List of monarchs of Württemberg explained

Royal Title:Monarchy
Realm:Württemberg
Border:state
Coatofarms:Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg 1817-1921.svg
Coatofarmscaption:Royal coat of arms
Style:His Majesty
Appointer:Hereditary
Began:1081
Ended:30 November 1918
Pretender:Wilhelm, Duke of Württemberg

This is a list of monarchs of Württemberg, containing the Counts, Dukes, Electors, and Kings who reigned over different territories named Württemberg from the beginning of the County of Württemberg in the 11th century to the end of the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1918.

Counts and Dukes of Württemberg

See also: County of Württemberg and Duchy of Württemberg.

House of Württemberg

Partitions of Württemberg under Württemberg rule

County of Württemberg
(1089-1442)
      <---Urach--->County of
Württemberg-Stuttgart
(1442–82)
County of
Württemberg-Montbéliard
(Stuttgart line, 1st creation)
(1473–82)		County of
Württemberg-Urach
(1442–82)
      <---Württemberg--->
County of
Württemberg-Montbéliard
Revived:
1526-34 (2nd creation)
1542-50 (3rd creation)
1553-93 (4th creation)		County and Duchy of Württemberg
Elevated to Duchy in 1495; Annexed to Austria 1519-34
(1482-1617)
(Urach line until 1495; Stuttgart line until 1498)
(Montbéliard line from 1498 onwards)
      <---Württemberg--->Duchy of
Württemberg-Weitlingen
(1588-1705)
      <---Württemberg--->
Duchy of
Württemberg-Montbéliard
(1617-1723)
(Twice annexed to France:
1676-79, 1680–97) 		Duchy of
Württemberg-Neuenstadt
(1st creation)
(1617–31)		Duchy of
Württemberg
(1617-1803)
(Winnental line from 1733)		      <---Weitlingen--->Duchy of
Württemberg-Oels
(1635-1792)
(Wilhelminort line from 1761)
      <---Württemberg--->
Duchy of
Württemberg-Neuenstadt
(2nd creation)
(1649-1742)		      <---Württemberg--->
      <---Württemberg--->Duchy of
Württemberg-Winnental
(1677-1733)		      <---Württemberg--->      <---Oels--->
      <---Württemberg--->      <---Oels--->Duchy of
Württemberg-Wilhelminort
(1704-1761)
      <---Württemberg--->      <---Württemberg--->
      <---Württemberg--->      <---Württemberg--->
      <---Württemberg--->
      <---Württemberg--->      <---Oels--->
      <---Württemberg--->Annexed to the
Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Table of monarchs

MonarchBornReignDeathRuling partConsortNotes
? 1099-11221122 UnknownConsidered to be founder of the Württemberg dynasty.
? 1122-11431143 UnknownHis mother, Luitgard of Beutelsbach, was a sister of Conrad I. He served as marshal of Swabia[1] and advocate of the town of Ulm, and had large possessions in the valleys of the Neckar and the Rems. Based on the similarity between their coats of arms, it is believed that Conrad II belonged to the family of the Counts of Veringen (Veringenstadt).
c.10981143-11581158Unknown
at least one child		He presumably was Vogt of the Denkendorf monastery.
c.11371158-11811181Willibirg of Kirchberg
(1142-1179)
two children
c.11601181-12401240? of Veringen
no children		Sons of Louis II, ruled jointly since 1194. Hartmann inherited Veringen estates through his marriage. Hartmann's children founded a branch of counts of Grüningen-Landau.
11661194-12411241? of Dillenburg/Kyburg
four children
12261241-126525 February 1265Matilda of Baden
three children

Agnes of Legnica
(d.13 March 1265)
one child		Grandson of Hartmann I, through his son Hermann.
12541265-127918 September 1279Unknown
13 March 12651279-13255 June 1325Unknown
two children

Margaret of Lorraine
one child

Irmengard of Baden
three children
c.12901325-134411 July 1344Sophia of Pfirt
1312
two children
c.13151344-139215 March 1392Elisabeth of Henneberg-Schleusingen
17 September 1342
two children		Sons of Ulrich III, ruled jointly. Ulrich IV usually stood in the shadow of his elder brother Eberhard II. Because of that, he temporarily strove towards the division of the realm, which motivated Eberhard to force his brother to sign a treaty that stipulated the indivisibility of the county on December 3, 1361. On May 1, 1362, Ulrich IV relinquished his participation in the government.
c.13151344-13621366Katharina of Helfenstein
no children
13641392-141716 May 1417Antonia Visconti
27 October 1380
Urach
three children

Elisabeth of Nuremberg
22 November 1412
one child		Grandson of Eberhard II, through his son Ulrich. His reign was noted by a peace-preserving policy of alliances with the neighboring principalities and imperial towns. Examples are an alliances with 14 Upper-Swabian towns, concluded 27 August 1395 and the Marbachs alliance in 1405. Acquired the County of Montbéliard marrying his son to its heiress.
23 August 13881417-14192 July 1419Henriette, Countess of Montbéliard
1407
three children		Took part in government since 1407, and ruled in Montbéliard with his wife since 1409.
Regency of Henriette, Countess of Montbéliard (1419-1433)Sons of Eberhard IV, co-ruled with their mother as regent until 1433. However, they agreed in dividing the county in 1442. Louis also inherited Montbéliard from his mother in 1444, and remodeled Urach into his residence and implemented an active policy to strengthen the monasteries in his realm of power. On his part, Ulrich inherited Stuttgart.
Louis I (IV)[2] c.14121419-144224 September 1450Mechthild of the Palatinate
21 October 1436
Stuttgart
five children
1442-1450
14131419-14421 September 1480Margaret of Cleves
29 January 1441
Stuttgart
one child

Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut
8 February 1445
Stuttgart
five children

Margaret of Savoy
11 November 1453
Stuttgart
three children
1442-1480Württemberg-Stuttgart
The Treaty of Nürtingen divided the County of Württemberg into two separate lines. Württemberg-Stuttgart, containing the northern and eastern parts of the old county, with the capital Stuttgart; and Württemberg-Urach, containing the southern and western parts, with the capital Urach.
Regency of Eberhard V, Count of Württemberg-Stuttgart (1450-1453)
3 April 14391450-14573 November 1457Unmarried
The Treaty of Münsingen reunited the two separate Lines under Eberhard V in 1482. Eberhard obtained the title of Duke in 1495.
Eberhard V & I the Bearded[3] 11 December 14451457-148224 February 1496Barbara Gonzaga
12 April/4 July 1474
Urach
one child		Reunited the counties of Württemberg under his rule in 14 December 1482. His title was elevated to Duke in 1495. Founded the University of Tübingen, but expelled the Jews from his lands. He left no descendants, and the duchy passed to the deposed count of Stuttgart.
1482-1495

1495-1496		County of Württemberg

Duchy of Württemberg
7 September 14481473-148215 April 1519Elisabeth of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Bitsch
(d. 17 February 1487)
1485
one child

Eva of Salm
21 July 1488
two children		The 1473 Treaty of Urach awarded the county of Montbéliard and other Württemberg possessions on the left bank of the Rhine to Henry. In the course of a dispute between Duke Charles the Bold of Burgundy and Emperor Frederick III, Charles took Henry prisoner in 1474. The captivity lasted until 1477 and Henry was treated very badly, allegedly including a mock execution. After his father's death in 1480, Henry claimed Württemberg-Stuttgart. He did not succeed, and in the 1482 Treaty of Reichenweier, he gave the county of Montbéliard to his brother, Eberhard II.
Montbéliard was annexed to Württemberg
1 February 14471480-148217 February 1504Elisabeth of Brandenburg
April/May 1467
Stuttgart
no children		Deposed by the count of Urach, who reunited both halves of the county, he later achieved sovereignty over the whole Württemberg as Duke Eberhard II. But he soon ran into trouble with the nobility, who disempowered him, working in close collaboration with Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. He fled to Ulm, but as he didn't find support, he was forced to accept the Arbitration of Horb in 1498, which deposed and banished him, in exchange for an annual pension of 6,000 guilders.
1496-1498Duchy of Württemberg
Regency of the Estates of the realm (1498-1503)Son of Henry and nephew of Eberhard II. Infamous for his violent tendencies, which caused marital problems, and which, at a greater extent, had him deposed in January 1519 and the duchy annexed to Austria. In exile, and away from his wife, who fled to Bavaria, he befriended Philip, landgrave of Hesse. Restored in May 1534, he aimed to bring the Reformation to the Duchy and, as Henry VIII of England was doing in his country, he also supported the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
8 February 14871498-1519

1534-1550		6 November 1550Sabina of Bavaria
2 March 1511
two children
Württemberg annexed to Austria: 1519-1534
George I the Cautious4 February 14981526-1534

1553-1558		17 July 1558Barbara of Hesse
1555
three children		Son of Henry and nephew of Eberhard II. He was deposed by his half-brother Ulrich and was only restored to his title under his nephew Christoph.
Montbéliard was annexed to Württemberg in 1534, and revived in 1542
Christopher the Pacific12 May 15151542-155328 December 1568Anna Maria of Brandenburg-Ansbach
24 February 1544
Ansbach
twelve children		He re-organized the entire administration of the church and state. He also reformed and supported the educational system. He also reconstructed the Altes Schloss in Stuttgart and hosted many celebrations.
1550-1568Duchy of Württemberg
Regencies of Anna Maria of Brandenburg-Ansbach, George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (1568-77) and Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1568-69)Left no descendants, and the duchy passed to his brother Frederick I.
Louis the Pious[4] 1 January 15541568-159328 August 1593Dorothea Ursula of Baden-Durlach
(20 June 1559-19 May 1583)
7 November 1575
no children

Ursula of Palatinate-Veldenz
(24 February 1572-5 March 1635)
1585
no children
Frederick I19 August 15571558-159329 January 1608Sibylla of Anhalt
22 May 1581
Stuttgart
fifteen children
1593-1608Duchy of Württemberg
Montbéliard merged into Württemberg in 1593
John Frederick5 May 15821608-162818 July 1628Barbara Sophie of Brandenburg
5 November 1609
Urach
nine children		Restored the constitution and councils abolished by his father. After the division in 1617, and as the eldest, he kept the main duchy of Württemberg
Louis Frederick29 January 15861617-163126 January 1631Elisabeth Magdalena of Hesse-Darmstadt
(23 April 1600 - 9 June 1624)
14 July 1617
three children

Anna Eleonora of Nassau-Saarbrücken
15 May 1625
three children		Son of Frederick I, after the partition of 1617 received Montbéliard.
Frederick Achilles5 May 15911617-163130 December 1631Unmarried Son of Frederick I, after the partition of 1617 received Neuenstadt. After his death without descendants, the duchy was briefly reannexed to the main Württemberg before being reassigned to his nephew.
Neuenstadt merged in Württemberg in 1631
Julius Frederick3 June 15881617-163525 April 1635Anna Sabina of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
11 December 1618
Sønderborg
nine children		Son of Frederick I, after the partition of 1617 received Weiltingen.
Regencies of Louis Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard (1628-31) and Julius Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Weiltingen (1631-33)Following a major defeat of Württemberg troops in the battle of Nördlingen on 6 September 1634, Württemberg was severely looted and plundered. Eberhard fled to Strasbourg, while many territories had already been passed on by the Emperor to other parties to push forward Catholicism in the region. The Duchy of Württemberg was reinstated after long negotiations resulting in the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, despite or maybe because of the effects of war, poverty, hunger and the Bubonic plague all of which reduced the population from 350,000 in 1618 to 120,000 in 1648.
Eberhard III16 December 16141628-16742 July 1674Anna Katharina of Salm-Kyrburg
(27 January 1614-27 June 1655)
26 February 1637
fourteen children

Maria Dorothea Sophie of Oettingen-Oettingen
(29 December 1639-29 June 1698)
20 July 1656
Ansbach
eleven children
Regency of George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Julius Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Weiltingen (1631-38)Left no descendants. The duchy passed to his brother George.
Leopold Frederick30 May 16241631-166215 June 1662Sibylle of Württemberg
(4 December 1620 - 21 May 1707)
no children
Roderick19 October 16181635-165119 November 1651UnmarriedDied without descendants. The duchy went to his younger brother, Manfred.
Silvius I Nimrod2 May 16221647-166424 April 1664Elisabeth Marie, Duchess of Oels
1 May 1647
Oleśnica
seven children		Son of Julius Frederick, acquired the duchy of Oels by marriage.
Frederick19 December 16151649-168224 March 1682Clara Augusta of Brunswick-Lüneburg
7 June 1653
twelve children		Son of John Frederick, he received the duchy of Neuenstadt after the death of his uncle.
Manfred5 June 16261651-166215 May 1662Juliana of Oldenburg
31 October 1652
three children
George II5 October 16261662-1676

1679-1680

1697-1699		1 June 1699Anne de Coligny
(1624-1680)
9 March 1648
Montbéliard
eight children		Under his rule the French occupied his lands twice.
Montbéliard occupied by France: 1676-1679, 1680-1697
Frederick Ferdinand6 October 16541662-17058 August 1705Elisabeth of Württemberg-Montbéliard
9 September 1689
three children		Left no surviving male descendants, and the duchy was reannexed to the main duchy of Württemberg
Weitlingen was annexed to Württemberg in 1705
Silvius II Frederick21 February 16511664-16973 June 1697Eleonore Charlotte of Württemberg-Montbéliard
7 April 1672
Oleśnica
no children
William Louis7 January 16471674-167723 June 1677Magdalena Sibylla of Hesse-Darmstadt
6 November 1673
Darmstadt
four children		Died unexpectedly, when 30 years old, of a heart-attack.
Frederick Charles12 September 16521677-169720 September 1697Eleonore Juliane of Brandenburg-Ansbach
31 October 1682
Ansbach
seven children		Son of Eberhard III, founded the new Duchy of Winnental.
Regency of Magdalena Sibylla of Hesse-Darmstadt (1677-1693)For his time, Eberhard Louis was a very tolerant ruler, commonly noted by modern scholars as "enlightened." Left no surviving descendants, and thus the main line went extinct. The duchy passed to Winnental branch.
Eberhard Louis18 September 16761677-173331 October 1733Johanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach
6 May 1697
Basel
one child
Frederick Augustus12 March 16541682-17166 August 1716Albertine Sophie Esther of Eberstein
9 February 1679
fifteen children		Left no male surviving descendants. The duchy passed to his brother.
Charles Alexander24 January 16841697-173312 March 1737Marie Auguste of Thurn and Taxis
1 May 1727
Frankfurt am Main
six children		Previously served as regent of the Kingdom of Serbia (1720–33). In 1733, inherited the main Duchy of Württemberg.
1733-1737Duchy of Württemberg
Winnental merged into Württemberg in 1733
Christian Ulrich I9 April 16521697-17045 April 1704Anna Elisabeth of Anhalt-Bernburg
13 March 1672
Bernburg
seven children

Sibylla Maria of Saxe-Merseburg
(28 October 1667 - 9 October 1693)
27 October 1683
Doberlug-Kirchhain
seven children

Sophie Wilhelmine of East Frisia
(17 October 1659 - 4 February 1698)
4 February 1695
Hamburg
one child

Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
(21 June 1662 - 1 June 1738)
6 December 1700
Güstrow
no children
Leopold Eberhard21 May 16701699-172325 May 1723Anne-Sabine Hedwiger
June 1695
(morganatic)
four children

Elisabeth Charlotte Curie
1718
Montbéliard
(morganatic)
six children		Had no legitimate descendants, and after his death the county was definitely annexed to Württemberg.
Montbéliard was annexed to Württemberg in 1723
Charles Frederick II[5] 7 February 16901704-174414 December 1761Sibylle Charlotte Juliane of Württemberg-Weiltingen
(1690-1735)
21 April 1709
Stuttgart
no children		Abdicated to his nephew, Charles Christian Erdmann. Had no descendants.
Christian Ulrich II27 January 16911704-17347 February 1734Philippine Charlotte of Redern-Krappitz
(18 February 1691 - 17 June 1758)
13 July 1711
six children		Younger son of Christian Ulrich I, passed duchy to his son, Charles Christian Erdmann.
Charles Rudolph29 May 16671716-174217 November 1742UnmarriedLeft no male surviving descendants. The duchy was annexed into Württemberg.
Neuenstadt was annexed to Württemberg in 1742
Regencies of Charles Rudolph, Duke of Württemberg-Neuenstadt (1737-38) and Charles Frederick II, Duke of Württemberg-Oels (1738-46)
Charles Eugene11 February 17281733-179324 October 1793Elisabeth Friederike Sophie of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
26 September 1748
Bayreuth
one child

Countess Franziska von Hohenheim
10/11 January 1785
(morganatic until 1790)
no children
Charles Christian Erdmann26 October 17161734-179214 December 1792Marie Sophie Wilhelmine of Solms-Laubach
(1721-1793)
8 April 1741
Laubach
three children
1744-1792
Oels was annexed to the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Louis Eugene6 January 17311793-179520 May 1795Countess Sophia Albertine of Beichlingen
(15 December 1728-10 May 1807)
10/11 January 1785
(morganatic)
three children
Frederick II Eugene21 January 17321795-179723 December 1797Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt
29 November 1753
twelve children
Frederick III6 November 17541797-180330 October 1816Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
15 October 1780
Brunswick
four children

Charlotte of Great Britain
18 May 1797
London
no children		In 1803, he was raised as Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1806 raised himself as king, with approval of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Elector of Württemberg, 1803–1806

See main article: Electorate of Württemberg.

In 1803, the Duke of Württemberg was raised to the rank of Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806, the Empire was dissolved, and the Elector of Württemberg became an independent monarch with the title of King.

Kings of Württemberg, 1806–1918

See main article: Kingdom of Württemberg.

The Holy Roman Empire came to an end in 1806. The Elector of Württemberg, allied to Napoleon, anticipated its dissolution by becoming the ruler of an independent Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806.

Kings of Württemberg
Württemberg Dynasty
ImageName
BeganEndedNotes
Frederick I
Friedrich I
1 January 180630 October 1816
William I
Wilhelm I
30 October 181625 June 1864Son of Frederick I.
Charles I
Karl I
25 June 18646 October 1891Son of William I. Became a subordinate ruler in the German Empire after the Unification of Germany in 1871.
William II
Wilhelm II
6 October 189130 November 1918Nephew of Charles I. The last King of Württemberg. Abdicated in the German Revolution of 1918–1919.

Because of a lack of male heirs under Salic law, on the death of Wilhelm II in 1921 the royal house had to reach back to the descendants of Friedrich II Eugen (ruled 1795–97). The line of the Duke of Urach was excluded because of a morganatic marriage back in 1800 by its forebear Duke William, and so the succession devolved to the younger branch of Altshausen.

Another morganatic descendant of Friedrich II Eugen was Mary of Teck (1867–1953), who married the British king George V when he was Duke of York.

See also

Notes and References

  1. This fact is from coins produced under his premiership - details are available here
  2. Probably styled I in reference to the numbering in the county of Montbéliard; there was only one Louis, who ruled in the 11th century and to whom no numbering is usually attributed. Louis should be numbered IV in Württemberg.
  3. When raised as dukes, the counting of the rulers restarted.
  4. Some authors inexplicably give him the number III, which would only be applicable if numberings of counts were valid for the dukes, which doesn't seem to be the case, as seen with the dukes named Eberhard.
  5. Numbered II as Duke of Oels; Charles Frederick I (of Podebrady) was the father-in-law of Silvius I Nimrod.

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