, reign = 28 September 1890 –21 January 1919 , succession = Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt , successor = Viktor Adolf , predecessor = Ludwig Wilhelm , house =

House of Bentheim and Steinfurt A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, spouse =

Princess Pauline of Waldeck and Pyrmont , reign = 28 September 189021 January 1919 , succession = Princess consort of Bentheim and Steinfurt , house = Waldeck and Pyrmont , spouse = Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt(m. 1881; died 1919) , issue = Prince EberwynViktor Adolf, ...

, issue = Prince Eberwyn
Viktor Adolf, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt
Prince Karl Georg
Princess Elisabeth
Princess Viktoria
Princess Emma
Prince Alexis Rainer
Prince Friedrich , image = , birth_date = , birth_place =

Burgsteinfurt Steinfurt (; Westphalian: ''Stemmert'') is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt. From roughly 1100-1806, it was the capital of the County of Steinfurt. Geography Steinfurt is situated north- ...

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 ...

, death_date = , death_place =

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

, father =

Ludwig Wilhelm, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt ''Louis William'' , reign = 3 November 186628 September 1890 , succession = Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt , successor = Alexis , predecessor = Alexius , house = House of Bentheim and Steinfurt , spouse = Landgravine Bertha of Hesse-Philip ...

, mother = Landgravine Bertha of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld ''Alexis'' Carl Ernst Louis Ferdinand Eugen Bernhard, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt (german: Alexis Carl Ernst Louis Ferdinand Eugen Bernhard Fürst zu Bentheim und Steinfurt; 17 November 1845 – 21 January 1919) was a

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

, and the Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt from 28 September 1890 to 21 January 1919.

Biography

Early life

Alexis was born in

on 17 November 1845 and was the fourth child and eldest son of

(1812–1890) and his wife Landgravine Bertha of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1818–1888). Alexis was a brother of Adelheid, Landgravine Wilhelm of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1840–1880), Juliane, Landgravine Wilhelm of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1842–1878), Marie, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (1843–1931), Prince Karl of Bentheim and Steinfurt (1848–1854), and Prince Georg of Bentheim and Steinfurt (1851–1939).

Education and military career

Alexis attended

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

and attended

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

at the

University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine U ...

, where he was a member of the

Corps Borussia Bonn The Corps Borussia Bonn is a German Student Corps at the University of Bonn. History Borussia was established on 22 December 1821 and joined the Kösener Senioren-Convents-Verband (KSCV) in 1856. It is the corps of the House of Hohenzollern a ...

. In 1866, Alexis was a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the Hanoverian Guards Hussars Regiment and in 1868, he was transferred to the Hussars Regiment No. 7. In 1873, he advanced to

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

and then to

Rittmeister __NOTOC__ (German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...

in the

Regiment der Gardes du Corps The Gardes du Corps (''Regiment der Gardes du Corps'') was the personal bodyguard of the king of Prussia and, after 1871, of the German emperor (in German, the ''Kaiser''). The unit was founded in 1740 by Frederick the Great. Its first commander ...

in 1875. In 1884, Alexis advanced to

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

à la suite À la suite (, ''in the entourage f') was a military title given to those who were allotted to the army or a particular unit for honour's sake, and entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position. In Prussia, these w ...

in the Army. In 1892 Alexis was made

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

, then

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in 1895, and

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in 1899. In 1902, he was awarded the uniform of the Regiment der Garde du Corps

Political career

Alexis succeeded his father Ludwig Wilhelm to the headship of the Princely House of Bentheim and Steinfurt. As such, he became a hereditary member of the

Prussian House of Lords The Prussian House of Lords (german: Preußisches Herrenhaus) in Berlin was the upper house of the Landtag of Prussia (german: Preußischer Landtag), the parliament of Prussia from 1850 to 1918. Together with the lower house, the House of Repres ...

and the Württembergian Chamber of Lords.

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:
Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat
' (1908), Herrenhaus p. 217

Marriage and issue

Alexis married

, second child and daughter of

George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont George Victor (14 January 1831 – 12 May 1893) was the 3rd sovereign Prince of the German state of Waldeck and Pyrmont. He was born in Bad Arolsen the son of George II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his wife Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg- ...

and his first wife

Princess Helena of Nassau Princess Helena of Nassau (german: Prinzessin Helene Wilhelmine Henriette Pauline Marianne von Nassau-Weilburg; 18 August 183127 October 1888) was a daughter of William, Duke of Nassau, and consort of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont ...

, on 7 May 1881 in

Arolsen Bad Arolsen (, until 1997 Arolsen, ''Bad'' being the German name for ''Spa'') is a small town in northern Hesse, Germany, in Waldeck-Frankenberg district. From 1655 until 1918 it served as the residence town of the Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont and t ...

, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Alexis and Pauline had eight children: *Prince Eberwyn of Bentheim and Steinfurt (10 April 1882 – 31 July 1949) : ∞ 1906–1914 Pauline Langenfeld (1884–1970) : ∞ 1918–1919 Ellen Bischoff-Korthaus (1894–1936), who later remarried

Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (23 February 1883 – 26 March 1936) was the last ruler of the small Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe. Biography Adolf was born in Stadthagen to the then hereditary Prince Georg (1846–1911) and Princess M ...

: ∞ 1920 Anne-Louise Husser (1891–1951) *Viktor Adolf, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt (18 July 1883 – 4 June 1961) : ∞ 1920 Princess Stephanie of

Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe, also Lippe-Schaumburg, was created as a county in 1647, became a principality in 1807, a free state in 1918, and was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bück ...

(1899–1925), daughter of Princess Louise of Denmark. : ∞ 1931 Princess Rosa Helene of

Solms-Hohensolms-Lich Solms-Hohensolms-Lich was at first a County and later Principality with Imperial immediacy in what is today the federal Land of Hessen, Germany. It was ruled by a branch of the House of Solms, originally from Solms. Grafschaft The county was o ...

(1901–1963) *Prince Karl Georg of Bentheim and Steinfurt (10 December 1884 – 14 February 1951) : ∞ 1914 Princess Margarete of Schönaich-Carolath (1888–1980) *Princess Elisabeth of Bentheim and Steinfurt (12 July 1886 – 8 May 1959) *Princess Viktoria of Bentheim and Steinfurt (18 August 1887 – 30 January 1961) *Princess Emma of Bentheim and Steinfurt (19 February 1889 – 25 April 1905) *Prince Alexis Rainer of Bentheim and Steinfurt (16 December 1891 – 30 June 1923) *Prince Friedrich of Bentheim and Steinfurt (27 May 1894 – 17 May 1981) : ∞ 1934 Louise von Gülich (1893-1949)

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

* Hermann A. L. Degener: ''Wer ist's?'', V, Leipzig 1911, S. 89 {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexis Of Bentheim And Steinfurt, Prince House of Bentheim and Steinfurt Princes of Bentheim and Steinfurt 1845 births 1919 deaths People from the Kingdom of Hanover People from Steinfurt Members of the Württembergian Chamber of Lords Members of the Prussian House of Lords Lieutenant generals of Prussia University of Bonn alumni Recipients of the Iron Cross, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order