Anton Günther II, Count of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen-Arnstadt (10 October 1653 in
Sondershausen
Sondershausen () is a town in Thuringia, central Germany, capital of the Kyffhäuserkreis district, situated about 50 km (30 mi) north of Erfurt. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Schernberg was merged with Sondershausen.
Until 1918 i ...
– 20 July 1716 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 ...
) was a Count of Schwarzburg and Hohenstein and Lord of Sondershausen, Arnstadt and Leutenberg from 1666 until his death. In 1697, he was raised to Prince of Schwarzburg.
Life
Anton Günther II was a son of Count
Anton Günther I and his wife Countess Palatine Mary Magdalene of Birkenfeld. In 1666 he succeeded his father, jointly with his older brother
Christian William I. In 1681, the brothers divided their inheritance, with Anton Günther II receiving the districts
Ebeleben,
Schernberg, Keula, and
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 ...
and thus founding a short-lived cadet line. In 1697, the brothers were raised to
Imperial Prince
Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (, , cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor.
Definition
Originally, possessors of the princely title bore it as immediate vassal ...
s, but Anton Günther II refrained from using this title until 1709.
Anton Günther II extensively renovated his residence in Arnstadt. He was a major patron of music and an avid collector of antiques and
objets d'art
In art history, the French term objet d'art (; ) describes an ornamental work of art, and the term objets d’art describes a range of works of art, usually small and three-dimensional, made of high-quality materials, and a finely-rendered finish ...
. During his rule, Arnstadt became an important cultural center. In 1702, he invited
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
, who was 17 years old at the time, to become court organist in Arnstadt.
In 1684, he married
Augusta Dorothea (1666-1751), the daughter of Duke
Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Their marriage remained childless and after his death, Arnstadt fell back to his brother Christian William.
See also
*
House of Schwarzburg
The House of Schwarzburg was one of the oldest noble families of Thuringia, which is in modern-day central Germany. Upon the death of Prince Friedrich Günther in 1971, a claim to the headship of the house passed under Semi-Salic primogeniture t ...
*
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 ...
References
* Friedrich Apfelstedt, Börner, and Donhof: ''Heimathskunde für die Bewohner des Fürstenthums Schwarzburg-Sondershausen'', part 3: ''Geschichte des Fürstlich-Schwarzburgischen Hauses'', 1856, reprinted May 1998
* Friedrich Apfelstedt: ''Das Haus Kevernburg-Schwarzburg von seinem Ursprunge bis auf unsere Zeit'',
Counts of Schwarzburg
Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
House of Schwarzburg
1653 births
1716 deaths
18th-century German people
{{Germany-count-stub