Solms-Hohensolms-Lich

Solms-Hohensolms-Lich was at first a County and later Principality with Imperial immediacy in what is today the federal Land of Hessen, Germany. It was ruled by a branch of the House of Solms,[1] originally from Solms.

County (Principality) of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
Grafschaft (Fürstentum) Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
1718–1806
Coat of arms of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
Coat of arms
StatusState of the Holy Roman Empire
CapitalLich
GovernmentPrincipality
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Union of S-Hohensolms
    and Solms-Lich
1718
• Raised to principality
1792
• Mediatised to Austria,
    Hesse, Prussia and
    Württemberg
1806
Preceded by		Succeeded by
County of Solms Solms-Hohensolms
County of Solms Solms-Lich
Archduchy of Austria
Grand Duchy of Hesse
Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Württemberg
The princely castle at Lich, Hesse

Grafschaft

The county was originally created in 1718 as a union of the counties of Solms-Hohensolms and Solms-Lich for Count Friedrich Wilhelm zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (1682-1744). It existed from 1718 until 1792.

Hohensolms was an old territory of the lords and counts of Solms, with Alt-Hohensolms Castle built in 1321 and destroyed in 1349, and Neu-Hohensolms Castle built in 1350. The latter was owned by the princely family until 1969.

The county of Lich was inherited by the Counts of Solms-Braunfels after the Counts of Falkenstein-Münzenberg died out in 1418, resulting in strong territorial growth of the House of Solms in the Wetterau, including the lordships of Münzenberg Castle, Hungen Castle, Lich Castle and Laubach Castle. Shortly thereafter, the branch of Solms-Lich split off from Solms-Braunfels.

Principality

It was raised to a Principality of the Holy Roman Empire in 1792 for Prince Karl Christian zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (1725-1803). Solms-Hohensolms-Lich was mediatised to Austria, Hesse-Darmstadt, Prussia and Württemberg in 1806. The House of Solms had its origins at Solms, Hesse. The Prince of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich still resides at Castle Lich in Lich.

Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, daughter of Hermann, 5th Prince, wed Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, becoming a Grand Duchess.

Rulers of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
Monument of Prince Ludwig zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich outside Lich Castle

The House of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich is a Hessian princely family, and a collateral line of the House of Solms-Braunfels. The House of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich originally were imperial counts, raised to the rank of Imperial Prince in 1792.

Counts of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (1718–1792)[2]
  • Friedrich Wilhelm, Count 1718–44 (1682-1744)
    • Charles Christian, Count 1744–92 (1725-1803), created Reichsfürst 1792

Princes of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (1792–present)
  • Charles Christian, 1st Prince 1792–1803 (1725-1803) ∞ 1759 Sophie Charlotte, Countess of Dohna-Schlobitten
    • Charles Louis Augustus, 2nd Prince 1803–1807 (1762-1807) - Mediatized in 1806; ∞ 1802 Henrietta Sophie, Countess of Bentheim-Steinfurt
      • Charles, 3rd Prince 1807-1824 (1803-1824)
      • Ludwig, 4th Prince 1824-1880 (1805-1880); ∞ 1829 Marie, princess of Isenburg-Büdingen
      • Prince Ferdinand (1806-1876)'
        • Hermann, 5th Prince 1880-1899 (1838-1899); Agnes, Countess of Stolberg-Wernigerode
          • Charles, 6th Prince 1899-1920 (1866-1920); ∞ 1894 Emma, Princess of Stolberg-Wernigerode
          • Reinhard Louis, 7th Prince 1920-1951 (1867-1951); ∞ 1898 Marka Clara, Countess of Solms-Sonnewalde
            • Hermann Otto, Hereditary Prince (1902-1940); ∞ 1933 Gertrud, Baroness of Werthern-Beichlingen
              • Philipp-Reinhard, 8th Prince 1951-2015 (1934-2015);[3] ∞ 1974 Marie, Countess Fouché d’Otrante
                • Carl-Christian, 9th Prince 2015–present (born 1975); ∞ 2009 Christina, Countess of Douglas-Langenstein
                • Prince Louis PhilHlip (born 1978)
                • Prince Frederik Sebastian (born 1987)
              • Prince Wilhelm (born 1937) ∞ Milicent von Boch-Galhau (b.1937)
                • Prince Benedict (born 1965)
                • Prince Christian-Lucius (born 1974)
                  • Prince Maximilian
              • Prince Hermann Otto (born 1940) ∞ Margit Mayer (b.1944) div. 1971 ∞ Christiane Meyer zu Eissen (b. 1955)

References
  1. See German article on the House of Solms or French article Maison de Solms.
  2. Marek, Miroslav. "solms/solms5.html". genealogy.euweb.cz.
  3. "Anzeige von Philipp Reinhard Fürst zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich". mittelhessen-gedenkt.de. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
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