House of Reuss

The House of Reuss is a German royal house which traces its origins back to Erkenbert, Lord of Weida (alive in 1122) and reigned until 1918. The current head of the house is Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss.

Early House of Reuss
Erkenbert I (1122) is proved by documentary evidence to have been their ancestor. His successors acquired almost the whole Vogtland by feuds or marriage settlement, although in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries they lost the greater part of their possessions, most of which fell to the Electorate of Saxony. In 1244 Henry IV entered a German monastery. His sons divided his possessions, their seats being respectively at Weida (extinct in 1535), Gera (extinct in 1550), and Plauen.

In 1306 the Plauen branch was subdivided into an elder line that died out in 1572, and a younger line called Plauen at Greiz. Henry, the founder of the Plauen line (d. about 1300), on account of his marriage with a granddaughter of King Daniel of Galicia received the surname of "der Reusse" (Ruthenus), whence the name passed to the country.

On account of the close relations of Reuss with the neighbouring Saxon states, Lutheranism speedily gained a foothold in Reuss. The rulers joined the Schmalkaldic League against the German emperor, and forfeited their possessions, but afterwards recovered them.

Numbering of the Heinrichs
All the males of the House of Reuss are named Heinrich (Henry) plus a number. In the elder line the numbering covers all male children of the elder House, and the numbers increase until 100 is reached and then start again at 1. In the younger line the system is similar but the numbers increase until the end of the century before starting again at 1.

This odd regulation was formulated as a Family Law in 1688, but the tradition of the uniformity of name was in practice as early as 1200. It was seen as a way of honoring the Hohenstaufen]Emperor Heinrich/Henry VI, who raised Heinrich der Reiche/Henry the Rich (+1209) to the office of provost of the Cloister in Quedlinburg.

Main partition
[[File:Reuss Karte.jpg|thumb|350px|right|The Reuss territories in the 18th century: Green: Reuss elder line (Greiz, Burgk)

Red:[Reuss-Gera (with Saalburg)

Yellow: Reuss-Schleiz

Brown: Reuss-Lobenstein]] In 1564 the sons of Henry XIII of Reuss at Greiz divided the estates into While the Middle Reuss became extinct in 1616, the Older and Younger lines were divided again several times until in 1778 Count Henry XI united the possessions of Upper and Lower Greiz to the Principality of Reuss Elder Line. In return the remaining estates of Gera, considerably larger though, became the Principality of Reuss Younger Line in 1806.
 * Reuss at Lower Greiz, descendants of Henry XIV the Elder
 * Reuss at Upper Greiz, descendants of Henry XV the Middle
 * Reuss at Gera, descendants of Henry XVI the Younger.

The two remaining Reuss principalities joined the German Confederation in 1815. Henry XXII of Reuss Elder line is notable among the modern princes of this house for his enmity to Prussia, which he opposed in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, when the Prussian troops occupied his domain. Henry joined the North German Confederation and the new German Empire in 1871. He alone of all the confederate princes remained until his death in 1902 an implacable enemy of Prince Bismarck and of the conditions created in Germany by the foundation of the empire. Despite his views, his daughter Hermine Reuss of Greiz became the second wife of the exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II. Because his son, Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz (1878–1927), was incapable of ruling, the regency passed to the ruling prince of the younger line of Reuss. Both lines lost their thrones in German Revolution of 1918–19.

Of both lines, only the Köstritz side branch of the Younger Line still exists; their main seat is Ernstbrunn Castle in Austria. The family regained some properties in the former Reuss states following German Reunification in 1990.

Aftermath
After World War I, the Reuss territories were unified in 1919 as the People's State of Reuss, which was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia in 1920.

Table of rulers
Notes:
 * The feudal table above was simplified: there were many other divisions which were omitted, but they will appear below, as short-lived separations from the more important ones.
 * The consistent use of the name Henry is a tribute to Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Every male member of the family has this name since the third generation of the family.
 * The numbering of the rulers explained above, are as follows:
 * Prior to the annexation of Greiz and Gera to Plauen (1547-62), the numberings attributed are sequential. Please bear in mind that there are other sequences besides the one proposed.
 * After the liberation of Plauen control (1547-62), the Reuss states divided between Elder, Middle and Younger Lines. While the Middle Line followed the sequence pre-annexation (and was the first of the three to be extinct), the other two started a very odd sequence and tradition, as follows:
 * The Elder Line numbers every male member of the family (even the stillborn sons) in sequential order of birth until 100; the numbering restarts from there.
 * The Younger Line numbers every male member of the family (even the stillborn sons) in sequential order of birth until the end of the century; the numbering restarts from the first child born in the new century.