The Counts and Princes of Wied.
“From high mountains floweth
Bright Wied to the Rhine;
On the banks of it rises
Princely castle so fine:
And the old hero-race--
Ne’er corrupted of ill--
Noble flames constant rise
From the roots of it still.”
--ERNST MORITZ ARNDT.
For many generations we find in the family of the Counts, who later
became Princes of Wied, distinguished men and women. For centuries we
can find their trace, ever striving for what is noble and ideal, and
thus overcoming the monotony of daily life. Leaders of armies, high
prelates, and learned men have sprung from that family. Noble women
have influenced the rising generation by their educational powers.
Intellectual pre-eminence can almost be called a heritage in the
princely House of Wied.
In the year 1093 the Counts of Wied were already a mighty dynasty.
Their possessions on the right and left banks of the Rhine extended to
the heights of the Eifel and the Westerwald. The most ancient seat of
the Counts of Wied was the Castle of Ober-Altwied, to which the Castle
of Neider-Altwied was added later.
We find the earliest mention of the Rhenic branch of the dynasty of the
Counts of Wied in a document-of-foundation of the year 1093. Amongst
the witnesses stands the name of MEFFRID, COUNT OF WIED. His consort
Osterlindis was a near relative of Henry the Lion, and the mother of
the ARCHBISHOP ARNOLD OF COLOGNE. This energetic and highly-gifted
prince of the Church took a leading part in the election of a king at
Frankfort after the death of Conrad III. It was he who accompanied
Frederick Barbarossa to Aix and crowned him there.
THEODORICK, COUNT OF WIED, lived early in the thirteenth century.
He was renowned for his piety and wisdom as a statesman when he was
Archbishop of Treves. The Liebfrauen Church at Treves, that beautiful
monument of Gothic architecture, owes its origin to him.
In the year 1243 the male line became extinct in the person of COUNT
LOTHAR. The heritage of the Counts of Wied then fell to Bruno, Count
of Isenburg, who was married to the heiress of the House of Wied and
took the name. At the death of Count William in 1462 the inheritance
fell, in default of a male heir, to FREDERICK OF RUNKEL, of the House
of Leiningen-Westerburg. His mother was Anastasia of Isenburg-Wied, a
niece of Count William.
COUNT FREDERICK OF RUNKEL-WIED then became the founder of the now
flourishing dynasty of the Princes of Wied.
Amongst his descendants, let us first mention HERMAN OF WIED, Elector
and Archbishop of Cologne from 1515 to 1547. He was born on the 14th
January 1477, and was the fourth son of Count Frederick of Wied-Runkel
and the Countess Agnes of Virneburg: already in his sixth year he
received a benefice in the Chapter of the Cologne Cathedral. At fifteen
he became Canon of the Cathedral, and on the 15th of March 1515 he
was elected Archbishop of Cologne. He reigned during the time of the
most bitter religious strife. Although at first an implacable enemy
of the Reformation, he was soon overcome by the power of the Gospel.
Archbishop Herman declared himself a believer in the doctrines of
Luther, sent for Protestant preachers, and corresponded actively
with Luther and Melancthon. Martin Butzer, the Strasburg Reformer,
was invited by him to Bonn, to work out a plan for the ordering of
the doctrines of the Reformation. At Easter 1543 Archbishop Herman
dispensed the Holy Communion according to the rites of the Lutheran
Church. A few weeks later Melancthon came from Wittenburg, and
Pistorius from Hesse to confer with the Archbishop. His rivals and
enemies now denounced him to the Pope and to the Emperor. He, however,
declared calmly and decidedly that “at his age, and with one foot in
the grave, he had held it to be his Christian duty to study the Bible
and religious works himself, and to seek the advice of the learned.
He could by no means depart from the conclusions he had thus come to,
nor deny his convictions, which were of the greatest importance to his
salvation and that of all true seekers after God. Whether unjustifiable
machinations should succeed in dethroning him he would leave in God’s
hands. If the worst should befall him, he would close his life as he
was born, a simple Count of Wied, but he would never cease to be the
champion of the true faith.”
After this he was excommunicated by Paul III. In order to preserve
the country committed to his charge from the misery of war, which
must otherwise inevitably have arisen, Count Herman renounced the
Archbishopric. For thirty-one years he had gloriously fulfilled the
duties of his difficult office, and accomplished the arduous task with
true German conscientiousness and Christian piety. He now returned to
Altwied, the cradle of his race. In our days one can still see the
extensive ruins of the old Castle, which crown a rocky summit, standing
isolated in the valley of the Wiedbach, surrounded by mountains clothed
with mighty forests. On the 15th of August 1552 Count Herman died
there, and was buried in the neighbouring church of the village of
Niederbiber. The fatherly solicitude with which he had ruled those
committed to his care was treasured in the memory of the people for
many years. Up to the end of the sixteenth century the saying was
current among them:--
“When we had noble Herman of Wied,
God, gold and peace were ours indeed.”
FREDERICK, COUNT OF WIED, 1618-1698, increased the well-being of his
country under most difficult circumstances. The House of Wied had
become Protestant. Count Frederick made up his mind to found a city
of refuge for all Christians who were persecuted on account of their
religion. The town of Neuwied was founded in the year 1649 upon the
ruins of the village of Langendorf, which stood on the banks of the
Rhine, and was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. The toleration
displayed by the Count towards the most conflicting opinions was,
at that time of ruthless persecution, a bright example of Christian
charity.
His son FREDERICK WILLIAM, 1706-1737, built the Palace of Neuwied,
in which Princess Elizabeth was born. From the lofty windows of the
saloons, which are decorated in the style of Louis XV., the view
extends far over the flowing Rhine, and the many picturesquely situated
towns and villages, and the wide chains of mountains which encircle
the river on both sides. At sunset, when the last beams of the sun are
reflected in a hazy mist, it is a picture of magical beauty.
The park lies close behind the Palace. For a long way it stretches
along the Rhine to the mouth of the river Wied. Magnificent old trees
form shady avenues and groves. They are so arranged as to heighten the
effect of the beautiful landscape, which constantly develops new charms
in the ever-changing light.
FREDERICK ALEXANDER succeeded his father from 1737-1791. During
his reign Neuwied became an asylum for religious sects of the most
various views, who built churches and founded lasting congregations
there. Thither came the Moravians, Mennonites, Jews, Catholics,
members of reformed Churches, Lutherans, and the mystic sects of the
Inspirationists. Frederick Alexander took them all under his immediate
protection, and allowed them the free exercise of their religion.
In order to improve the condition of his country, he attracted foreign
manufacturers and artists. Thus an industrial population was gradually
formed at Neuwied, which has steadily increased. Frederick Alexander
founded institutions for the good of the community, encouraged mining,
built foundries, and interested himself in everything connected with
the prosperity of the town of Neuwied. Practical reforms were carried
out in the administration of the country and its agriculture. It was
Frederick Alexander who erected the country-house of Monrepos, that
“Paradise” of Queen Elizabeth, on a height of Westerwald.
On the 13th June 1784 the hereditary title of Prince of the Realm
was conferred on Frederick Alexander by Joseph II. Three years later
he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his accession. He and his
consort, Countess Caroline of Hachenburg, also lived to see the
celebration of their golden wedding, when they were surrounded by a
large circle of grandchildren. His simple monument in the churchyard of
Neuwied bears the inscription, “He was too great to be replaced, too
good to be forgotten; his good works are his best memorial.”
PRINCE FREDERICK CHARLES, the only son of Frederick Alexander,
married, in 1766, the Countess Marie Louise Wilhelmina of
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, and she became the mother of seven
princes and three princesses. When Frederick Charles undertook the
government of the country it was not for its welfare. In his anxiety to
improve everything, he went so far as to destroy all that was good and
beautiful; his generosity was extravagant, and he soon became involved
in quarrels of all sorts. The Princes of Runkel and Berleburg, who were
sureties for the House of Wied, were obliged to appeal to the law and
to nominate a Curator.
But the storm of the French Revolution had gathered meanwhile, and
soon spread to Neuwied. The wave of emigration came and brought its
adventurers, and the Franko-Austrian war succeeded with its horrors.
The Princess and her children repeatedly had to flee from Neuwied. The
Prince had also left his home, and stood up for his lost rights in
Vienna until the government of his country was accorded to him once
more. A French emigrant accompanied him on his return, in whom he
placed the utmost confidence, but whose influence over him was most
pernicious. The Princess was obliged to leave the Castle, for the
citizens of Neuwied rebelled against their Prince. Violent measures
were resorted to, in consequence of which Prince Frederick Charles
gave up the government and went to Freiburg in Breisgau. Here he lived
in quiet retirement till his death in 1809.
Upon the abdication of the Prince a separation was arranged between
him and his wife. Whilst her son was still a minor and serving in the
Prussian army, Princess Marie Louise undertook the government of the
country. This Princess preserved her unusually beautiful and graceful
appearance to the last. Beloved by her people and children, she knew
how to combine a sense of her dignity with great modesty. Wherever
her services were required for the good of others she was ready to
help with her clear judgment. For two years she presided over the
affairs of the country with great circumspection and foresight. In
her leisure hours she took great delight in translating the works of
French, Italian, and English poets. She rendered Gellert’s odes into
French. Many of the hymns she composed are found in hymn-books of that
time, and she excelled in music, drawing, and miniature painting. She
corresponded diligently with Wieland, and Ernst Moritz Arndt was her
friend. Amidst the difficult circumstances of her life of trial, she
never lost her calmness and self-control, for her firm faith in the
love and mercy of God gave her strength to bear adversity and never to
despair. On the 13th of July 1804 she gave up the government of the
country to her son.
PRINCE AUGUSTUS was very simple in his tastes, just and active, a
true German who was impervious to French influence. When the Princes
of the south-west of Germany made a league under the protectorate of
Napoleon in 1860, Prince Augustus of Wied remained true to his country.
He refused to be incorporated in this alliance, which was hostile to
the interests of Germany. In consequence of this he was deprived of
his sovereignty and became subject to the House of Nassau. Later, when
the difficult task of altering the state of things in Germany fell to
the Congress of Vienna, it was decreed that the reigning Counts of the
Empire should lose their independence. Consequently this fate befell
the Princes of Wied also. A large part of their country came under
Prussian rule, whilst a small part was given over to the House of
Nassau.
Two brothers of Prince Augustus had fallen in the wars of independence,
when Prince Victor also, a youth of seventeen, was to join the army.
Before he left his mother the Princess Louise, that enthusiastic
patriot, took him once more to the Church at Niederbiber. Upon the
grave of Archbishop Herman, before the altar, she made him solemnly
swear “that he would dedicate his whole life to the German cause, and
not sheath his sword till the last enemy had left German soil.” He
faithfully kept his oath, and gave up his life for it. Prince Victor
fought against Napoleon in Germany and in Spain, where he died the
death of a hero when he had just attained the age of twenty-six. In
one of his last letters to his mother he writes:--“All my hopes and
desires are centred in our beloved Germany, the welfare of which is my
first and last object in all I undertake.” Ernst Moritz Arndt was his
best friend, and immortalised his memory in a patriotic poem. He also
published the Prince’s letters to his mother from Spain, and wrote an
introduction containing a sketch of the life of the Prince.
PRINCE MAXIMILIAN OF WIED, a younger brother of Prince Augustus, who
was born in 1782, took an honourable place in the learned world as a
traveller and natural philosopher. From his earliest youth he displayed
a strong bent for the study of natural history. Captain Hofmann, who
became famous for his antiquarian researches, was then at the Court of
Wied as a tutor to the princely children. Under his guidance Prince
Max, who was so eager for knowledge, was able to study with Professor
Blumenbach in Göttingen, and became distinguished in natural history.
During the wars of independence he saw much service with the Prussian
army, from which he received his discharge, according to his request,
after the peace of Paris.
Returned to Neuwied, he occupied himself with preparations for a
journey to Brazil which he had planned for many years. Accompanied
by the German naturalists Freisz and Sellow, he explored the central
provinces of Brazil from 1815 to 1817, diligently seeking for specimens
and collecting materials for his literary work. The first short account
of his journey appeared in the “Isis” of Oken, and “A Journey to Brazil
in the Years 1815-1817” followed later. The sketches of landscapes
and figures which Prince Max had drawn from nature on the spot were
beautifully etched on copperplate by his accomplished sister, Princess
Louise, and his brother, Prince Charles, and heightened the value of
this beautiful work. Some years after, the Prince published two other
books and a Natural History of Brazil.
No sooner had the latter appeared in print than the indefatigable
Prince started on a second scientific journey to America. This time
the United States and North America were his object, but he extended
his journey to the Rocky Mountains and the Upper Missouri. Amidst the
wilds of the primeval forests he made the minutest researches into the
conditions of nature in that country and the native tribes of Indians.
Surrounded by great dangers, he lived amongst the Mandam Indians, the
Monnitaris, the Arrihares, and other tribes. On his return home Prince
Max wrote an account of his journey through North America, which was
published by Hölzer in Coblentz between 1838 and 1841. It was in twelve
volumes, and included an atlas which contained thirty-one copperplates.
The drawings were made by the landscape-painter Bodmer, who had
accompanied the Prince on his journey. It is a magnificent work, of
great ethnographic importance. A museum was arranged for the rich
collections, which remained for a long time an ornament to the town of
Neuwied and a centre for the study of natural history. After the death
of Prince Herman they were sold to America, where they are still kept
together and bear the name of “The Prince Herman of Wied Collection.”
Until his death, in 1867, Prince Maximilian was an active member of
the Leopoldine Academy. His merit has been fully acknowledged. Many
learned societies elected him a member, and a beautiful creeper from
the primeval forests of Brazil is called _Neowedia Spezzoa_ after him.
He was always the centre of life and cheerfulness in the family, and,
in spite of his great intellectual powers, he was modest and retiring
in the social circle and good and kind to all until the last.
But we must also particularly mention the PRINCESS LOUISE here. She
lived only for ideal interests, and is one of the most beautiful
recollections of the childhood of the Princess Elizabeth. Her talents
for music and painting were extraordinary. She painted many pictures
which still adorn the Palace of Neuwied. Prince Augustus was also
very musical, and as music was cultivated seriously and with artistic
knowledge at the princely Court, its good influence was sure to be felt
by the inhabitants of Neuwied. Princess Louise had started a class for
singing, which performed admirably. She was also a poetess, and had
not forgotten how to make “rhymes” even in her ninety-third year. The
“Songs of Solitude” reveal a deeply religious and poetical mind.
Prince Augustus of Wied had married the Princess Sophia Augusta of
Solms-Braun-Fels on the 11th July 1812. Her eldest son was PRINCE
HERMAN, the father of the Queen of Roumania.
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