thumb|[[Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen|Karl Günther, the last Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen]]

thumb|The castle at [[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 principality, which lasted until the fall of the German monarchies in 1918, during the German Revolution of 1918–1919. After the German Revolution, it became the Free State of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and joined the Weimar Republic as a constituent state. In 1920, it joined with other small states in the area to form the new state of Thuringia.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen had an area of 862&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (333 sq. mi.) and a population of 85,000 (1905). Towns placed in the state were: Arnstadt, Sondershausen, Gehren, Langewiesen, Großbreitenbach, Ebeleben, Großenehrich, Greußen 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&nbsp;– 10 May 1721: Christian William
  • 10 May 1721&nbsp;– 28 November 1740: Günther XLIII
  • 28 November 1740&nbsp;– 6 November 1758: Henry XXXV
  • 6 November 1758&nbsp;– 14 October 1794: Christian Günther III
  • 14 October 1794&nbsp;– 19 August 1835: Günther Friedrich Karl I
  • 19 August 1835&nbsp;– 17 July 1880: Günther Friedrich Karl II
  • 17 July 1880&nbsp;– 28 March 1909: Karl Günther

United under Prince Günther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

  • 28 March 1909&nbsp;– November 1918: Günther Victor

Villages with more than 2000 people

{| class="wikitable" border="1"

|----- bgcolor="#FFDEAD"

! Village

! Inhabitants<br />December 1, 1910

|-

| Arnstadt

| align="right"|17,841

|-

| Sondershausen

| align="right"|7759

|-

| Langewiesen

| align="right"|3814

|-

| Greußen

| align="right"|3348

|-

| Großbreitenbach

| align="right"|3255

|-

| Gehren

| align="right"|2917

|-

| Geschwenda

| align="right"|2291

|}

See also

  • House of Schwarzburg

References