Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg

Biography

Günther Victor was born in Rudolstadt, the son of Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Princess Mathilde of Schönburg-Waldenburg. His mother was the daughter of Otto Victor, Prince of Schönburg-Waldenburg, and Princess Thekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, a cousin of Günther's father.

Upon the death of his father on 1 July 1875, Prince Günther became the heir presumptive to the principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. He succeeded his first cousin once removed, Prince Georg, as sovereign prince on 19 January 1890.

Following the death of Prince Leopold of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in 1906, Günther became heir presumptive to the neighboring Schwarzburg principality. The death of Karl Günther on 28 March 1909 united the two principalities under Günther in a personal union. This marked the first time the two territories had been ruled by a single monarch since their 16th-century partition. Following this union, he dropped "Rudolstadt" from his title to become the Prince of Schwarzburg.

Post-monarchy and death

Following the outbreak of the German Revolution, Prince Günther was the last of the German federal monarchs to abdicate, resigning his throne on 22 November 1918. After the abolition of the monarchy, he entered into a settlement with the Free State of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt regarding his ancestral assets.

He died in Sondershausen on 16 April 1925. As his marriage to Princess Anna Louise of Schönburg-Waldenburg was childless, he was succeeded as head of the House of Schwarzburg by his cousin, Sizzo, Prince of Schwarzburg.

Marriage

Prince Günther was married to Princess Anna Louise of Schönburg-Waldenburg at Rudolstadt on 9 December 1891. She was daughter of his uncle Prince Georg of Schönburg-Waldenburg and Princess Luise of Bentheim-Tecklenburg. The marriage was childless.

In 1942 Princess Anna Luise adopted her nephew Prince Wilhelm of Schönburg-Waldenburg and his son Prince Ulrich.