Solms-Laubach Explained

Native Name:Grafschaft Solms-Laubach
Conventional Long Name:County of Solms-Laubach
Common Name:Solms-Laubach
Era:Middle Ages
Status:Vassal
Empire:Holy Roman Empire
Government Type:Principality
Year Start:1544
Year End:1806
Life Span:1544–1676
1696–1806
Event Start:Partitioned from S-Lich
Event1:Partitioned to create
Solms-Sonnenwalde
Date Event1:
1561
Event2:Partitioned to create
S-Baruth & S-Rödelheim
Date Event2:
1607
Event3:Partitioned to create
Solms-Sonnenwalde
Date Event3:
1627
Event4:Annexed to Solms-Baruth
Date Event4:1676–96
Event End:Mediatised to Hesse
P1:Solms-Lich
S1:Grand Duchy of Hesse
Flag S1:Flagge Großherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg
Capital:Laubach

Solms-Laubach was a County of southern Hesse and eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The House of Solms[1] had its origins in Solms, Hesse.

History

Solms-Laubach was originally created as a partition of Solms-Lich. In 1537 Philip, Count of Solms-Lich, ruling count at Lich, purchased the Herrschaft Sonnewalde in Lower Lusatia which he left to his younger son Otto of Solms-Laubach (1496–1522), together with the county of Laubach. While Lich and Laubach were counties with imperial immediacy, Sonnewalde remained a semi-independent state country within the March of Lusatia (the latter being an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire). A later Count Otto (1550–1612) moved to Sonnewalde and built the castle in 1582. In 1596 he also purchased the nearby Herrschaft of Baruth which was also elevated to a state country within the March of Lusatia. The branch then was divided into the twigs of Solms-Laubach, Solms-Sonnewalde and Solms-Baruth.

Solms-Laubach partitioned between itself and Solms-Sonnenwalde in 1561; between itself, Solms-Baruth and Solms-Rödelheim 1607; and between itself and Solms-Sonnenwalde 1627. Solms-Laubach inherited Solms-Sonnenwalde in 1615. With the death of Count Charles Otto in 1676, it was inherited by Solms-Baruth and recreated as a partition in 1696. Solms-Laubach was mediatised to Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806.

The counts of Solms-Laubach still own Laubach Castle and Arnsburg Abbey. Until 1935, Münzenberg Castle also belonged to the estate.

Counts of Solms-Laubach

First creation: 1544–1676

Second creation: 1696–1806

Mediatized

Literature

Notes and References

  1. See German article on the House of Solms or French article Maison de Solms.