Salm-Kyrburg Explained

Native Name:Wild- und Rheingrafschaft Salm-Kyrburg
Conventional Long Name:Forest- and Rhine-County of Salm-Kyrburg
Common Name:Salm-Kyrburg
Era:Early modern Europe
Status:Vassal
Empire:Holy Roman Empire
Government Type:Principality
Year Start:1499
Year End:1681
Event Start:Partitioned from
Upper Salm
Event1:Partitioned into three
Date Event1:1607
Event End:Comital line extinct;
inherited by S-Neuweiler
P1:Upper Salm
S1:Salm-Neuweiler
Capital:Kirn

Salm-Kyrburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire located in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, one of the various partitions of Salm. It was twice created: the first time as a Wild- and Rhinegraviate (partitioned from Upper Salm), and secondly as a Principality (succeeding the earlier Principality of Salm-Leuze). The first state of Salm-Kyrburg was partitioned between itself, Salm-Mörchingen and Salm-Tronecken in 1607, and was inherited by Salm-Neuweiler in 1681 upon the lines' extinction.

In 1742, Salm-Kyrburg was raised to a principality; it shared its vote in the Reichstag with Salm-Salm. Salm-Kyrburg was annexed by France in 1798; this was recognized by the Holy Roman Empire in the Treaty of Lunéville of 1801. As a compensation, the princes were granted new territories formerly belonging to the Bishops of Münster in 1802, which formed the newly founded Principality of Salm.

The full title used by the Princes of the resurrected state was "Prince of Salm-Kyrburg, Sovereign Prince of Ahaus, Bocholt and Gemen, Wildgrave of Dhaun and Kyrburg, Rhinegrave of Stein".

The last prince, Frederick VI, morganatically married Louisa le Grand, with their descendants being created Barons of Rennenberg by Wilhelm II in 1917, but were deemed inelligible to inherit the title of Prince of Salm-Kyburg. With his death in 1905, the Salm-Kyburg family went extinct.

Princes of Salm-Kyrburg

Wild- and Rhinegraves (1499–1681)

Sovereign princes (1743–1813)

Mediatised princes within Prussia (1813–1905)