Principality of Leiningen
Principality of Leiningen Fürstentum Leiningen | |||||||||
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| 1803–1806 | |||||||||
 Coat of arms
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 Map of the Principality of Leiningen | |||||||||
| Status | State of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Amorbach | ||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early modern period | ||||||||
• Established | 1803 | ||||||||
• Mediatized to Baden | 1806 | ||||||||
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The Principality of Leiningen (German: Fürstentum Leiningen) was a short-lived principality ruled by the Prince of Leiningen.[1] It was created in 1803 as part of compensation for the House of Leiningen losing land to France but was mediatized three years later to become part of the Grand Duchy of Baden.[2]
History
[edit]
The principality emerged in 1803 in the course of secularization of ecclesiastical states in Germany. In 1779, Karl Friedrich Wilhelm, Count of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg, was created a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1801, France seized his lands on the left bank of the Rhine, namely Dagsburg, Hardenburg, and Dürkheim. In 1803, he was compensated with the secularized Amorbach Abbey as a new Principality.[3] The Principality was also given Adersbach and Rohrbach due to the collapse of the Electoral Palatinate.[4]
The new sovereignty of Leiningen improved the economy of the included lands, with Carl Friedrich Wilhelm, 1st Prince of Leiningen engaging in a construction and road widening programme due to the economic boom.[1] Three years later, in 1806, Leiningen was mediatized to become part of the Grand Duchy of Baden.[2] The mediatization worsened the local economy; by 1808 the schoolmaster in Amorbach had to ask Prince Carl personally for firewood to heat the school and lock it away due to the risk of theft.[1] Its territory is now included mainly in Baden-Württemberg, but partly in Bavaria and in Hesse. Amorbach Abbey is still today the family seat of the Prince of Leiningen.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Reichstein, Andreas (2001). German Pioneers on the American Frontier: The Wagners in Texas and Illinois. University of North Texas Press. p. 11. ISBN 9781574411348.
- ^ a b Wilson, Peter H. (29 February 2016). Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire. Harvard University Press. p. 663. ISBN 9780674058095.
- ^ Scheele, Godfrey; Scheele, Margaret (1977). The Prince Consort, Man of Many Facets: The World and the Age of Prince Albert. Oresko Books. p. 23. ISBN 9780846703228.
- ^ Endress, Richard (2024). The Narrow Path: The Known Ancestors of Brenna Wagenbach. Friesen Press. pp. 107–108. ISBN 9781038325327.
- ^ Dettelbacher, Werner (1974). Franken - Kunst, Geschichte und Landschaft (in German). Dumont Verlag. p. 84. ISBN 3-7701-0746-2.
Bibliography
[edit]- Laurenz Hannibal Fischer: Die Verwaltungsverhältnisse des fürstlichen Hauses Leiningen, Amorbach 1828.
- Eva Kell: Das Fürstentum Leiningen. Umbruchserfahrungen einer Adelsherrschaft zur Zeit der Französischen Revolution. Kaiserslautern 1993.
- Sandra Schwab: Die Entschädigung des Hauses Leiningen durch den Reichsdeputationshauptschluß von 1803, Studienarbeit. GRIN Verlag für akademische Texte, BoD. Norderstedt 2007.
- Ingo Toussaint: Die Grafen von Leiningen: Studien zur leiningischen Genealogie und Territorialgeschichte bis zur Teilung von 1317/18. J. Thorbecke Verlag, 1982.