Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg
| Günther Victor | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Schwarzburg | |
Günther Victor in 1898 | |
| Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt | |
| Reign | 19 January 1890 – 22 November 1918 |
| Predecessor | George Albert |
| Successor | Monarchy abolished |
| Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen | |
| Reign | 28 March 1909 – 22 November 1918 |
| Predecessor | Charles Gonthier |
| Successor | Monarchy abolished |
| Born | 21 August 1852 Rudolstadt, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt |
| Died | 21 April 1925 (aged 72) Sondershausen, Weimar Republic |
| Spouse | |
| House | House of Schwarzburg |
| Father | Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt |
| Mother | Princess Mathilde of Schönburg-Waldenburg |
Günther Victor (21 August 1852 – 16 April 1925) was the final sovereign prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
Biography
Günther Victor was born in Rudolstadt, the son of Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Princess Mathilde of Schönburg-Waldenburg. His mother was the daughter of Otto Victor, Prince of Schönburg-Waldenburg, and Princess Thekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, a cousin of Günther's father.[1]
Upon the death of his father on 1 July 1875, Prince Günther became the heir presumptive to the principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He succeeded his first cousin once removed, Prince Georg, as sovereign prince on 19 January 1890.
Following the death of Prince Leopold of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in 1906, Günther became heir presumptive to the neighboring Schwarzburg principality. The death of Karl Günther on 28 March 1909 united the two principalities under Günther in a personal union.[2] This marked the first time the two territories had been ruled by a single monarch since their 16th-century partition. Following this union, he dropped "Rudolstadt" from his title to become the Prince of Schwarzburg.
Post-monarchy and death
Following the outbreak of the German Revolution, Prince Günther was the last of the German federal monarchs to abdicate, resigning his throne on 22 November 1918.[3] After the abolition of the monarchy, he entered into a settlement with the Free State of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt regarding his ancestral assets.
He died in Sondershausen on 16 April 1925. As his marriage to Princess Anna Louise of Schönburg-Waldenburg was childless, he was succeeded as head of the House of Schwarzburg by his cousin, Sizzo, Prince of Schwarzburg.[4]
Marriage
Prince Günther was married to Princess Anna Louise of Schönburg-Waldenburg at Rudolstadt on 9 December 1891. She was daughter of his uncle Prince Georg of Schönburg-Waldenburg and Princess Luise of Bentheim-Tecklenburg. The marriage was childless.
In 1942 Princess Anna Luise adopted her nephew Prince Wilhelm of Schönburg-Waldenburg and his son Prince Ulrich.
References
- ^ Almanach de Gotha. Gotha: Justus Perthes. 1900. pp. 80–82.
- ^ J. Scott-Keltie, ed. (1911). The Statesman's Year-Book. Macmillan and Co. p. 896.
- ^ Scheidemann, Philipp (1929). The Making of New Germany: The Memoirs of Philipp Scheidemann. D. Appleton and Company. p. 252.
- ^ "Prince Gunther of Schwarzburg Dies". The New York Times. 17 April 1925.