The princes and counts of Stolberg are members of a large German family of the higher aristocracy (Hoher Adel) in the Holy Roman Empire. The house has numerous branches.
There are over ten different theories about the origin of the counts of Stolberg, but none has been become commonly accepted. However, it is most likely that they are descended from the counts of Hohnstein. The first representative of this family, Count Henry of Stolberg, appears in a 1210 document, having already been mentioned in 1200 as Count Henry of Voigtstedt. Although Voigtstedt near Artern was the initial seat of this comital family, it had moved to Stolberg (Harz) no later than the beginning of the 13th century. The castle there remained in the hands of the family until they were dispossessed as part of the 1945 land reform in the Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany created after the Second World War.
In 1429 the counts of Stolberg succeeded in purchasing the County of Wernigerode in the Northern Harz as part of a contract of inheritance and thereby extended their area of influence considerably.
In 1645 the house was permanently divided into the Older Main Line (Ältere Hauptlinie) of Stolberg-Wernigerode and the Younger Main Line (Jüngere Hauptlinie) of Stolberg-Stolberg. At the beginning of the 18th century, the lines of Stolberg-Gedern (to 1804) and Stolberg-Schwarza (to 1748) branched off from Stolberg-Wernigerode. In 1706, Stolberg-Stolberg was divided into the two lines of Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Rossla.
In 1742 representatives of the line of Stolberg-Gedern were elevated to the Estate of Imperial Princes (Reichsfürstenstand) by Emperor Charles VII.
In the 18th century, as a result of mediatisation, the imperially immediate counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode were forced to subordinate themselves to the Kingdom of Prussia and the counts of Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla likewise to the Electorate of Saxony. On the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire's German nation in 1806 the Stolbergs lost their imperial comital status and, in 1815, finally became mediatized Prussian princes. However, the families retained certain privileges as to the Lutheran state churches of their mediatised state countries and had heritable seats in the Prussian House of Lords.
The then lord and his first-born son and heir presumptive in the family estate of the Houses of Stolberg-Wernigerode or Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla were granted permission on 22 October 1890 and 1893 respectively by Emperor William II to bear princely titles. In 1980 a branch of the line of Stolberg-Stolberg was incorporated into the Dutch nobility without, however, acknowledgement of their princely title.
There is also a minor branch, which, because of the communist regime, wears the name "Stoll". Their origins can be found in a minor branch from the old main line, and can be proved until 1247, date of their spliting with the main branch. Their coat of arms is a forest knight, decorated with oak leaves, and surmounted by 3 six-branched stars. Their history is nevertheless complicated, and traces of their existence can only be found in some ancient documents, and in their own family archives.
County of Stolberg (1200–1945)
County of Wernigerode (1429–1945)
County of Stolberg-Rossla (1341–1945)
Barony of Gedern (Hesse) (the castle 1535-1987, the estate until today)
Barony of Schwarza, Thuringia
Hohnstein Castle (Harz)
Elbingerode (Harz) (1427–1600)
Kelbra
Heringen, Thuringia
Allstedt (1542–1575)
Ebersburg (Harz)
Erichsberg Castle
Ernstburg
Grasburg (Rottleberode)
Heinrichsberg Castle
Hirzenhain, Hesse (since 1535 until today)
Ilsenburg Abbey and Ilsenburg House, Thuringia (16th century - 1945)
Jannowitz, Silesia
Königstein Castle (1535–1581)
Kreppelhof, silesia
Morungen
Oberröblingen
Ortenberg, Hesse (since 1535 until today)
Peterswaldau, Silesia
Hofgut Ranstadt, Hesse (1535 until today)
The counts of Stolberg also had claims to the Belgian Agimont and bore this name in their title. However, an orthographic error crept in and it was not until an edict of 6 December 1780 that Count Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode corrected the hitherto erroneous name of Aigmont to Agimont.
Count Henry of Stolberg (died 1357), Bishop of Merseburg
Count Botho of Stolberg the Elder (died 1455)
Countess Katharina of Stolberg (1463–1535), Abbess of Drübeck Abbey
Count Henry the Younger of Stolberg (1467–1508), Governor of Frisia
Count Botho of Stolberg (1467–1538)
Count Wolfgang of Stolberg (1501–1552)
Anna II of Stolberg (1504–1574), imperial abbess of Quedlinburg
Anna III of Stolberg (1565–1601), imperial abbess of Quedlinburg
Count Louis of Stolberg (1505–1574)
Countess Juliana of Stolberg (1506–1580)
Count Henry of Stolberg (1509–1572)
Count Wolf Ernest of Stolberg (1546–1606)
Count Henry Ernest of Stolberg (1593–1672), founder of the Elder Main Line of the House of Stolberg
Count John Martin of Stolberg (1594–1669), founder of the Younger Main Line of the House of Stolberg
Count Ernest of Stolberg (1650–1710)
Count Christian Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1691–1771)
Count Henry Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1716–1778)
Count Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1746–1824)
Countess Louise of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1771–1856), Abbess of Drübeck Abbey
Count Henry of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1772–1854)
Count Anthony of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1785–1854)
Count William of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1807–1898), Prussian politician and general
Count Eberhard of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1810–1872)
Countess Anna of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1819–1868), Matron of Bethany (Oberin zu Bethanien)
Count Bolko of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1823–1884), Landrat of the district of Franzburg
Count Theodore of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1827–1902), member of the German Reichstag
Countess Eleonora of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1835–1903)
Prince Otto of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1837–1896), Governor of the Prince of Hanover, German Vice-Chancellor under Bismarck
Princess Anna of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1837–1907), wife of Prince Otto
Count Udo of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1840–1910)
Count Constantine of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1843–1905), Governor of the Province of Hanover
Magdalene, Countess of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1875–1955), Abbess of Drübeck Abbey
Albert, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1886–1948)
Otto Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1893–1984)
Prince Frederick Charles of Stolberg-Gedern (1693–1767)
Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern (1752–1824)
Princess Caroline of Stolberg-Gedern (1755–1828)
Countess Sophie Eleonora of Stolberg-Stolberg (1669–1745), funeral sermon compiler
Count Christopher Frederick of Stolberg-Stolberg (1672–1738 in Stolberg) was a German regent
Count Christian of Stolberg-Stolberg (1748–1821), translator and lyricist
Count Frederick Leopold of Stolberg-Stolberg (1750–1819), poet, translator and lawyer
Countess Augusta Louise of Stolberg-Stolberg (1753–1835)
Countess Marianne of Stolberg-Stolberg (1780–1814)
Count John Peter Cajus of Stolberg-Stolberg (1797–1874), manorial estate owner and Reichstag MP
Count Leopold Frederick of Stolberg-Stolberg (1799–1840)
Countess Louise of Stolberg-Stolberg (1799–1875), lyricist, translator and editor
Count Joseph Theodore of Stolberg-Stolberg (1804–1859)
Count Alfred of Stolberg-Stolberg (1835–1880), manorial estate owner and Reichstag MP
Count Frederick of Stolberg-Stolberg (1836–1904), land lord and Reichstag MP
Count Adalbert of Stolberg-Stolberg (1840–1885), manorial estate owner and Reichstag MP
Hermann Joseph Count of Stolberg-Stolberg (1854–1925)
Christoph Count of Stolberg-Stolberg (1888–1968), major general
Frederick-Leopold Count of Stolberg-Stolberg (born 1962), lawyer
Count Jost Christian of Stolberg-Roßla senior (1676–1739)
Count Frederick Botho of Stolberg-Roßla (1714–1768), Regent in Roßla from 1739
Count Jost Christian of Stolberg-Roßla junior (1722–1749)
Count William Christoph of Stolberg-Roßla (1748–1826), Regent of the County of Stolberg-Roßla
Family coat of arms : In Gold ein schreitender schwarzer Hirsch; auf dem Helm mit schwarz-goldenen Decken ein natürlicher Pfauenschweif zwischen 2 silbernen Straußenfedern.
