STOLBERG

The County of Stolberg (German: Grafschaft Stolberg) was a county of the Holy Roman Empire located in the Harz mountains of Germany. The town of Stolberg was probably founded in the 12th century as a mining settlement. The Counts of Stolberg (Grafen zu Stolberg) probably derived from a branch of the Counts of Hohnstein. The castle of Stolberg was first mentioned in 1210 as Stalberg. The Stolberg possessions, which were located mostly east of the Harz, included Stolberg, Hayn, the lower County of Hohnstein (1417), as well as Kelbra and Heringen (1413/17), the two latter territories being ruled alongside the House of Schwarzburg. The Counts of Stolberg inherited the County of Wernigerode in 1429, the County of Königstein in 1535, and the the County of Rochefort in 1544. The Protestant Reformation was introduced into their territory in 1539. 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).

The County of Wernigerode (German: Grafschaft Wernigerode) was a county of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Wernigerode, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The first mention of a count of Wernigerode was of a Count Adalbert (Adelbertus comes de Wernigerode) on 18 October 1121; Adalbert, originally from Haimar near Hildesheim, was first documented in 1103 and mentioned as a count in 1117 (comes Adelbertus de villa Heymbere). The counts of Wernigerode were successively vassals of the margraves of Brandenburg (1268) and the archbishops of Magdeburg (1381). When the family died out in 1429, the county fell to the counts of Stolberg, who ruled Wernigerode through a personal union. The Stolberg-Wernigerode branch was founded in 1645.

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 mediatised to Saxony in 1803, but 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 Prince[ss] zu Stolberg-Wernigerode and were styled Serene Highness. Other members of this line bore the title Graf/Gräfin zu Stolberg-Wernigerode, with the style Illustrious Highness.

Stolberg-Rossla emerged as a partition of Stolberg-Stolberg in 1706. It was forced to recognize the suzerainty of the Electorate of Saxony in 1738. Stolberg-Rossla was mediatised to Saxony in 1803, but passed to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815. Although the territory was subsequently administered within the Province of Saxony, the counts retained their possessions until 1945. In 1893 they became Princes of Stolberg-Rossla.

The Counts of Wernigerode become extinct in 1429 and their lands were inherited through Salic law by the Counts of Stolberg, sovereign counts of the empire since the early 11th century. On 31 May 1645 the Harz line was divided between a senior Stolberg-Wernigerode line and a junior Stolberg-Stolberg line. Because Wernigerode was heavily damaged by the Thirty Years' War, the counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode also resided in the castle of Ilsenburg. The town of Gedern, acquired in 1535, became the seat of Stolberg-Gedern, a cadet branch of Stolberg-Wernigerode, in 1677. This junior line was reacquired by Stolberg-Wernigerode in 1804. The Wernigerode line also acquired Stolberg-Schwarza on 14 September 1748. In 1714, Count Christian Ernest surrendered his military and the fiscal independence of Stolberg-Wernigerode to King Frederick William I of Prussia, although he still maintained subordinated rule over his territories as a count. The county was mediatised in 1807 and made part of the Kingdom of Westphalia. In the 1815 Congress of Vienna, Stolberg-Wernigerode was granted to Prussia, although successive counts retained sovereign rights until 1876. The territory was incorporated into the Prussian Province of Saxony in 1815. The Counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode were considered Reichsfrei. The children of Fürsten, Fürstin and Erbprinzen (Prince and Princess) zu Stolberg-Wernigerode bore the title Prince(ss) zu Stolberg-Wernigerode and were styled Serene Highness. Other members of this line bore the equal title Graf/Gräfin zu Stolberg-Wernigerode (not to confound with ordinary Counts), styled Illustrious Highness.

Key identification notes: The leftward rampant stag on Stolberg's coins is unique among German coins and is an instant identifier to coins of its territories and lines.

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