Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz (; 29 June 17948 November 1859) was Prince Reuss of Greiz from 1836 to 1859.

Early life

Heinrich XX was born at Offenbach,

Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt () was a Imperial State, State of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a younger branch of the House of Hesse. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse among the four sons of Landgr ...

, younger surviving son of

Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (; 16 February 174729 January 1817) was Prince Reuss of Greiz from 1800 to 1817. Early life Heinrich XIII was born at Greiz, Reuss (state), Reuss, third child of Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz (1722– ...

(1747–1817), (son of

Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz (; 18 March 172228 June 1800) was the first Prince Principality of Reuss-Greiz, Reuss of Greiz from 1778 to 1800. Early life Heinrich XI was born at Greiz, Reuss (state), Reuss, youngest child of Count Heinrich ...

and Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz) and his wife, Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg (1765–1837), (daughter of

Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg (''Karl Christian'', 16 January 1735 in Weilburg – 28 November 1788 in Münster-Dreissen, near Kirchheim an der Weinstraße, Kirchheim), till 1753 Count of Nassau-Weilburg, was the first ruler of the ...

and

Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (''Wilhelmine Carolina''; 16 February 1743 – 6 May 1787) was a Dutch regent. She was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal. She was regent of the ...

Prince Reuss of Greiz

At the death of his elder brother on 31 October 1836, Heinrich XX succeeded as the Prince Reuss of Greiz because of the

Salic law The Salic law ( or ; ), also called the was the ancient Frankish Civil law (legal system), civil law code compiled around AD 500 by Clovis I, Clovis, the first Frankish King. The name may refer to the Salii, or "Salian Franks", but this is deba ...

that applied in the German principalities, his brother had died with no male heir. Heinrich XX kept the principality administration based on absolutist principles at least until 1848 when because of the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

, was forced to issue a constitution but never came into force. The Prince, however, distinguished himself in military service in favor of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

Marriage

Heinrich XX married on 25 November 1834 at Castle Haid in

Haid Haid may refer to: People * Charles Haid (b. 1943), an American actor and director * Grit Haid (1900–1938), an Austrian stage and film actress, the sister of Liane Haid * Herenaus Haid (1784–1873), a German Catholic clergyman, teacher, catech ...

to Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1809–1838), third daughter of Karl, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, and his wife, Countess Sophie Luise of

Windisch-Graetz The House of Windisch-Graetz, also spelled Windischgrätz, is an ancient Austrian aristocratic family, descending from Windischgrätz in Lower Styria (present-day Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia). The noble dynasty serving the House of Habsburg achieve ...

. They had no children. He married secondly on 1 October 1839 in Homburg vor der Höhe to Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, eldest daughter of

Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (17 February 1781 – 8 September 1848) was landgrave of the German state of Hesse-Homburg from 1846 to 1848. Early life On 17 February 1781, Gustav was born the fourth son of Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Ho ...

, and his wife, Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau. They had five children: * Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz (25 December 1840 – 4 January 1890); married in 1862 Prince Hugo of Schönburg-Waldenburg, had issue. * Prince Heinrich XXI Reuss of Greiz (11 February 1844 – 14 June 1844) * Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (28 March 1846 – 19 April 1902) * Prince Heinrich XXIII Reuss of Greiz (27 June 1848 – 22 October 1861) * Princess Marie Reuss of Greiz (19 March 1855 – 31 December 1909); married in 1875 Count Friedrich of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Meerholz (grandson of Ernst Casimir II, 2nd Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen), no issue.

Ancestry

Notes and sources

*L'Allemagne dynastique, Huberty, Giraud, Magdelaine, Reference: I 333 *Gehrlein Thomas, The House of Reuss - Older and Younger line Börde Verlag 2006, {{DEFAULTSORT:Heinrich 20, Prince Reuss Of Greiz 1794 births 1859 deaths People from Offenbach am Main Princes of Reuss Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary