Principality of Reuss-Greiz explained

Conventional Long Name:Principality of Reuss-Greiz

Principality of the Reuss Elder Line
Common Name:Reuss-Greiz
Government Type:Principality
Year Start:1778
Year End:1918
Date Start:12 May
Date End:11 November
P1:Imperial County of Reuss
Flag P1:Flag of Reuss-Lobenstein.svg
S1:People's State of Reuss
Flag S1:Flagge Fürstentum Reuß ältere Linie.svg
Image Map Caption:Reuss-Greiz within the German Empire
Image Map2:Shield Reuss OL.png
Image Map2 Caption:Reuss-Greiz within Thuringia
Capital:Greiz
National Motto:Ich Bau Auf Gott
"I build on God"
National Anthem:Gott, erhalt' in Deiner Gnaden Unsern Fürsten
"God, Save in Your Mercy Our Prince"
Title Leader:Prince
Leader1:Heinrich XI
Year Leader1:1778–1800
Leader2:Heinrich XIII
Year Leader2:1800–1817
Leader3:Heinrich XIX
Year Leader3:1817–1836
Leader4:Heinrich XX
Year Leader4:1836–1859
Leader5:Heinrich XXII
Year Leader5:1859–1902
Leader6:Heinrich XXIV
Year Leader6:1902–1918
Title Deputy:Minister of State
Deputy1:Franz von Grün
Year Deputy1:1782–1833
Deputy2:Ernst von Meding
Year Deputy2:1901–1918
Today:Germany

The Principality of Reuss-Greiz (German: Fürstentum Reuß-Greiz), officially called the Principality of the Reuss Elder Line (German: Fürstentum Reuß älterer Linie) after 1848, was a sovereign state in the German Empire, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz and Upper-Greiz (German: Reuß zu Greiz, Untergreiz und Obergreiz) were elevated to princely status in 1778 and thereafter bore the title of Prince Reuss, Elder Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Similarly to the more numerous Reuss Junior Line, the male members of this house were all named "Heinrich", in honour of Emperor Heinrich VI, who had benefited the family. They were numbered sequentially by birth, rather than by reign, with the last series beginning with Heinrich I (born 1693) and ending with Heinrich XXIV (1878–1927).

The territory had an area of 317 km2 and over 72,000 inhabitants in 1910.

Reuss-Greiz preserved the Frankfurt Parliament flag, which later became the flag of Germany.

Territory

In 1919, in the aftermath of World War I, the territory of the Elder Line was merged with that of the Junior Line as the People's State of Reuss, which was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia in 1920. The Elder Line died out in 1927 with the death of the childless Heinrich XXIV, after which its claims were passed to the Junior Line.

Notable figures

See also