THE GRAND DUCHY OF BADEN

Großherzogtum Baden

House of Zahringen

 

 The Grand Duchy of Baden (German: Großherzogtum Baden)      
was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right
bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.

 

 

 

Baden came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate
of Baden and subsequently split into different lines, which were
unified in 1771. In 1803 Baden was raised to Electoral dignity
within the Holy Roman Empire. Baden became the much-enlarged
Grand Duchy of Baden through the dissolution of the Holy Roman
Empire in 1806. In 1815 it joined the German Confederation. During
the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, Baden was a center
of revolutionist activities. In 1849 it was the only German state
that became a republic for a short while. Finally the revolution
in Baden was suppressed mainly by Prussian troops. 

The Grand Duchy of Baden remained a sovereign country until it
joined the German Empire in 1871. After the revolution of 1918
Baden became part of the Weimar Republic as the Republic of Baden.

The Grand Duchy of Baden was a hereditary monarchy with executive
power vested in the Grand Duke while the legislative authority
was shared by him with a representative assembly (Landtag)
consisting of two chambers.

The upper chamber included all the princes of the ruling family of
full age, the heads of all the mediatized families, the Archbishop
of Freiburg, the president of the Protestant Evangelical Church, a
deputy from each of the universities and the technical high school,
eight members elected by the territorial nobility for four years,
three representatives elected by the chamber of commerce, two by
that of agriculture, one by the trades, two mayors of municipalities,
and eight members nominated by the Grand Duke.

The lower chamber consisted of 73 popular representatives, of whom
24 were elected by the burgesses of certain communities, and 49 by
rural communities. Every citizen of 25 years of age, who had not
been convicted and was not a pauper, had a vote. The elections were,
however, indirect. The citizens selected the Wahlmänner (deputy
electors), the latter selecting the representatives. The chambers
met at least every two years. The lower chambers were elected for
four years, half the members retiring every two years.

The Grand Dukes of Baden

* 1806-1811: Charles Frederick...........(* 1728; † 1811)
* 1811-1818: Charles............................(* 1786; † 1818)
* 1818-1830: Louis I............................(* 1763; † 1830)
* 1830-1852: Leopold..........................(* 1790; † 1852)
* 1852-1858: Louis II...........................(* 1824; † 1858)
* 1858-1907: Frederick I....................(* 1826; † 1907),
* 1907-1918: Frederick II....................(* 1857; † 1928)

The Line of Succession to the Throne

The House of  Zähringen

His son Berchtold II, who like his father fought against Henry IV,
inherited a lot of the land of the counts of Rheinfelden, (but not
their title, that stayed with the family von Wetter-Rheinfelden),
in 1090 and took the title of duke of Zähringen; he was succeeded
in turn by his sons, Berchtold III (d. 1122) and Conrad (d. 1152).
In 1127 Conrad inherited some land in Burgundy and about this date
he was appointed by king Lothair III rector of the kingdom of Burgundy
or Arles. This office was held by the Zähringens until 1218 and
hence they are sometimes called dukes of Burgundy. Berchtold IV (d.
1186), who followed his father Conrad, spent much of his time in
Italy in the train of the emperor Frederick I; his son and successor,
Berchtold V, showed his prowess by reducing the Burgundian nobles to
order. This latter duke was the founder of the town of Bern, and when
he died in February 1218 the main line of the Zähringen family became
extinct. By extensive acquisitions of land the Zähringens had become
very powerful in the districts now known as Switzerland and Baden,
and when their territories were divided in 1218 part of them passed
to the counts of Kyburg and thence to the house of Habsburg.

The Family Titles and Styles

The members of this family bear the title Prince or Princess

of Baden, with the formal appellation of  His or Her Grand

Ducal Highness. The head of the family bears the title Margrave

of Baden with the formal appellation of Royal Highness.

 

   

The Genealogy of The Grand Ducal House

 

 

 

KARL III WILHELM, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (Karlsburg

17 Jan 1679-Karlsruhe 12 May 1738); m.Stuttgart 27 Jun 1697

Magdalene Wilhelmine Dss of Württemberg (Stuttgart 7 Nov

1677-Karlsburg 30 Oct 1742)

1a) Karl Magnus (Durlach 21 Jan

1701-Lausanne 12 Jan 1712)

2a) Friedrich (Stuttgart 7 Oct 1703-Karlsruhe 26 Mar 1732); m.

Leeuwarden 3 Jul 1727 Anna Charlotte Amalie Pss von Nassau-

Dietz-Orange (Leeuwarden 13 Oct 1710-Durlach 17 Sep 1777)

 

 

1b) KARL FRIEDRICH, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, Margrave of Baden

1771, Elector of Baden 1803, Grand Duke of Baden 1806 (Karlsruhe 22

Nov 1728-Karlsruhe 10 Jun 1811); m.1st Darmstadt 28 Jan 1751 Caroline

Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt (Darmstadt 11 Jul 1723-Paris 8 Apr 1783);

m.2d Karlsruhe 24 Nov 1787 Luise Karoline Geyer von Geyersberg, cr

Freifrau von Hochberg 1787 and Gfn von Hochberg 1796

(Karlsruhe 26 May 1768-Karlsruhe 23 Jul 1820)

1c) Karl Ludwig (Karlsruhe 14 Feb 1755-Arboga, Sweden

16 Dec 1801); m.Darmstadt 15 Jul 1774 Amalie Landgravine

of Hesse-Darmstadt (Prenzlau 20 Jun 1754-Bruchsal 21 Jul 1832)

1d) Katharina Amalie Christiane Luise

(Karlsruhe 13 Jul 1776-Bruchsal 26 Oct 1823)

2d) Friederike Karoline Wilhelmine (Karlsruhe 13 Jul 1776-Munich

13 Nov 1841); m.Karlsruhe 9 Mar 1797 King Maximilian I Joseph

of Bavaria (Mannheim 27 May 1756-Nymphenburg 13 Oct 1825)

3d) Luise Marie Auguste (took the name Elisaveta Alexeievna on her

Orthodox baptism) (Karlsruhe 24 Jan 1779-Bielev 16 May 1826);

m.St.Petersburg 9 Oct 1793 Emperor Alexander I of Russia

(St.Petersburg 23 Dec 1777-Taganrog 1 Dec 1825)

4d) Friederike Dorothea Wilhelmine (Karlsruhe 12 Mar 1781-Lausanne

25 Sep 1826); m.Stockholm 31 Oct 1797 King Gustaf IV Adolf

of Sweden (Stockholm 1 Nov 1778-St.Gallen 7 Feb 1837)

5d) Marie Elisabeth Wilhelmine (Karlsruhe 7 Sep 1782-Bruchsal 20

Apr 1808); m.Karlsruhe 1 Nov 1802 Wilhelm, Duke of Braunschweig

 (Braunschweig 9 Oct 1771-k.a. Quatre Bras 16 Jun 1815)

6d) Karl Friedrich (Karlsruhe 13

Sep 1784-Karlsruhe 1 Mar 1785)

 

 

7d) KARL Ludwig Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden (Karlsruhe

8 Jun 1786 -Rastatt 8 Dec 1818); m.Paris 8 Apr 1806 Stéphanie

de Beauharnais, Princesse Française (Imperial Highness)

(Paris 28 Aug 1789-Nice 29 Jan 1860)

1e) Luise Amalie Stephanie (Schwetzingen 5 Jun 1811-Karlsruhe

19 Jul 1854); m.Karlsruhe 9 Nov 1830 (div 1844) Gustaf Pr of Vasa,

former Crown Pr of Sweden (Stockholm 9 Nov 1799-Pillnitz 4 Oct 1877)

2e) Josephine Friederike Luise (Mannheim 21 Oct 1813-Sigmaringen

19 Jun 1900); m.Karlsruhe 21 Oct 1834 Karl Anton Fst von Hohenzollern

-Sigmaringen (7 Sep 1811-Sigmaringen 2 Jun 1885)

3e) a son (Karlsruhe 29 Sep 1812-Karlsruhe 16 Oct 1812);

a legend later arose that this child was kidnapped

and raised as Caspar Hauser

4e) Alexander (Karlsruhe 1

May 1816-Karlsruhe 8 May 1816)

5e) Marie Amalie Elisabeth Karoline (Karlsruhe 11 Oct 1817-Baden-

Baden 8 Oct 1888); m.Mannheim 23 Feb 1843 William Douglas-

Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton and Brandon (London 19 Feb

1811-Paris 15 Jul 1863)

8d) Wilhelmine Luise (Karlsruhe 10 Sep 1788-Rosenhöhe bei Darmstadt

27 Jan 1836); m.Karlsruhe 19 Jun 1804 Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse

and the Rhine (Darmstadt 26 Dec 1777-Darmstadt 16 Jun 1848)

2c) Friedrich (Karlsruhe 29 Aug 1756-Karlsruhe 28 May

1817); m. Usingen 9 Dec 1791 Luise Pss von Nassau-Usingen

(Biebrich 16 Aug 1776-Karlsruhe 19 Feb 1829)

 

 

 

3c) LUDWIG I Wilhelm August, Grand Duke of Baden

(Karlsruhe 9 Feb 1763-Karlsruhe 30 Mar 1830)

4c) Luise Karoline (Karlsruhe 8

Jan 1767-Karlsruhe 11 Jan 1767)

 

 

 

5c) Karl LEOPOLD Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden (Karlsruhe

29 Aug 1790-Karlsruhe 24 Apr 1852); m.Karlsruhe 25 Jul 1819 Sophie

Pss of Sweden (Stockholm 21 May 1801-Karlsruhe 6 Jul 1865)

1d) Alexandrine Luise Amalie Friederike Elisabeth Sophie

(Karlsruhe 6 Dec 1820-Schloß Callenberg 20 Dec 1904);

m.Karlsruhe 3 May 1842 Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg-

Gotha (Gotha 21 Jun 1818-Rheinhardsbrunn 22 Aug 1893)

2d) Ludwig Karl Friedrich Leopold

(Karlsruhe 26 Oct 1822-Karlsruhe 16 Nov 1822)

 

3d) LUDWIG II, Grand Duke of Baden

(Karlsruhe 15 Aug 1824-Karlsruhe 22 Jan 1858)

 

 

4d) FRIEDRICH I Wilhelm Ludwig, Grand Duke of Baden

(Karlsruhe 9 Sep 1826-Mainau 28 Sep 1907); m.Berlin 20 Sep 1856

Luise Pss of Prussia (Berlin 3 Dec 1838-Baden-Baden 23 Apr 1923)

 

 

1e) FRIEDRICH II Wilhelm Ludwig Leopold August, Grand Duke of Baden;

abdicated Nov 1918 (Karlsruhe 9 Jul 1857-Badenweiler 9 Aug 1928);

m.Schloß Hohenburg 20 Sep 1885 Hilda Pss of Nassau, Pss of Luxemburg

(Biebrich 5 Nov 1864-Badenweiler 8 Feb 1952)

2e) Sophie Marie Viktoria (Karlsruhe 7 Aug 1862-Rome 4 Apr 1930);

m.Karlsruhe 20 Sep 1881 King Gustaf V of Sweden

(Drottningholm 16 Jun 1858-Drottningholm 29 Oct 1950)

3e) Ludwig Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Berthold

(Baden-Baden 12 Jun 1865-Freiburg 23 Feb 1888)

5d) Ludwig Wilhelm August (Karlsruhe 18 Dec 1829-Karlsruhe 27

Apr 1897); m.St.Petersburg 11 Feb 1863 Pss Maria Romanowsky

(St.Petersburg 16 Oct 1841-Karlsruhe 16 Feb 1914)

1e) Sopie Marie Luise Amelie Josephine (Baden-Baden 26 Jul 1865-Baden

-Baden 29 Nov 1939); m.Karlsruhe 2 Jul 1889 Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt

(Dessau 19 Aug 1856-Schloß Ballenstedt 21 Apr 1918)

 

 

2e) MAXIMILIAN Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm, Pr of Baden

(Baden-Baden 10 Jul 1867-Konstanz 6 Nov 1929); m.Gmunden 10 Jul

1900 Marie Luise Pss of Hannover, Pss of Great Britain & Ireland

(Gmunden 11 Oct 1879-Schloß Salem 31 Jan 1948)

 

1f) Marie Alexandra Thyra Viktoria Luise Carola Hilda

(Schloß Salem 1 Aug 1902-k.in air raid at Frankfurt 29 Jan

1944); m.Schloß Salem 17 Sep 1924 Wolfgang Pr of Hesse

(Schloß Rumpenheim 6 Nov 1896-Kronberg 12 Jul 1989)

 

  

 

2f) BERTHOLD Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst August Heinrich Karl,

Margrave of Baden (Karlsruhe 24 Feb 1906-nr Spaichingen,

Württemberg 27 Oct 1963); m.Baden-Baden 17 Aug 1931 

Theodora Pss of Greece and Denmark (Athens 30 May

1906-Konstanz 16 Oct 1969) 

 

1g) Margarita Alice Thyra Viktoria Marie Louise Scholastica,

b.Salem 14 Jul 1932; m.Salem (civ) 5 Jun 1957 (rel) 6 Jun 1957

(div 1981) Tomislav Pr of Yugoslavia (Belgrade 9 Jan 1928

-Oplenac 12 Jul 2000)

 

 

2g) Maximilian (MAX) Andreas Friedrich Gustav Ernst August Bernhard,

Margrave of Baden, Herzog von Zähringen, b.Salem 3 Jul 1933; m.(civ)

Salem 23 Sep 1966 (rel) Persenbeug 30 Sep 1966 Valerie Archdss of Austria

(b.Vienna 23 May 1941)

1h) Marie Louise Elisabeth Mathilde Theodora Cecilie Sarah,

b.Salem 3 Jul 1969; m.Salem (civ) 15 Sep 1999 (rel) 25 Sep 1999

Richard Baker (b.Biddeford, Maine 30 Mar 1936)

1i) Sofia Baker (b.Alamosa,

Colorado 10 Mar 2001)

2h) Bernhard Max Friedrich August Gustav Louis Kraft, Hereditary

Pr of Baden, b.Salem 27 May 1970; m.Salem 22 Jun 2001 (rel) 23

Jun 2001 Stephanie Anne Kaul (b.Uelzen 27 Jun 1966)

1i) Leopold Bernhard Max Michael Ernst-August

Friedrich Guillaume (b.Ravensburg 18 May 2002)

2i) Friedrich Bernhard Leopold Christian Berthold

Christoph (b.Ravensburg 9 Mar 2004)

3i) Karl-Wilhelm Bernhard Max Alexander Ernst-August

Heinrich-Donatus Mathias (b.Ravensburg 11 Feb 2006)

3h) Leopold Max Christian Ludwig

Clemens Hubert, b.Salem 1 Oct 1971

4h) Michael Max Andreas,

b.Salem 11 Mar 1976

3g) Ludwig Wilhelm Georg Ernst Christoph, b.Karlsruhe 16 Mar

1937; m.(civ) Salem 21 Sep 1967 (rel) Wald, Lower Austria 21 Oct

1967 Anna Maria (Marianne) Pss von Auersperg-Breunner

(b.Zseliz, Hungary 15 Dec 1943)

1h) Sophie Thyra Josephine Georgine

Henriette, b.Heidelberg 8 Jul 1975

2h) Berthold Ernst-August Emich

Rainer, b.Heidelberg 8 Oct 1976

3h) Aglaë Margarete Tatiana

Mary, b.Heidelberg 3 Mar 1981

6d) Karl Friedrich Gustav Wilhelm Maximilian (Karlsruhe

9 Mar 1832-Karlsruhe 3 Dec 1906); m.(morgantically)

Schloß Bauschlott 17 May 1871 Rosalie Luise Frn von

Beust, cr 1871 Gfn von Rhena (Karlsruhe 10 Jun 1845-

Karlsruhe 15 Oct 1908)

1e) Friedrich Maximilian Alexander Gf von Rhena

(Karlsruhe 20 Jan 1877-Bern 19 Nov 1908)

7d) Marie Amalie (Karlsruhe 20 Nov 1834-Waldleiningen 21

Nov 1899); m.Karlsruhe 11 Sep 1858 Ernst Fst zu Leiningen

(Amorbach 9 Nov 1830-Amorbach 5 Apr 1904)

8d) Cäcilie Auguste (took the name Olga Feodorovna on her

Orthodox baptism) (Karlsruhe 20 Sep 1839-Kharkov 12 Apr 1891);

m.St.Petersburg 28 Aug 1857 Michael Nikolaevich, Grand Duke of

Russia (Peterhof 25 Oct 1832-Cannes 18 Dec 1909)

6c) Wilhelm Ludwig August (Karlsruhe 8 Apr 1792-Karlsruhe 11

Oct 1859); m.Stuttgart 16 Oct 1830 Elisabeth Dss of Württemberg

(Wurzen, Kurland 27 Feb 1802-Karlsruhe 5 Dec 1864)

1d) Wilhelmine Pauline Henriette Leopoldine Sophie Amalie

Maximiliane (Karlsruhe 7 May 1833-Karlsruhe 7 Aug 1834)

2d) Sophie Pauline Henriette Marie Amalie Luise (Karlsruhe 7 Aug

1834-Karlsruhe 6 Apr 1904); m.Karlsruhe 9 Nov 1858 Woldemar Pr

zur Lippe (Detmold 18 Apr 1824-Detmold 20 Mar 1895)

3d) Pauline Sophie Elisabeth Marie

(Karlsruhe 18 Dec 1835-Karlsruhe 15 May 1891)

4d) Leopoldine Wilhelmine Pauline Amalie Maximiliane

(Karlsruhe 22 Feb 1837-Strassburg 23 Dec 1903); m.

Karlsruhe 24 Sep 1862 Hermann Fst zu Hohenlohe-

Langenburg (Langenburg 31 Aug 1832-Langenburg 9

Mar 1913)

7c) Friedrich Alexander Frhr von Hochberg

(Karlsruhe 10 Jun 1793-Karlsruhe 18 Jun 1793)

8c) Amalie Christine Karoline (Karlsruhe 26 Jan 1795-Karlsruhe

14 Sep 1869); m.Karlsruhe 19 Apr 1818 Karl Egon II Fst zu

Fürstenberg (Prague 28 Oct 1796-Ischl 22 Oct 1854)

9c) Maximilian Friedrich Johann Ernst

(Triesdorf 8 Dec 1796-Karlsruhe 6 Mar 1882)

2b) Wilhelm Ludwig (Karlsruhe 14 Jan 1732-Karlsruhe

17 Dec 1788); m.(morgantically) Karlsruhe 13 Apr 1788

Wilhelmine Christiane Schortmann (Balingen 31 Dec 1740

-Mühlburg 10 Mar 1804); they had issue, born before the

marriage, who bore the surname "von Seldeneck",

and are still extant in the male line

3a) Auguste Magdalene (Carlsburg

13 Nov 1706-Bâle 25 Aug 1709)

 

       

Websites on The Grand-Ducal Family of Baden

• Badische Residenzen. (In German only)
• Biographie Prinz Max von Baden, 1867-1929. (In German only)
• Das Fürstenhaus der Markgrafen und Großherzöge von Baden. (In German only)
• Descendants of Berthold I Zahringen.
• Descendants of Grand Duke Ludwig I of Baden.
• Großherzogtum Baden 1871-1918. (In German only)
• House Law of Baden, 1817.
• Markgraf Bernhard von Baden. (In German and Italian only)
• Max von Baden.
• Prince Max von Baden.
• Prinzessin Elisabeth Augusta Franziska Eleonore von Baden-Baden (1725-1789). (In German only)
• Schloss Salem. (In German only)
• Schlösser Baden-Württemberg.
• Verfassungsurkunde für das Großherzogtum Baden. (In German only)