Christian Günther III of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (24 June 1736 – 14 October 1794) 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 (earldom) until 1697. In that year, it became a principal ...

from 1758 until his death. Some authors call him Prince Christian Günther I, because he was the first ruler of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen named Christian Günther who held the title of ''Prince''. Others call Christian Günther III, because there were two earlier ''Counts'' of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen by that name.

Early life

Christian Günther III was the son of Prince

August I of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...

(1691–1750) and his wife Princess Charlotte Sophie (1696–1762), a daughter of Prince Charles Frederick of

Anhalt-Bernburg Anhalt-Bernburg was a Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, 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 subd ...

Career

He succeeded as the ruling Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen after the death of his uncle Henry XXXV in 1758, because Henry XXXV was unmarried and had no children, and Christian Günther III's father had already died in 1750. He had to deal with a number of problems when he inherited the principality. Some people were abusing their power, and the country suffered from the consequences of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

. Although he was only 22 years old, he managed to solve these problems with unwearying zeal and vigorous energy. He was considered a frugal ruler and father. He used the money he saved to construct some important buildings. He expanded his residence Sondershausen Palace by extending the north wing and added the famous "

Blue Hall The Blue Hall () is the main hall of the Stockholm City Hall Stockholm City Hall (, ''Stadshuset'' locally) is the seat of Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärd ...

" to the west wing. He also built very large so-called "domain" buildings in Allmenhausen and

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 ...

and the watchtower on the top of Mount Possen, in the

Hainleite The Hainleite is a Muschelkalk ridge of hills up to in northern Thuringia, Germany. Geography This heavily wooded landscape lies between Bleicherode in Nordhausen district, Sondershausen in Kyffhäuser district, Bad Frankenhausen, Dingel ...

range. His favourite castle was Ebeleben Castle, in

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 abo ...

, where he grew up. He expanded this castle, and completely overhauled the adjoining park. The statues, waterfalls, fountains and flowers made it a renowned park for a long time.Friedrich Apfelstedt: ''Das Haus Kevernburg-Schwarzburg von seinem Ursprunge bis auf unsere Zeit'',

Personal life

On 4 February 1760, Christian Günther III married his first cousin Charlotte Wilhelmine (1737–1777), a daughter of Prince Victor Frederick II of Anhalt-Bernburg. They had the following children:Dr. Kamill von Behr: ''Genealogie der in Europa regierenden Fürstenhäuser'', Leipzig, 1870. * Günther Frederick Charles I (1760–1837),Dr. Kamill von Behr: ''Genealogie der in Europa regierenden Fürstenhäuser'', Leipzig, 1870 his successor who married 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 House of Schwarzburg, Schwarzburg dy ...

, a daughter of Prince Friedrich Karl of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, in 1799. * Catharina Charlotte Friederike Albertine (1761–1801), who married Prince Frederick Charles Albert of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in 1790. * Günther Albert August (1767–1833). * Caroline Auguste Albertine (1769–1819), Deaness in

Herford Herford (; ) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the hill chains of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. It is situated in the cultural region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) and the Detmold (administrat ...

. * Albertine Wilhelmine Amalie (1771–1829), who married Duke Ferdinand Frederick of Württemberg, the fifth son of

Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Württemberg (21 January 1732 – 23 December 1797) was the fourth son of Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg, and Princess Maria Augusta of Thurn and Taxis. He was born in Stuttgart. From 1795 until 1797, he was Duke ...

and his wife,

Princess Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt (Friederike Sophia Dorothea; 18 December 1736 – 9 March 1798) was Duchess of Württemberg by marriage to Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg. She is an ancestor to many European royals of the 19th and 20 ...

(niece of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

), in 1795. They divorced in 1801. * John Charles Günther (1772-1842) He died in 1794, at the age of 59, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Günther Frederick Charles I.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Gunther 03 Schwarzburg Sondershausen Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen House of Schwarzburg 1736 births 1794 deaths 18th-century German people