Stolberg-Stolberg Explained

Native Name:Grafschaft Stolberg-Stolberg
Conventional Long Name:County of Stolberg-Stolberg
Common Name:Stolberg-Stolberg
Era:Middle Ages
Status:Vassal
Empire:Holy Roman Empire
Government Type:Principality
Year Start:1548
Year End:1803
Event Start:Division of Stolberg
Date Start:19 March
Event1:Creation of
Stolberg-Wernigerode
Date Event1:31 May 1645
Event2:Creation of
Stolberg-Rossla
Date Event2:1706
Event3:Under Vogterei of
the Electorate of Saxony
Date Event3: 
1730–38
Event End:Mediatised to Saxony
Event Post:Awarded to Prussia
Date Post:1815
P1:County of Stolberg
P2:County of Wernigerode
S1:Stolberg-Wernigerode
S2:Stolberg-Rossla
S3:Electorate of Saxony
Flag S3:Flag of Electoral Saxony.svg
Capital:Stolberg

Stolberg-Stolberg was a county of the Holy Roman Empire located in the southern Harz region. Its capital was the town of Stolberg, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was ruled by a branch of the House of Stolberg.

In 1429, the County of Wernigerode passed to the Counts of Stolberg, who ruled Wernigerode through a personal union. In 1548, the line was split between a Harz line (Stolberg-Stolberg) and a Rhenish line which had possessions in Rochefort (Stolberg-Rochefort) and Königstein im Taunus (Stolberg-Königstein).

With the death of Count Wolf Georg zu Stolberg in 1631, Stolberg-Stolberg was inherited by members of the Rhenish line. On 31 May 1645, Stolberg-Stolberg was divided between a senior Stolberg-Wernigerode line and a junior Stolberg-Stolberg line. In 1706, Stolberg-Stolberg divided again, with Stolberg-Rossla being created.

Stolberg-Stolberg was forced to recognize the suzerainty of the Electorate of Saxony in 1738. It was awarded to the Kingdom of Prussia in the 1815 Congress of Vienna.

The children of Fürsten and Erbprinzen zu Stolberg-Wernigerode bore the title of Prince[ss] (Prinz[essin]) zu Stolberg-Wernigerode and were styled Serene Highness. Other members of this line bore the title of Count[ess] (Graf/Gräfin) zu Stolberg-Wernigerode, with the style of Illustrious Highness.

Rulers of Stolberg-Stolberg

Counts of Stolberg-Stolberg

Princes of Stolberg-Stolberg

References

. Berent Schwineköper. Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands, Band 11, Provinz Sachsen/Anhalt. 1987. Alfred Kröner Verlag. Stuttgart. 3-520-31402-9. 644. de.