Hohenstaufen
Emperor
Heinrich/Henry VI
, who raised Heinrich der Reiche/Henry the Rich (+1209) to the office of provost of the Cloister in Quedlinburg
. (from the German Wikipedia)
While the Middle Reuss became extinct in 1616, the Older and Younger line were divided again several times until in 1778 Count Henry XI united the possessions of Upper and Lower Greiz to the Principality of Reuss Elder Line
. In return the remaining estates of Gera became the Principality of Reuss Younger Line in 1806.
The two remaining Reuss principalities went on to join in turn the German Confederation
(in 1815). Henry XXII of Reuss Elder line is notable among the more modern princes of this house for his enmity to Prussia
, which he opposed in the Austro-Prussian War
of 1866, when the Prussian troops occupied his domain. Henry joined the North German Confederation
and the new German Empire
(1871). He alone of all the confederate princes remained until his death (1902) an implacable enemy of Prince Bismarck and of the conditions created in Germany by the foundation of the empire. His son, Heinrich XXIV (1878–1927), being incapable of ruling, the regency passed to the princes of the younger line of Reuss.
, which was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia
in 1920.
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany. Its rulers, the Reuss family, named all of their male children Heinrich (Henry) after the end of the 12th century in honour of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
(1190–97), to whom they owed the estates of Weida
Weida, Thuringia
Weida is a town in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany, situated 12 km south of Gera.-External links:*...
and Gera
Gera
Gera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
. The head of each branch of the family bore the German title Fürst
Fürst
Fürst is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince.The term refers to the head of a principality and is distinguished from the son of a monarch, who is referred to as Prinz...
(Prince) as did their children.
History of the various states
Several different principalities of the House of Reuss which had previously existed had by the time of the formation of the German ConfederationGerman Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
become part of the two remaining lines (the Elder
Reuss Elder Line
The Principality of Reuss Elder Line was a state in Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower- and Upper Greiz , were elevated to princely status in 1778. Its members bore the title Prince Reuss, Elder Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz...
and the Younger
Reuss Junior Line
The Principality of Reuss Younger Line formed a state in Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Gera, of Schleiz, of Lobenstein, of Köstritz and of Ebersdorf, each became princes in 1806, and they and their reigning successors bore the title Prince Reuss, Younger Line...
lines). Before then, they had been part first of the Holy Roman Empire
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...
, and then the Confederation of the Rhine
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederation of the Rhine was a confederation of client states of the First French Empire. It was formed initially from 16 German states by Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz. The Treaty of Pressburg, in effect, led to the...
.
Origins
The present Principality of Reuss and the neighbouring tracts of land were inhabited in early medieval times by Slavic people who were converted to Christianity by the German EmperorGerman Emperor
This article is about the emperors of the German Empire. For full list of German monarchs before 1871, see List of German monarchs.The German Emperor was the official title of the Head of State and ruler of the German Empire, beginning with the proclamation of Wilhelm I as emperor during the...
Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
(936–973). In church matters the region was under the Diocese of Zeitz (founded in 968), which became a suffragan of Magdeburg
Diocese of Magdeburg
The Diocese of Magdeburg is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church located in the Germany. Its seat is Magdeburg; it is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Paderborn....
. On account of the frequent inroads of the Slavs, the residence of the Bishop of Zeitz
Zeitz
Zeitz is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, in the middle of the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.-History:...
was removed to Naumburg
Naumburg
Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
in 1028, after which the See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
was called Naumburg-Zeitz.
Upon its subjection to German authority, the whole province was allotted to the March of Zeitz
March of Zeitz
The March of Zeitz was a frontier county of the Holy Roman Empire, created through the division of the marca Geronis in 965, when the Emperor Otto I, on the death of Gero the Great. Its capital was Zeitz. Its first and only margrave was Wigger...
. As early as the year 1000, however, Emperor Otto III permitted the entire part lying on the eastern boundary of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
to be administered by imperial vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
s, or bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s (advocati imperii), whence this territory received the name of Vogtland
Vogtland
The term Vogtland refers to a region reaching across the German free states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia and into the Czech Republic . The name of the region contains a reference to the former leadership by the Vögte of Weida, Gera and Plauen, which translates approximately to advocates or lord...
(Terra advocatorum), a designation that has remained to this day a geographical summary for Reuss, especially that part on the Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
borders. The position of vogt soon became hereditary. The princes of Reuss are descended from the vogts of Weida
Weida, Thuringia
Weida is a town in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany, situated 12 km south of Gera.-External links:*...
.
Early House of Reuss
Erkenbert I (1122) is proved by documentary evidence to have been their ancestor. His successors acquired almost the whole Vogtland by feuds or marriage settlement, although in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries they lost the greater part of their possessions, most of which fell to the Electorate of SaxonyElectorate 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...
. In 1244 Henry IV entered a German monastery. His sons divided his possessions, their seats being respectively at Weida
Weida, Thuringia
Weida is a town in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany, situated 12 km south of Gera.-External links:*...
(extinct in 1535), Gera
Gera
Gera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
(extinct in 1550), and Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
.
In 1306 the Plauen branch was subdivided into an elder line that died out in 1572, and a younger line called Plauen at Greiz
Greiz
Greiz is a town in Thuringia, and it is the capital of the district of Greiz. Greiz is situated in eastern Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster....
. Henry, the founder of the Plauen line (d. about 1300), on account of his marriage with a granddaughter of King Daniel of Galicia received the surname of "der Reusse" (Ruthenus
Ruthenia
Ruthenia is the Latin word used onwards from the 13th century, describing lands of the Ancient Rus in European manuscripts. Its geographic and culturo-ethnic name at that time was applied to the parts of Eastern Europe. Essentially, the word is a false Latin rendering of the ancient place name Rus...
), whence the name passed to the country.
On account of the close relations of Reuss with the neighbouring Saxon states, Lutheranism speedily gained a foothold in Reuss. The rulers joined the Schmalkaldic League
Schmalkaldic League
The Schmalkaldic League was a defensive alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. Although originally started for religious motives soon after the start of the Protestant Reformation, its members eventually intended for the League to replace the Holy...
against the German emperor, and forfeited their possessions, but afterwards recovered them.
Numbering of the Henrys
All the males of the House of Reuss are named Heinrich/Henry plus a number. In the elder lineReuss Elder Line
The Principality of Reuss Elder Line was a state in Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower- and Upper Greiz , were elevated to princely status in 1778. Its members bore the title Prince Reuss, Elder Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz...
the numbering covers all male children of the elder House, and the numbers increase until 100 is reached and then start again at 1. In the younger line the system is similar but the numbers increase until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This odd regulation was formulated as a Family Law in 1688, but the tradition of the uniformity of name was in practice as early as 1200. It was seen as a way of honoring the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Heinrich/Henry VI
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
, who raised Heinrich der Reiche/Henry the Rich (+1209) to the office of provost of the Cloister in Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
. (from the German Wikipedia)
Main partition
In 1564 the sons of Henry XIII of Reuss at Greiz divided the estates into- Reuss at Lower Greiz, descendants of Henry XIV the Elder
- Reuss at Upper Greiz, descendants of Henry XV the Middle
- Reuss at Gera, descendants of Henry XVI the Younger.
While the Middle Reuss became extinct in 1616, the Older and Younger line were divided again several times until in 1778 Count Henry XI united the possessions of Upper and Lower Greiz to the Principality of Reuss Elder Line
Reuss Elder Line
The Principality of Reuss Elder Line was a state in Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower- and Upper Greiz , were elevated to princely status in 1778. Its members bore the title Prince Reuss, Elder Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz...
. In return the remaining estates of Gera became the Principality of Reuss Younger Line in 1806.
The two remaining Reuss principalities went on to join in turn the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
(in 1815). Henry XXII of Reuss Elder line is notable among the more modern princes of this house for his enmity to 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...
, which he opposed in the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866, when the Prussian troops occupied his domain. Henry joined the North German Confederation
North German Confederation
The North German Confederation 1866–71, was a federation of 22 independent states of northern Germany. It was formed by a constitution accepted by the member states in 1867 and controlled military and foreign policy. It included the new Reichstag, a parliament elected by universal manhood...
and the new German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
(1871). He alone of all the confederate princes remained until his death (1902) an implacable enemy of Prince Bismarck and of the conditions created in Germany by the foundation of the empire. His son, Heinrich XXIV (1878–1927), being incapable of ruling, the regency passed to the princes of the younger line of Reuss.
Aftermath
After World War I, the Reuss territories were unified in 1919 as the Republic of ReussRepublic of Reuss
The Republic of Reuss was a short-lived country in what is now Thuringia. This republic was formed after the reigning princes of the two Reuss prinipalities abdicated and elections were held in both states. The new republic was born on 4 April 1919...
, which was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
in 1920.