| Monarchy of Württemberg | |
|---|---|
Provincial/State | |
 | |
 William II | |
| Details | |
| Style | His Majesty |
| First monarch | Conrad I (as Count) |
| Last monarch | William II (as King) |
| Formation | 1081 |
| Abolition | 30 November 1918 |
| Appointer | Hereditary |
| Pretender(s) | Wilhelm, Duke of Württemberg |
This article lists the Counts, Dukes, Electors, and Kings who ruled 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.
| County of Württemberg (1089-1442) | ||||||
| County of Württemberg-Stuttgart (1442–82) | ||||||
| County of Württemberg-Montbéliard (Stuttgart line, 1st creation) (1473–82) | County of Württemberg-Urach (1442–82) | |||||
| 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) | |||||
| Duchy of Württemberg-Weitlingen (1588-1705) | ||||||
| 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) | Duchy of Württemberg-Oels (1635-1792) (Wilhelminort line from 1761) | |||
| Duchy of Württemberg-Neuenstadt (2nd creation) (1649-1742) | ||||||
| Duchy of Württemberg-Winnental (1677-1733) | ||||||
| Duchy of Württemberg-Wilhelminort (1704-1761) | ||||||
| Annexed to the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg | ||||||
| Ruler | Born | Reign | Death | Ruling part | Consort | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conrad I | ? | 1099-1122 | 1122 | County of Württemberg | Unknown | Considered to be founder of the Württemberg dynasty. | |
| Conrad II | ? | 1122-1143 | 1143 | County of Württemberg | Unknown | His 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). | |
| Louis I | c.1098 | 1143-1158 | 1158 | County of Württemberg | Unknown at least one child | He presumably was Vogt of the Denkendorf monastery. | |
| Louis II | c.1137 | 1158-1181 | 1181 | County of Württemberg | Willibirg of Kirchberg (1142-1179) two children | ||
| Hartmann | c.1160 | 1181-1240 | 1240 | County of Württemberg | ? 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. | |
| Louis III | 1166 | 1194-1241 | 1241 | County of Württemberg | ? of Dillenburg/Kyburg four children | ||
| Ulrich I the Founder |  | 1226 | 1241-1265 | 25 February 1265 | County of Württemberg | Matilda of Baden three children Agnes of Legnica (d.13 March 1265) one child | Grandson of Hartmann I, through his son Hermann. |
| Ulrich II | 1254 | 1265-1279 | 18 September 1279 | County of Württemberg | Unknown | ||
| Eberhard I the Illustrious |  | 13 March 1265 | 1279-1325 | 5 June 1325 | County of Württemberg | Unknown two children Margaret of Lorraine one child Irmengard of Baden three children | |
| Ulrich III |  | c.1290 | 1325-1344 | 11 July 1344 | County of Württemberg | Sophia of Pfirt 1312 two children | |
| Eberhard II the Jarrer |  | c.1315 | 1344-1392 | 15 March 1392 | County of Württemberg | Elisabeth 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. |
| Ulrich IV |  | c.1315 | 1344-1362 | 1366 | County of Württemberg | Katharina of Helfenstein no children | |
| Eberhard III the Clement |  | 1364 | 1392-1417 | 16 May 1417 | County of Württemberg | Antonia 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. |
| Eberhard IV the Younger |  | 23 August 1388 | 1392-1417 | 2 July 1419 | County of Württemberg | Henriette, 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.1412 | 1419-1442 | 24 September 1450 | County of Württemberg | Mechthild of the Palatinate 21 October 1436 Stuttgart five children | ||
| 1442-1450 | Württemberg-Urach | ||||||
| Ulrich V the Well-Loved |  | 1413 | 1419-1442 | 1 September 1480 | County of Württemberg | Margaret 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 | |
| 1442-1480 | Württemberg-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) | |||||||
| Louis II | 3 April 1439 | 1450-1457 | 3 November 1457 | Württemberg-Urach | Unmarried | ||
| 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 1445 | 1457-1482 | 24 February 1496 | Württemberg-Urach | Barbara 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 | ||||||
| Henry |  | 7 September 1448 | 1473-1482 | 15 April 1519 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Elisabeth 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 | |||||||
| Eberhard VI & II [3] |  | 1 February 1447 | 1480-1482 | 17 February 1504 | Württemberg-Stuttgart | Elisabeth 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. |
| 1496-1498 | Duchy 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. | ||||||
| Ulrich |  | 8 February 1487 | 1498-1519 1534-1550 | 6 November 1550 | Duchy of Württemberg | Sabina of Bavaria 2 March 1511 two children | |
| Württemberg annexed to Austria: 1519-1534 | |||||||
| George I the Cautious |  | 4 February 1498 | 1526-1534 1553-1558 | 17 July 1558 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Barbara 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 Pacific |  | 12 May 1515 | 1542-1553 | 28 December 1568 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Anna 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. |
| 1550-1568 | Duchy 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 1554 | 1568-1593 | 28 August 1593 | Duchy of Württemberg | Dorothea 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 I |  | 19 August 1557 | 1558-1593 | 29 January 1608 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Sibylla of Anhalt 22 May 1581 Stuttgart fifteen children | |
| 1593-1608 | Duchy of Württemberg | ||||||
| Montbéliard merged into Württemberg in 1593 | |||||||
| John Frederick |  | 5 May 1582 | 1608-1628 | 18 July 1628 | Duchy of Württemberg | Barbara 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 Frederick |  | 29 January 1586 | 1617-1631 | 26 January 1631 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Elisabeth 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 Achilles |  | 5 May 1591 | 1617-1631 | 30 December 1631 | Württemberg-Neuenstadt | Unmarried | 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 Frederick |  | 3 June 1588 | 1617-1635 | 25 April 1635 | Württemberg-Weiltingen | Anna 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 III |  | 16 December 1614 | 1628-1674 | 2 July 1674 | Duchy of Württemberg | Anna 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 Frederick | 30 May 1624 | 1631-1662 | 15 June 1662 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Sibylle of Württemberg (4 December 1620 - 21 May 1707) no children | ||
| Roderick | 19 October 1618 | 1635-1651 | 19 November 1651 | Württemberg-Weiltingen | Unmarried | Died without descendants. The duchy went to his younger brother, Manfred. | |
| Silvius I Nimrod |  | 2 May 1622 | 1647-1664 | 24 April 1664 | Württemberg-Oels | Elisabeth Marie, Duchess of Oels 1 May 1647 Oleśnica seven children | Son of Julius Frederick, acquired the duchy of Oels by marriage. |
| Frederick |  | 19 December 1615 | 1649-1682 | 24 March 1682 | Württemberg-Neuenstadt | Clara 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. |
| Manfred | 5 June 1626 | 1651-1662 | 15 May 1662 | Württemberg-Weiltingen | Juliana of Oldenburg 31 October 1652 three children | ||
| George II | 5 October 1626 | 1662-1676 1679-1680 1697-1699 | 1 June 1699 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Anne 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 Ferdinand | 6 October 1654 | 1662-1705 | 8 August 1705 | Württemberg-Weiltingen | Elisabeth 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 Frederick |  | 21 February 1651 | 1664-1697 | 3 June 1697 | Württemberg-Oels | Eleonore Charlotte of Württemberg-Montbéliard 7 April 1672 Oleśnica no children | |
| William Louis |  | 7 January 1647 | 1674-1677 | 23 June 1677 | Duchy of Württemberg | Magdalena Sibylla of Hesse-Darmstadt 6 November 1673 Darmstadt four children | Died unexpectedly, when 30 years old, of a heart-attack. |
| Frederick Charles |  | 12 September 1652 | 1677-1697 | 20 September 1697 | Württemberg-Winnental | Eleonore 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 Louis |  | 18 September 1676 | 1677-1733 | 31 October 1733 | Duchy of Württemberg | Johanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach 6 May 1697 Basel one child | |
| Frederick Augustus |  | 12 March 1654 | 1682-1716 | 6 August 1716 | Württemberg-Neuenstadt | Albertine Sophie Esther of Eberstein 9 February 1679 fifteen children | Left no male suriving descendants. The duchy passed to his brother. |
| Charles Alexander |  | 24 January 1684 | 1697-1733 | 12 March 1737 | Württemberg-Winnental | Marie 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. |
| 1733-1737 | Duchy of Württemberg | ||||||
| Winnental merged into Württemberg in 1733 | |||||||
| Christian Ulrich I |  | 9 April 1652 | 1697-1704 | 5 April 1704 | Württemberg-Oels | Anna 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 Eberhard | 21 May 1670 | 1699-1723 | 25 May 1723 | Württemberg-Montbéliard | Anne-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 1690 | 1704-1744 | 14 December 1761 | Württemberg-Oels | Sibylle 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 II |  | 27 January 1691 | 1704-1734 | 7 February 1744 | Württemberg-Wilhelminort | Philippine Charlotte of Redern-Krappitz (18 February 1691 - 17 June 1758) 13 July 1711 six children | Abdicated to his nephew, Charles Christian Erdmann. Had no descendants. |
| Charles Rudolph |  | 29 May 1667 | 1716-1742 | 17 November 1742 | Württemberg-Neuenstadt | Unmarried | Left no male suriving descendants. The duchy passed to his brother. |
| 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 Eugene |  | 11 February 1728 | 1733-1793 | 24 October 1793 | Duchy of Württemberg | Elisabeth 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 Erdmann |  | 26 October 1716 | 1744-1792 | 14 December 1792 | Württemberg-Wilhelminort | Marie Sophie Wilhelmine of Solms-Laubach (1721-1793) 8 April 1741 Laubach three children | |
| 1744-1792 | Württemberg-Oels | ||||||
| Oels was annexed to the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg | |||||||
| Louis Eugene |  | 6 January 1731 | 1793-1795 | 20 May 1795 | Duchy of Württemberg | Countess Sophia Albertine of Beichlingen (15 December 1728-10 May 1807) 10/11 January 1785 (morganatic) three children | |
| Frederick Eugene |  | 21 January 1732 | 1795-1797 | 23 December 1797 | Duchy of Württemberg | Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt 29 November 1753 twelve children | |
| Frederick II |  | 6 November 1754 | 1797-1803 | 30 October 1816 | Duchy of Württemberg | Augusta 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. |
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.
| Elector of Württemberg | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Württemberg Dynasty | ||||
| Image | Name (Birth–Death) | Began | Ended | Notes |
 | Frederick I Friedrich I (1754–1816) | 25 February 1803 | 6 August 1806 | The first and only Elector of Württemberg. |
 Electors of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356 to 1806 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
The Holy Roman Empire came to an end in 1806. The Elector of Württemberg, allied to Napoleon I, anticipated its dissolution by becoming the ruler of an independent Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806.
| Kings of Württemberg | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Württemberg Dynasty | ||||
| Image | Name (Birth–Death) | Began | Ended | Notes |
| | Frederick I Friedrich I (1754–1816) | 1 January 1806 | 30 October 1816 | |
 | William I Wilhelm I (1781–1864) | 30 October 1816 | 25 June 1864 | Son of Frederick I. |
 | Charles I Karl I (1823–1891) | 25 June 1864 | 6 October 1891 | Son of William I. Became a subordinate ruler in the German Empire after the Unification of Germany in 1871. |
 | William II Wilhelm II (1848–1921) | 6 October 1891 | 30 November 1918 | Nephew of Charles I. The last King of Württemberg. Abdicated in the German Revolution of 1918–1919. |
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The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg.
Löwenstein-Wertheim was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, part of the Franconian Circle. It was formed from the counties of Löwenstein and Wertheim and from 1488 until 1806 ruled by the House of Löwenstein-Wertheim who are morganatic descendants of the Palatinate branch of the House of Wittelsbach.
The Imperial Diet was the deliberative body of the Holy Roman Empire. It was not a legislative body in the contemporary sense; its members envisioned it more like a central forum where it was more important to negotiate than to decide.
The House of Urach is a morganatic cadet branch of the formerly royal House of Württemberg. Although the Württemberg dynasty was one of many reigning over small realms in Germany into the 20th century, and despite the fact that marital mésalliances in these dynasties usually disinherited the descendants thereof, the Dukes of Urach unusually managed to elicit consideration for candidacy for the thrones of several European states, viz. the Kingdom of Württemberg, the abortive Kingdom of Lithuania, the Principality of Monaco and even the Principality of Albania. Although none of these prospects came to fruition, they reflected monarchical attempts to accommodate the rapid shifts in national allegiance, regime and international alliances that intensified throughout the 19th century, leading up to and following Europe's Great War of 1914–1918.
