Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss Younger Line (; 13 May 1895 disappeared 1945) was the head of the

House of Reuss Reuss ( ) was the name of several historical states located in present-day Thuringia, Germany. Several lordships of the Holy Roman Empire which arose after 1300 and became Imperial Counties from 1673 and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial ...

from 1928 to 1945, as well the last male member of the Reuss-Schleiz branch of the Younger Line.

Early life

Heinrich XLV was born at Ebersdorf, in the

Principality of Reuss-Gera The Principality of Reuss-Gera (), officially called the Principality of the Reuss Junior Line () after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. It was one of the successor states of the Imperial C ...

(present-day

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 ...

), only surviving son of

Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line (; 10 November 185821 November 1928) was the last reigning Prince Reuss Younger Line from 1913 to 1918. Then he became Head of the House of Reuss Younger Line from 1918 to 1928. Early life Heinrich was bo ...

(1858–1928), (son of

Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line (; 28 May 183229 March 1913) was Prince Reuss Younger Line from 1867 to 1913. Early life Heinrich XIV was born at Coburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, sixth child of Heinrich LXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line (1789 ...

, and Duchess Agnes of Württemberg) and his wife,

Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Elise Victoria Feodora Sophie Adelheid; 4 September 1864 – 18 March 1929) was Princess Reuss Younger Line as the wife of Heinrich XXVII. She was the eldest daughter of Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Lang ...

(1864–1929), (daughter of

Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Hermann Ernst Franz Bernhard; 31 August 1832 – 9 March 1913) was the 6th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and the second son of Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Princess Feodora of Leiningen ( ...

and Princess Leopoldine of Baden). He attended high school 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 ...

and served as a lieutenant in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After the war he studied in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

Marburg Marburg (; ) is a college town, university town in the States of Germany, German federal state () of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Districts of Germany, district (). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

and

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

, literature, music and philosophy. He was a great theatre lover and supporter and was a director, writer and consultant. In 1923, Heinrich XLV became head of the dramaturgy department at Reussian Theatre in

Gera Gera () is a city in the German state of Thuringia. With around 93,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Thuringia after Erfurt and Jena as well as the easternmost city of the ''Thüringer Städtekette'', an almost straight string of ...

Head of the House of Reuss

At the death of his father on 21 November 1928 he became head of the

after the Younger and Elder Lines merged, when the Elder Line became extinct in the male line in 1927. In 1935 he adopted one of his relatives, Prince Heinrich I (1910–1982) a member of the Köstritz branch of the Princely family of Reuss. The adoption took place for

inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

reasons, not for succession rights for the headship of the House of Reuss. In 1939 Heinrich I married Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg, the niece of Heinrich XLV. During the 1930s Heinrich XLV became an enthusiastic

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

sympathizer and member of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

. In August 1945, he was arrested in Ebersdorf by the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

military, and is presumed missing. Although he was most likely interned and killed in NKVD special camp Nr. 2 in

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (Old Reich) territori ...

, his name is not in any of the special camps' lists of the dead. On 5 January 1962 he was declared dead by a court in

Büdingen Büdingen () is a town in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is mainly known for its well-preserved, heavily fortified medieval town wall and half-timbered houses. Geography Location Büdingen is in the south of the Wetterau below the Vog ...

. His entire fortune was seized and confiscated in 1948 by the Soviet Military Administration, including Ebersdorf Castle, Thallwitz Castle, and Osterstein Castle in Gera. Heinrich XLV remained unmarried and childless and the succession of the House of Reuss passed to Prince Heinrich IV of the Reuss of Köstritz branch.

Ancestry

Notes and sources

*The Royal House of Stuart, London, 1969, 1971, 1976, Addington, A. C., Reference: II 224 {{DEFAULTSORT:Heinrich 45, Hereditary Prince Reuss Younger Line 1895 births 1945 deaths German Army personnel of World War I People from Saalburg-Ebersdorf People from the Principality of Reuss-Gera Princes of Reuss Royalty in the Nazi Party Heirs apparent who never acceded German prisoners of war in World War II held by the Soviet Union People who died in NKVD special camp Nr. 2 Sons of princes regnant Nazis who died in prison custody Pretenders