Günther Friedrich Karl II of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (24 September 1801 – 15 September 1889) was the ruling Prince of

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with its capital at Sondershausen. History Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county until 1697. In that year, it became a principality, which ...

following his father's abdication in 1835 until his own death in 1880. After Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the

North German Confederation The North German Confederation (german: Norddeutscher Bund) was initially a German military alliance established in August 1866 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was transformed in the subsequent year into a confederated st ...

, he joined the

Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

and in 1879 became General of the Infantry.

Early life

The Prince was born

Sondershausen Palace From an architectural and art historical point of view Sondershausen Palace can be considered one of the most important palace complexes in Thuringia. It is an irregular four-wing complex. With its imposing silhouette the former Schwarzburg residenc ...

in Sondershausen on 24 September 1801. He was the only son of Günther Friedrich Karl I and Caroline of

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany, with its capital at Rudolstadt. History Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands. Since th ...

(1774–1854). His older sister Emilie was married to Prince Leopold II of Lippe, the reigning prince of

Lippe Lippe () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld, which forms the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The d ...

. His paternal grandparents were Christian Günther III and the former Charlotte Wilhelmine of

Anhalt-Bernburg Anhalt-Bernburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and a duchy of the German Confederation ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Bernburg in present-day Saxony-Anhalt. It emerged as a subdivision from the Principality of ...

(a daughter of Prince Victor Frederick II of Anhalt-Bernburg). His maternal grandparents were Prince Friedrich Karl of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Friederike Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.Friedrich Apfelstedt: ''Das Haus Kevernburg-Schwarzburg von seinem Ursprunge bis auf unsere Zeit'', Through his sister, he was uncle to nine, including

Leopold III, Prince of Lippe Leopold III of Lippe (Paul Friedrich Emil Leopold; 1 September 1821 – 8 December 1875) was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe reigning from 1851 until his death. Early life and ascension Leopold III was born in Detmold the eldest child ...

(who married Princess

Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...

Woldemar, Prince of Lippe Woldemar of Lippe (''Günther Friedrich Woldemar''; 18 April 1824 – 20 March 1895) was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe, reigning from 1875 until his death. Early life and reign Prince Woldemar of Lippe was born in Detmold the third c ...

(who married

Princess Sophie of Baden Princess Sophie of Baden (Sophie Pauline Henriette Marie Amelie Luise; 7 August 1834 in Karlsruhe – 6 April 1904 in Karlsruhe), was a Princess of Baden by birth and the Princess consort of Lippe by marriage. Life Sophie was the second daugh ...

), and Alexander, Prince of Lippe.

Career

In 1806, during his father's reign, the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

, which delicately held the German monarchies together, collapsed and the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the

Confederation of the Rhine The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine, also known as Napoleonic Germany, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austria an ...

which was a group of states of

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eu ...

. It also collapsed in 1813 and, in 1815, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the

German Confederation The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...

created by the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

. His father ruled as an absolute monarch and was deeply unpopular over his refusal to make any concessions to increase government participation by his subjects. His father's actions led to a palace revolt spearheaded by Günther Frederick Charles II that was known as the Ebeleben Revolution, which resulted in his father's abdication on 19 August 1835 in Günther Frederick Charles II's favor. His father spent the rest of his life at his hunting lodge, Jagdschloss "Zum Possen" near Sondershausen, where he died in April 1837.Dr. Kamill von Behr: ''Genealogie der in Europa regierenden Fürstenhäuser'', Leipzig, 1870 Not long after Günther Friedrich Karl II became the reigning prince, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the

Zollverein The (), or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories. Organized by the 1833 treaties, it formally started on 1 January 1834. However, its foundations had b ...

. In 1840, the principality adopted a new constitution instituting the first state parliament. During the

Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...

, uprisings in the principality led to another new constitution which limited the prince's rights. In 1857, the constitution was reformed and the majority of the prince's rights were restored. In 1867, the principality joined the

as one of seven principalities led by the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

, the largest and predominant member. Günther Friedrich Karl II became a Major General in the Prussian Army and in 1879 became General of the Infantry. In 1871, the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

was formed and the principality became a constituent member. On 17 July 1880, Günther Friedrich Karl II abdicated, due to an eye condition, in favor of his son, Charles Günther.

Personal life

On 12 March 1827 Günther Friedrich Karl II married his first cousin, Princess Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, a daughter of Prince Charles Günther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (son of

Frederick Charles, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Prince Frederick Charles of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (7 June 1736 – 13 April 1793) was a German Natural History collector, and from 1790 until his death the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Life Frederick Charles of Schwarzburg-Rud ...

) and Landgravine Louise Ulrica of Hesse-Homburg (daughter of

Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg Frederick V Louis William Christian, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (30 January 1748, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe – 20 January 1820, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe) was from 1751 to his death landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. He was born under Europe's Ancie ...

). Before her death on 29 March 1833, they had four children, including: * Günther Friedrich Karl Alexander (1829–1833), who died in childhood. * Elisabeth Caroline Louise (1829–1893), who died unmarried. *

Karl Günther Karl Günther (25 November 1885 – 27 June 1951) was an Austrian film actor. Selected filmography * '' The Masked Ones'' (1920) * ''The Riddle of the Sphinx'' (1921) * ''The Adventuress of Monte Carlo'' (1921) * ''The Call of Destiny'' (1922) * ' ...

(1830–1909), who married Princess Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxony, the daughter of

Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg (Hildburghausen, 3 July 1804 – Munich, 16 May 1852), was a German prince of the ducal house of Saxe-Hildburghausen (of Saxe-Altenburg from 1826). Family He was the seventh but fourth surviving son of Frederic ...

. * Günther ''Leopold'' (1832–1906), who died unmarried. After her death, he married Princess Friederike ''Mathilde'' zu

Hohenlohe-Öhringen The House of Hohenlohe () is a German princely dynasty. It ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire which was divided between several branches. The Hohenlohes became imperial counts in 1450. The county was divided numerous time ...

(1814–1888), a daughter of

August, Prince of Hohenlohe-Öhringen Frederick ''August'' Charles, Prince of Hohenlohe-Öhringen (27 November 1784 – 15 February 1853) was a German general of the Napoleonic Wars and nobleman of the house of Hohenlohe. Early life August was born on 27 November 1784 in Breslau. ...

and Louise of Württemberg. Before their divorce in 1852, they had two more children, including: * ''Marie'' Pauline Caroline Luise Wilhelmine Auguste (1837–1921), who died unmarried. * Günther Friedrich Karl August ''Hugo'' (1839–1871), who died unmarried. Princess Mathilde died at

Mirabell Palace Mirabell Palace (german: Schloss Mirabell) is a historic building in the city of Salzburg, Austria. The palace with its gardens is a listed cultural heritage monument and part of the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Si ...

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

in 1888. Günther Friedrich Karl II died in Sondershausen on 15 September 1889. In April 1896, Prince Karl Günther and the remaining dynasts, his brother Prince Leopold and cousin Prince Günther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, none of whom had male issue, agreed that their morganatic relative Prince Sizzo of Leutenberg was to become a member of the princely house with full succession rights. Their decision became law on 1 June 1896. Upon Prince Karl Günther's death in 1909, he was succeeded by his cousin, Prince Günther Victor, in whom both Schwarzburg principalities became vested in a

personal union A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...

. On the death of the childless Prince Günther Victor in 1925, he was succeeded by Prince Sizzo.

Orders and decorations

* : Knight of the Royal

Order of Saint Hubert The Royal Order of Saint Hubert (german: Sankt Hubertus Königlicher Orden), or sometimes (german: Königlicher Orden des Heiligen Hubertus) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood founded in 1444 or 1445 by Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülic ...

, ''1822'' * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Württemberg Crown, ''1835'' * : Grand Cross of the

Order of the White Falcon Order of the White Falcon (german: Hausorden vom Weißen Falken) is a grand-ducal order of Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, founded by Duke Ernest Augustus on 2 August 1732, and renewed in 1815 by Charles Augustus. Description In the early 2 ...

, ''18 October 1838'' *

: ** Knight of the

Order of the Black Eagle The Order of the Black Eagle (german: Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I, King ...

, ''17 May 1850'' ** Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal

House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern (german: Hausorden von Hohenzollern or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various ...

, ''5 April 1875'' * : Grand Cross of the House and Merit Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown, ''12 April 1863'' *

Ernestine duchies The Ernestine duchies (), also known as the Saxon duchies (, although the Albertine appanage duchies of Weissenfels, Merseburg and Zeitz were also "Saxon duchies" and adjacent to several Ernestine ones), were a group of small states whose num ...

: Grand Cross of the

Saxe-Ernestine House Order The Saxe-Ernestine House Order (german: link=yes, Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden)Hausorden
Herz ...

, ''1872''''Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtums Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha'' (1884), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden
p. 32
/ref>

References

Notes Sources

External links

House of Schwarzburg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Gunther 03 Schwarzburg Sondershausen 1760 births 1837 deaths 18th-century German people 19th-century German people Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen House of Schwarzburg