House of Wurtemberg

According to last research, the house of Wurtemberg (which gave its name to the kingdom of Wurtemberg and, by-effect, with the Bade-Wurtemberg) has in fact of the origins in the entourage of the imperial house salienne. The Luxembourg origin, supposed a long time, is on the contrary rather improbable.

History

In the neighborhoods of 1080, it is established in the area of Stuttgart, was made by marriage the heiress of the house of Beutelsbach and built the castle of Wirtemberg (Conrad of Wurtemberg). Perhaps Wurtemberg obtained the title of count in 1143. Their field, which originally comprised only the immediate surroundings of the castle, increased constantly, especially, by purchases made at houses impoverished like those of Tübingen.

At the time of the Reichstag of Worms, the count Eberhard V was gratifié by the emperor Maximilien Ier of the Saint Worsens of the title of duke (1495). From 1534 to 1537 the duke Ulrich VI introduced the Reform and made of his duchy an important Protestant territory, where he was the chief of the Protestant Church.

When at the XVIIIe century died out the male Protestant elder branch, another line succeeded to him with a catholic sovereign, the duke Charles-Alexandre. These catholic dukes thus had to yield the direction of the Church to an ecclesiastical council recruited in the most important families of Wurtemberg. It is only with the duke Frederic III that a protesting prince returned in 1797 to the government.

In May 1803 the political reforms of Bonaparte made of Frederic III a Prince-voter and it accepted secularized and mediatized seigniories which enabled him to increase its country considerably. January 1st 1806, the prince Frederic voter accepted the title of king and could still increase his kingdom by new territories.

The king Guillaume Ier enacted in 1828 a new rule of succession fixing the rights and the duties of the family of the sovereign; exclusive male primogeniture was established with the requirement of marriages with equal families in dignity.

When monarchy was removed in Germany at the end of the First World War, the king Guillaume II was the last German sovereign to abdicate, in November 1918; he then took the title of “duke in Wurtemberg”. After its death in October 1921 its fortune and the claims all - theoretical - with the throne returned to another line become catholic at the 19th century. Since 1919, the former king had given to the heir to the presumptive throne, the duke Albert, the castle of Altshausen close to Ravensburg so that it lived there.

It is there that until now the applicant resides at the throne, Charles Marie of Wurtemberg, resulting from the fifth branch. However, the elder one of the House of Wurtemberg east currently Charles Anselme of Wurtemberg-Urach, resulting from the fourth branch.

Branches of the House of Wurtemberg

They go down very from Frederic-Eugene of Wurtemberg (1732 - 1797):

the first branch known as connects elder descends from Frederic III. This branch died out with Guillaume II of Wurtemberg in 1921.

the second branch known as of Teak goes down from the duke Louis Frederic of Wurtemberg (1756 - 1819). This branch died out with Georges de Teck in 1981.

the third branch goes down from the duke Eugene Frederic of Wurtemberg (1758 - 1822). This branch died out with Nicolas of Wurtemberg in 1903.

the fourth branch known as of Urach goes down from Guillaume-Frederic-Philippe of Wurtemberg (1761 - 1830). This branch exists always nowadays, but it is not any more dynaste, due to marriage morganatic.

the fifth branch descends from Alexandre of Wurtemberg (1771-1833). The current applicants with the throne of Wurtemberg belong to this branch.

By the women, Wurtemberg are present in many royal families, imperial, ducal or princely like the Bourbons, Liechtenstein, Orleans, Windsor, etc

Sovereigns of Wurtemberg

List of the lords of Wurtemberg
List of the counts de Wurtemberg
List of the dukes of Wurtemberg
List of the kings de Wurtemberg

Counts de Montbéliard

Between 1407 and its suppression in 1793, the county of Montbeliard belonged to the house of Wurtemberg (with some interruptions).

List of the counts de Montbéliard

Sources

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