House of Lippe explained

The House of Lippe (German: Haus Lippe) is the former reigning house of a number of small German states, two of which existed until the German Revolution of 1918–19, the Principality of Lippe and the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, former Queen of the Netherlands (1980–2013), is an agnatic member of this house.

History

The House of Lippe descends from Jodocus Herman, Lord of Lippe (died c. 1096), whose descendant Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lippe in 1123.Born ca 1090. The family has produced several of the longest-reigning monarchs in Europe, including the longest reigning (for 82 years), Bernard VII, Lord of Lippe (d. 1511). In 1528, Simon V was elevated to the rank of a ruling count of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1613, the House's territory was split into the counties of Lippe-Detmold, Lippe-Brake and Lippe-Alverdissen. In 1643, Count Philipp of Lippe-Alverdissen inherited half of the neighboring County of Schaumburg and founded the Schaumburg-Lippe line of the House of Lippe. The Brake branch extinguished in 1709, disputedly inherited by the main, Lippe-Detmold line. Alverdissen was bought back from Schaumburg-Lippe by Lippe-Detmold in 1812. In the 18th century, the cadet line of Lippe-Biesterfeld split from the Detmold branch, and shortly thereafter Lippe-Weissenfeld split from Lippe-Biesterfeld as a further cadet branch. Both, Biesterfeld and Weissenfeld were so-called paragiums (non-sovereign estates of a cadet-branch) within the County of Lippe. Both branches, owning only modest manor houses in the county, acquired other (non-sovereign) property by marriage and moved out of the county in the late 18th century, the Biesterfeld branch to the Rhineland, and the Weissenfeld branch to Saxony.

The counts of Lippe-Detmold were granted the title of Imperial prince in 1789, while the counts of Schaumburg-Lippe became in fact princes by entering the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807 and legally by becoming a member state of the German Confederation in 1815.

The Principality of Lippe existed until the end of the German monarchies in 1918. In 1905, with the death of Alexander, Prince of Lippe, the senior Lippe-Detmold branch of the family became extinct and Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld (head of the non-ruling junior branch line Lippe-Biesterfeld) succeeded him as Prince, after an Imperial court ruling, in fact against the wishes of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, who would have preferred his brother-in-law Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe to succeed. Leopold IV continued to rule until the German Revolution of 1918. During the revolution, the ruling Princes of Lippe and Schaumburg-Lippe were forced to abdicate, ending the family's 795-year rule. In 1928, Prince Leopold's three sons by his first wife signed up to the Nazi Party. The eldest, Prince Ernst, was reputedly the first German prince to do so.[1]

In 1937, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld married Princess Juliana of the Netherlands. On the accession of their daughter Beatrix in 1980, the Netherlands Royal House officially remained known as the House of Orange-Nassau, although Beatrix and her sisters are agnatically members of the House of Lippe.

Stephan, Prince of Lippe (b. 1959) is the present senior of the House of Lippe. He still owns the estate and castle at Detmold, the former main residence of the principality. Alexander, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, head of the younger formerly sovereign branch, still resides at Bückeburg Palace.

States ruled by the House of Lippe

Non-ruling cadet branches

Rulers of Lippe

Partitions of Lippe under Lippe rule

County of Sternberg
pledged by the
Counts of Holstein (1400)
Lordship of Lippe
(1123-1528)
Lordship promoted to
County of Lippe
(1528-1613)
County of
Lippe-Sternberg

(1559-1583)
      <---Lippe--->
      <---Lippe--->
County of
Schauenburg-Lippe

(1613-1787)
Lippe-Alverdissen line
from 1777
County of
Lippe-Detmold

(1613-1782)
County of
Lippe-Brake

(1613-1709)
County of
Lippe-Biesterfeld

(1627-1905)
      <---Detmold--->
County of
Lippe-Weissenfeld

(1762-1916)

County promoted to
Principality of
Lippe-Weissenfeld

(1916-1918)
      <---Biesterfeld--->
      <---Schaumburg--->County of
Lippe-Alverdissen

(1681-1777)
      <---Detmold--->
County promoted to
Principality of
Schaumburg-Lippe

(1787-1918)
County promoted to
Principality of Lippe
(1782-1918)
Lippe-Biesterfeld line
from 1905
      <---Detmold--->

Table of rulers

RulerBornReignDeathRuling partConsortNotes
c.10901123-11581158Lordship of LippeUnknown
at least one child
First recorded lord of Lippe, and possible founder of the family.
?1158-11671167Lordship of LippeUnknown
at least two children
Grandson of the previous lord.
11401167-11961224Lordship of LippeHeilwig of Are-Hochstaden
(1150-1196)
eleven children
Brother of the previous. Also Lord of Rheda. Abdicated to become an abbot at the Latvian monastery of Daugavgrīva. Eventually he was appointed Bishop at Sēlija in 1218.
11751196-122925 December 1229Lordship of LippeOda of Tecklenburg
(1180-5 April 1221)
seven children
11941229-12651265Lordship of LippeSophia of Cuijck-Arnsberg
(1210-1245)
c.1230
five children

Sophie of Ravensberg-Vechta
(1220-1285)
1248
four children
c.12301265-1275June 1275Lordship of Lippe
(at Horn)
Agnes of Clèves
(1232-1 August 1285)
1260
two children
Sons of Bernard III, disputed the inheritance and briefly divided the lordship: Bernard kept Horn and the eastern part of the land; Herman received Lippstadt, Rheda and the western part.
12331265-12743 October 1274Lordship of Lippe
(at Lippstadt)
Unmarried
12611274/75-13443 August 1344Lordship of LippeAdelaide of Waldeck
24 November 1276
eleven children
Reunited the lordship, but it would be once more divided between his children.
c.1280/1300?13341334Lordship of LippeUnmarriedHis situation is not very clear. Despite dying before his father, he is stated as co-ruling with his brothers below.
c.12901344-13641364Lordship of Lippe
(at Rheda)
Richardis of the Mark
16 October 1344
four children
Sons of Simon I, after the death of their brother Simon not long after their father, the surviving brothers briefly divided the lordship: Bernard kept Rheda and Otto received Lemgo, Rheda
13001344-1360January 1360Lordship of Lippe
(at Lemgo)
Irmgard of the Mark
(c.1300-1 August 1362)
4 March 1323
five children
13401360/64-14101410Lordship of LippeIrmgard of Hoya
(1344-1422)
1362
ten children
Reunited the lands of Lippe once more.
13631410-141519 January 1415Lordship of LippeMargaret of Waldeck-Landau
(1363-21 February 1395)
28 June 1393
no children

Elisabeth of Mörs-Saarwerden
11 May 1403
four children
14041415-142911 August 1429Lordship of LippeMargaret of Brunswick-Grubenhagen
(1411-31 October 1456)
1426
five children
Regencies of Otto of Lippe (1429-1433) and Dietrich II, Archbishop of Cologne (1433-1446)Holds the record of the longest rule in history. Lord since he was less than one year old, he became known as having been involved in many feuds.
Bernard VII the Bellicose

4 December 14281429-15112 April 1511Lordship of LippeAnna of Holstein-Pinneberg
(1428-23 September 1495)
15 September 1443
seven children
14711511-153617 September 1536Lordship of Lippe
(until 1528)
County of Lippe
(from 1528)
Walpurgis of Bronckhorst
(d.21 December 1522)
27 March 1490
one child

Magdalena of Mansfeld-Mittelort
(c.1500-22 September 1540)
16 March 1524
Detmold
four children
During his rule, the Lordship was elevated to a County.
Regencies of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (1536-1547), Jobst II, Count of Hoya (1536-1545) and Adolphus XIII, Count of Holstein-Pinneberg (1536-1544)Sons of Simon V, both were minors by the time their father died. Bernard kept Lippe and Herman Simon received the feudal land of Sternberg. Herman Simon would become regent of his nephew, Simon VI.
Bernard VIII6 December 15271536-156315 April 1563County of LippeCatherine of Waldeck-Eisenberg
(1524-1583)
1550
five children
15321532-15764 June 1576County of Lippe-SternbergUrsula of Spiegelberg-Pyrmont
(1526-16 March 1583)
18 May 1558
Pyrmont
two children
Regency of Herman Simon, Count of Lippe-Sternberg (1563-1576)His marriage brought the county of Schaumburg (one of the last feuds of the counts of Holstein) into the family's domains. After Simon's death, the county entered into a more permanent division.
Simon VI15 April 15541563-16137 December 1613County of LippeArmgard, Countess of Rietberg
1578
no children

Elisabeth of Holstein-Pinneberg
1585
ten children
Regency of Ursula of Spiegelberg-Pyrmont (1576-1578)His early and childless death brought Sternberg once again under Lippe control.
5 October 15601576-158311 February 1583County of Lippe-SternbergUnmarried
Annexation to Lippe
Simon VII30 December 15871613-162726 March 1627County of Lippe-DetmoldAnna Catharina of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein
(4 December 1590 - 6 January 1622)
6 May 1607
Brake
twelve children

Maria Magdalena of Waldeck-Wildungen
(27 April 1606 - 28 May 1671)
27 April 1623
three children
Sons of Simon VI, divided the county once more. Simon kept his capital at Detmold; Otto received Brake, and Philip, Alverdissen. Following the annexation of the county of Schauenburg after the extinction of the House of Schauenburg in 1640 (the Lippes were heirs through the mother of the last count), Philip joined this new county to his inheritance.
Otto21 September 15891613-165718 November 1657County of Lippe-BrakeMargaret of Nassau-Dillenburg
(5 September 1606 - 30 January 1661)
30 October 1626
Dillenburg
twelve children
Philip I18 July 16011613-168110 April 1681County of Lippe-Alverdissen
(until 1640)
County of Schaumburg-Lippe
(from 1640)
Sophie of Hesse-Kassel
13 October 1644
Stadthagen
ten children
Regency of Christian, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1627-1631)Sons of Simon VII, and both minors. Simon Louis kept Detmold, under his step-grandfather, the Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont, and his half-brother received Biesterfeld, under his own mother's regency.
Simon Louis14 March 16101627-16368 August 1636County of Lippe-DetmoldCatherine of Waldeck-Wildungen
(20 October 1612 - 24 November 1649)
19 June 1631
Wildungen
three children
Regency of Maria Magdalena of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1627-1654)
Jobst Herman9 February 16251627-16786 July 1678Lordship of Lippe-Biesterfeld
(at Schwalenberg until 1654; at Biesterfeld since 1654)
Juliane Elisabeth of Sayn-Wittgenstein
(4 October 1634 - 23 June 1689)
10 October 1654
Wittgenstein
twenty children
Regencies of Christian, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1636-1637) and Catherine of Waldeck-Wildungen (1637-1650)Died with no descendants. The county fell to his uncle.
Simon Philip6 April 16321636-165019 June 1650County of Lippe-DetmoldUnmarried
John Bernard18 October 16131650-165210 June 1652County of Lippe-DetmoldUnmarriedBrother of Simon Louis, also had no descendants.
Herman Adolphus31 January 16161652-166610 October 1666County of Lippe-DetmoldErnestina von Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein
(9 February 1614 - 5 December 1665)
1648
four children

Amalia of Lippe-Brake
(20 September 1629 - 19 August 1676)
27 February 1666
no children
Brother of the previous.
Casimir22 July 16271657-169212 March 1700County of Lippe-BrakeAnna Amalia of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Homburg
(6 December 1641 - 27 March 1685)
28 May 1663
Nymbrecht
nine children
In 1692, he abdicated to his eldest son.
Simon Henry13 March 16491666-16972 May 1697County of Lippe-DetmoldAmalia of Dohna-Vianen
(2 February 1644 - 11 March 1700)
15 December 1666
The Hague
sixteen children
Regency of Juliane Elisabeth of Sayn-Wittgenstein (1678-1689)
Rudolph Ferdinand17 March 16711678-173612 July 1736Lordship of Lippe-BiesterfeldJuliana Louisa von Kunowitz
(21 August 1671 - 21 October 1741)
22 February 1705
Halle
eight children
Frederick Christian16 August 16551681-172813 June 1728County of Schaumburg-LippeJoanna Sophia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
4 January 1691
Langenburg
(annulled 1723)
six children
Sons of Philip I, divided their inheritance: Frederick Christian kept Schaumburg, and Philip Ernest received Alverdissen (the land of his father prior to the inheritance of the County of Schaumburg).
Philip Ernest I20 December 16591681-172327 November 1723County of Lippe-AlverdissenDorothea Amalia of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
31 December 1686
Beck
seven children
Rudolph10 May 16641692-170727 October 1707County of Lippe-BrakeDorothea Elisabeth of Waldeck-Wildungen
(6 July 1661 - 23 July 1702)
4 November 1691
Kleinern
one child
Left no surviving descendants. The county passed to his cousin.
Frederick Adolphus2 September 16671697-171818 July 1718County of Lippe-DetmoldJoanna Elizabeth of Nassau-Dillenburg-Schaumburg
(5 September 1663 - 8 February 1700)
16 June 1692
Schaumburg
six children

Amalia of Solms-Hohensolms
(13 October 1678 - 14 February 1746)
8 June 1700
Hohensolms
seven children
Louis Ferdinand27 September 16801707-170921 February 1709County of Lippe-BrakeUnmarriedSon of Frederick, a younger brother of Casimir. After his childless death Brake reverted to Lippe.
Annexation to Lippe
Simon Henry Adolphus15 April 15541718-17347 December 1613County of Lippe-DetmoldJohanetta Wilhelmina of Nassau-Idstein
(14 September 1700 - 2 June 1756)16 October 1719
Wiesbaden
eleven children
Frederick Ernest20 December 16941723-174928 August 1749County of Lippe-AlverdissenElisabeth Philippine von Friesenhausen
(19 August 1696 - 4 August 1764)
27 September 1722
Rebourg
eleven children
Albert Wolfgang27 April 16991728-174824 September 1648County of Schaumburg-LippeMargarete Gertrud of Oeynhausen
(9 April 1698 - 8 April 1726)
30 October 1721
London
two children

Charlotte Frederica of Nassau-Siegen
(30 November 1702 - 22 July 1785)
26 April 1730
Varel
no children
Regency of Johanetta Wilhelmina of Nassau-Idstein (1734-1747)
Simon Augustus12 June 17271734-17821 May 1782County of Lippe-DetmoldPolyxena Louise of Nassau-Weilburg
(27 January 1733 - 27 September 1764)
24 August 1750
Kirchheimbolanden
one child

Maria Leopoldine of Anhalt-Dessau
28 September 1765
Dessau
one child

Casimire of Anhalt-Dessau
9 November 1769
Dessau
one child

Christine of Solms-Braunfels
(30 August 1744 - 16 December 1823)
26 March 1780
Braunfels
no children
Frederick Charles Augustus20 January 17061736-178131 July 1781Lordship of Lippe-Biesterfeld
(until 1762)
County of Lippe-Biesterfeld
(until 1762)
Barbara Eleonora of Solms-Baruth
(30 October 1707 - 16 June 1744)
7 May 1732
Baruth
eight children
Sons of Rudolph Ferdinand. Frederick Charles ascended after his father's death, and, during his rule, the Lordship was elevated to a County. In this same year (1762), he gave Weissenfelf to his brother Ferdinand Louis.
Ferdinand I Louis22 August 17091762-178718 January 1787County of Lippe-WeissenfeldErnestine Henriette of Solms-Baruth
(23 May 1712 - 17 November 1769)
2 November 1736
Baruth
nine children
William9 January 17241748-177710 September 1777County of Schaumburg-LippeMaria Barbara Eleonore of Lippe-Biesterfeld
12 November 1765
Stadthagen
two children
Left no surviving descendants. The county passed to his cousin from the Alverdissen line.
Philip II Ernest II5 July 1720bgcolor=#ffa1749-177713 February 1787bgcolor=#ffaCounty of Lippe-AlverdissenErnestine Albertine of Saxe-Weimar
6 May 1756
Weimar
four children

Juliane of Hesse-Philippsthal
10 October 1780
Philippsthal
four children
After the death of the last male representative of the Schaumburg-Lippe line, he assumed the reins of this County, probably even merging his own with the recently acquired property.
1777-1787County of Schaumburg-Lippe
Annexation to Schaumburg-Lippe
Charles Ernest Casimir2 November 17351781-181019 November 1810County of Lippe-BiesterfeldFerdinanda Henrietta Dorothea of Bentheim-Tecklenburg
(24 August 1737 - 23 April 1779)
16 October 1769
Rheda
five children
Regency of Louis Henry Adolph of Lippe-Detmold (1782-1789)During his rule, the County was elevated to a Principality.
Leopold I2 December 17671782-18024 April 1802County of Lippe-Detmold
(until 1789)
Principality of Lippe
(from 1789)
Pauline Christine of Anhalt-Bernburg
2 January 1796
Ballenstedt
two children
Regency of Juliane of Hesse-Philippsthal (1787-1820)During his rule, the County was elevated to a Principality.
George William20 December 17841787-186021 November 1860County of Schaumburg-Lippe
(until 1807)
Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe
(from 1807)
Ida of Waldeck-Pyrmont
23 June 1816
Arolsen
nine children
Frederick John Louis2 September 17371787-179114 May 1791County of Lippe-WeissenfeldMaria Eleonora von Gersdorf
(1 September 1752 - 3 December 1772)
21 February 1772
Milkel
one child

Wilhelmina von Hoenthal
(19 February 1748 - 8 December 1789)
28 August 1775
Debernitz
five children
Ferdinand II20 November 17721791-184621 June 1846County of Lippe-WeissenfeldEleonora Gustava von Thermo
(19 October 1789 - 23 February 1868)
23 November 1804
Lipten
seven children
Regency of Pauline Christine of Anhalt-Bernburg (1802-1820)
Leopold II6 November 17961802-18511 January 1851Principality of LippeEmilia Frederica of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
(23 April 1800 - 2 April 1867)
23 April 1820
Arnstadt
nine children
William Ernest15 April 17771810-18408 January 1840County of Lippe-BiesterfeldDorothea Christina Modesta von Umru
(29 April 1781 - 29 September 1854)
26 July 1803
Bayreuth
nine children
Julius2 April 18121840-188417 May 1884County of Lippe-BiesterfeldAdelaide Clotilda Augusta of Kastell-Kastell
(18 June 1818 - 11 July 1900)
30 April 1839
Kastell
fourteen children
Gustav21 August 18051846-188217 June 1882County of Lippe-WeissenfeldIda of Lippe-Weissenfeld
(16 January 1819 - 18 March 1878)
21 August 1848
Niedergurig
seven children
Leopold III1 September 18211851-18758 December 1875Principality of LippeElisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
(1 October 1833 - 27 November 1896)
17 April 1852
Rudolstadt
no children
Left no descendants. The principality fell to his brother.
Adolphus I1 August 18171860-18938 May 1893Principality of Schaumburg-LippeHermine of Waldeck-Pyrmont
25 October 1844
Arolsen
three children
Woldemar18 April 18241875-189520 March 1895Principality of LippeSophie of Baden
9 November 1858
Karlsruhe
no children
Left no descendants. The principality fell to his brother.
Ferdinand III6 October 18441882-190011 April 1900County of Lippe-WeissenfeldMargarete von Winterfeld
(17 September 1858 - 11 July 1903)
no children
Left no children. The county passed to his cousin, Clemens.
Ernest9 June 18421884-190426 September 1904County of Lippe-BiesterfeldKaroline of Wartensleben
16 September 1869
Neudorf
six children
Held regency to the Principality of Lippe due to the mental illness of his relative and actual prince, Alexander.
George10 October 18461893-191129 April 1911Principality of Schaumburg-LippeMarie Anne of Saxe-Altenburg
16 April 1882
Altenburg
nine children
Regencies of Ernest, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1895-1904) and Leopold, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1904-1905)Had a mental illness, so he never fully assumed he reins of the principality, which was assumed by his cousin from the Lippe-Biesterfeld line. After his death, his regent became the new prince.
Alexander16 January 18311895-190513 January 1905Principality of LippeUnmarried
Clemens15 July 18601900-191829 April 1920County of Lippe-Weissenfeld
(until 1916)
Principality of Lippe-Weissenfeld
(from 1916)
Friederike von Carlowitz
7 January 1901
Proschwitz
two children
Grandson of Christian, a brother of Ferdinand II. In 1918, he abdicated following the dissolution of the monarchy.
Leopold IV30 May 1871bgcolor=#dca1904-190530 December 1949bgcolor=#dcaCounty of Lippe-BiesterfeldBertha of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld
(25 October 1874 - 19 February 1919)
16 August 1901
Rotenburg
five children

Anna of Ysenburg and Büdingen
16 April 1922
Büdingen
one child
From the Lippe-Biesterfeld line. After the death of the last male representative of the Lippe-Detmold line, he assumed the reins of the Principality of Lippe, probably even merging his own county with the recently acquired principality. In 1918, he abdicated following the dissolution of the monarchy. In addition to being pro Nazis, both his eldest sons (Ernst and Chlodwig) had contracted unequal marriages. So in 1947, when Leopold wrote his will, Armin, his youngest son and only child with his second wife, would succeed him as head of the House of Lippe. One of Leopold's nephews, Bernhard, became the consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.
1905-1918Principality of Lippe
Annexation to Lippe
Adolphus II23 February 18831911-191826 March 1936Principality of Schaumburg-LippeEllen Bischoff-Korthaus
(6 November 1894 - 26 March 1936)
10 January 1920
Berlin
no children
In 1918, he abdicated following the dissolution of the monarchy. Died in a plane crash.

See also

External links

|-|-

Notes and References

  1. http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/GermanyLippe.htm www.historyfiles.co.uk