Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (; 7 August 1830 – 28 March 1909) was the ruler of the principality 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 (earldom) until 1697. In that year, it became a principal ...
, a constituent state of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
, and head of the
House of Schwarzburg from 17 July 1880 until his death.
Hereditary Prince
Prince Charles Gonthier was born in
Arnstadt
Arnstadt () is a town in Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany, on the river Gera (river), Gera about south of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. Arnstadt is one of the oldest towns in Thuringia, and has a well-preserved historic centre with a partially ...
, the third child of
Hereditary Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles and his first wife, Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The death of his elder brother Prince Gonthier in 1833 put Charles Gonthier in direct line for the throne. As such, upon the abdication of his grandfather, Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles I, on 19 August 1835, he became Hereditary Prince and heir apparent to his father, who became Prince Gonthier Frederick Charles II.
In 1850 Prince Charles Gonthier enrolled at the
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...
to begin his studies in law and literature. Also in 1850, he embarked upon a career in the
Prussian Army, being appointed an
Oberleutnant
(English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
. Two years later he was promoted to the rank of
Rittmeister
Rittmaster () is usually a commissioned officer military rank used in a few armies, usually equivalent to Captain. Historically it has been used in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries.
A is typically in charge of a s ...
before once gaining promotion to the rank
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
in 1855.
On 12 June 1869 Prince Charles Gonthier was married in
Altenburg
Altenburg () is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located south of Leipzig, west of Dresden and east of Erfurt. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district and part of a polycentric old-industrial textile and metal production region betw ...
to
Princess Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxony, the daughter of
Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg.
Ruling prince
On 17 July 1880, following the abdication of his father due to an eye condition, Hereditary Prince Charles Gonthier succeeded him as ruling prince and head of the House of Schwarzburg. During his reign, he made advancements to the education system of the principality, opening a state school and teacher-training facility.
[
As the marriage of Prince Charles Gonthier was childless, the heir presumptive to the throne was his younger brother, Prince Leopold. In 1890 the two brothers caused a scandal in Germany when they came to blows after Prince Leopold, who desired to marry, took offence to his brother's suggestion that he marry a commoner if no royal woman would agree to marry him.
As his brother remained unmarried and Charles Gonthier childless, the Schwarzburg-Sondershausen branch of the House of Schwarzburg was on the verge of extinction, with no other princes remaining. The princely house of Schwarzburg consisted of two branches, Sondershausen being the senior line and ]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 House of Schwarzburg, Schwarzburg dy ...
the junior. According to a family pact from 7 September 1713, upon the extinction of one of the branches, the principality would pass to the surviving one. However, as the Rudolstadt branch was also threatened with extinction on 21 April 1896, Prince Charles Gonthier agreed with the remaining dynasts, his brother Prince Leopold and cousin Prince Günther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, 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.
In 1906 Prince Charles Gonthier suffered a serious injury in a hunting accident. He spent the remaining years of his life confined to a hospital bed and died in a sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence.
Sanatoriums are often in a health ...
in Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
. As his brother and heir Prince Leopold had died in 1906, Prince Charles Gonthier was succeeded by his cousin, Prince Günther Victor, in whom both Schwarzburg principalities became vested in a personal union
A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...
.
Honours and awards
*Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief is a ceremonial position in an army regiment. It is in common use in several Commonwealth armies, where it is held by the regiment's patron, usually a member of the royal family.
Some armed forces take a light-hearted approach to ...
of the Third Regiment of Thuringia
Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area.
Er ...
n Infantry
* Ascanian duchies: Grand Cross of the Order of Albert the Bear, ''2 August 1850''
* : Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert, ''1850''
* : Grand Cross of the Order of the White Falcon, ''20 July 1861''
* Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...
:
** Knight of the Royal Order of the Crown, 1st Class, ''14 June 1864''Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle () was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, o ...
, 3rd Class with Swords, ''1866''; Grand Cross with Swords on Ring, ''5 April 1875''Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle () 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 of Prussia, Friedrich I, King in Prussia, the ...
, ''3 November 1892''Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...
: Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore, ''25 January 1882''
* : Grand Cross of the Order of the Württemberg Crown, ''1889''[''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg'' (1896), "Königliche Orden]
p. 29
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Ancestry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles Gonthier, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
1830 births
1909 deaths
House of Schwarzburg
People from Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Generals of Infantry (Prussia)