Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall un ...

in Germany, in the present day state of

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and lar ...

, with its capital at

Sondershausen Sondershausen is a town in Thuringia, central Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about 50 km north of Erfurt. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Schernberg was incorporated by Sondershausen. Until 1918 i ...

History

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

until 1697. In that year, it became a

, which lasted until the fall of the German monarchies in 1918, during the

German Revolution of 1918–1919 The German Revolution or November Revolution (german: Novemberrevolution) was a civil conflict in the German Empire at the end of the First World War that resulted in the replacement of the German federal constitutional monarchy with a d ...

. After the German Revolution, it became a republic and joined the

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 republic, constitutional federal republic for the first time in ...

as a constituent state. In 1920, it joined with other small states in the area to form the new state of

. Schwarzburg-Sondershausen had an area of 862 km² (333 sq. mi.) and a population of 85,000 (1905). Towns placed in the state were:

Arnstadt Arnstadt () is a town in Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany, on the 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 preserved to ...

, Gehren,

Langewiesen Langewiesen is a town and a former municipality in the Ilm-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. Since July 2018, it is part of the town Ilmenau. It is situated on the river Ilm, 4 km southeast of Ilmenau Ilmenau () is a town in Thurin ...

, Großbreitenbach,

Ebeleben Ebeleben is a town in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 13 km southwest of Sondershausen Sondershausen is a town in Thuringia, central Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about ...

Großenehrich Großenehrich is a town and a former municipality in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 13 km south of Sondershausen, and 34 km northwest of Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in th ...

Greußen Greußen is a town in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 17 km southeast of Sondershausen, and 29 km north of Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuri ...

and Plaue.

Rulers of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, 1552–1918

Counts of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

* 1552–1586 John Günther I * 1586–1631 Günther XLII, ''with'' Anton Henry, John Günther II and Christian Günther I * 1631–1638 Günther XLII, ''with'' Anton Henry and Christian Günther I * 1638–1642 Günther XLII, ''with'' Christian Günther I * 1642–1643 Günther XLII, ''with'' Anton Günther I * 1643–1666 Anton Günther I * 1666–1697 Christian William, ''with'' Anton Günther II ''Raised to Principality in 1697''

Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

* 1697–1716: Anton Günther II * 1697 – 10 May 1721: Christian William * 10 May 1721 – 28 November 1740: Günther XLIII * 28 November 1740 – 6 November 1758: Henry XXXV * 6 November 1758 – 14 October 1794: Christian Günther III * 14 October 1794 – 19 August 1835: Günther Friedrich Karl I * 19 August 1835 – 17 July 1880: Günther Friedrich Karl II * 17 July 1880 – 28 March 1909: Karl Günther ''United under Prince Günther Victor 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 ...

'' * 28 March 1909 – November 1918: Günther Victor

Heads of the princely house of Schwarzburg

On the death of the childless Prince Günther Victor in 1925, he was succeeded by Prince Sizzo (1860–1926), who was the son of Prince Friedrich Günther (1793–1867) from his second, morganatic marriage. Prince Sizzo was recognised as a full member of the House of Schwarzburg in 1896. He was succeeded in 1926 by his son, Prince Friedrich Günther (1901–1971). He was the last in the male line. * 1918–1925: Prince Günther Victor (1852–1925) * 1925–1926: Prince Sizzo (1860–1926) * 1926–1971: Prince Friedrich Günther (1901–1971)

Villages with more than 2000 people

References

External links

* {{Authority control Schwarzburg-Sondershausen 1599 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1920 disestablishments in Germany States and territories established in 1599 States of the German Empire States of the German Confederation States of the Confederation of the Rhine States of the Weimar Republic Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire States of the North German Confederation