Salm (state)

Salm is the name of several historic countships and principalities in present Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.

Origins and first division
The County of Salm arose in the tenth century in Vielsalm, in the Ardennes region of present Belgium. It was ruled by a junior branch of the House of Luxembourg, called the House of Salm.

In 1165, it was divided into the counties of Lower Salm, in the Ardennes, situated in Belgium and Luxembourg, and the county of Upper Salm, situated in the Vosges mountains, present France.

Upper Salm
In 1246 the County of Upper Salm was split up, and the County of Salm-Blankenburg came into existence, next to it.

In 1431 the County of Upper Salm was split up again, and the County of Salm-Badenweiler came into existence, next to it.

The County of Upper Salm was inherited by the Wild- and Rhinegraves in 1475, who then called their fief the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Upper Salm.

In 1499 the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm was divided up into two entities, the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Kyrburg and the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Dhaun.

Salm-Blankenburg
The county became extinct in 1506, and was inherited by the House of Lorraine.

Salm-Badenweiler
In 1520 the County of Salm-Badenweiler was split up, and the County of Salm-Neuburg came into existence, next to it. In 1653 the fief was inherited by the Austrian House of Sinzendorf, but the House of Salm kept using the title until 1784, when the last lord died.

The county was annexed by the House of Lorraine from 1600 until 1608, when it came back into the family. 1670 the territory was finally annexed by France.

Salm-Kyrburg
In 1607 the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Kyrburg was divided in three by splitting off the Wild- and Rhinagraviate of Salm-Mörchingen and the Wild- and Rhinagraviate of Salm-Tronecken from the original Wild- and Rhinegraviate. In 1637 the lord of Salm-Tronecken died and his territories were joined with ... . In 1681 the last lord of Salm-Kyrburg died, and his territories were joined with Salm-Mörchingen.

In 1688 the last lord of Salm-Mörchingen died. His territories were joined with ... .

In 1743 a completely new territory of Salm-Kyrburg was created, this time the Principality of Salm-Kyrburg. It was shortly annexed by France in 1811 and mediatised in 1813. But the family kept using the titles.

Salm-Dhaun
In 1561 the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Neuweiler and the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Grumbach were split off Salm-Dhaun.

In 1697 the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Püttlingen was split off Salm-Dhaun.

In 1748 the Salm-Dhaun branch of the family became extinct, its territories went to the branch of Salm-Püttlingen.

Salm-Püttlingen
Salm-Püttlingen became extinct in 1750. Their territories went to ... .

Salm-Neuweiler
In 1610 the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm was split off Salm-Neuweiler. It was elevated to the Principality of Salm in 1623.

In 1803, when the Bishopric of Münster was secularized, part of it was given to the princes of Salm-Salm who by then already were in possession of the Lordship of Anholt. This new Principality of Salm, covering the area around Borken, Ahaus and Bocholt, was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine. In 1810 it was annexed by France, as a part of the Imperial département of Lippe. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, it was mediatized to Prussia. The family branch exist until today.

In 1696 Salm-Neuweiler was divided in two, the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Leuze and the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Hoogstraten. Their lands were incorporated into Belgium. The branches became extinct in 1887 and 1186.

Salm-Grumbach
In 1668 the Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Rheingrafenstein-Grenzweiler was split off Salm-Grumbach. It was mediatised and incorporated into Prussia. The branch extinction occurred in 1819.

In 1803 Salm-Grumbach was annexed by France. The lords of Salm-Grumbach received the Principality of Salm-Horstmar as compensation in 1803. It was mediatised in 1813. The family branch sold its titles to Salm-Salm in 1892.

List of states

 * 1019–1165 : County of Salm (Lower and Upper Salm)
 * 1165–1416 : County of Lower Salm / 1416–1628 : County of Salm-Reifferscheid / 1628-1639 Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid
 * 1639–1803 : Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Bedburg
 * 1803–1804 : Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Krautheim
 * 1804–1806 : Principality of Salm-Reifferscheid-Krautheim (mediatised to Prussia, branch became extinct in 1893)
 * 1734–1790 : County of Salm-Reifferscheid-Raitz
 * 1790–1811 : Principality of Salm-Reifferscheid-Raitz (mediatised to Austria, branch still extant)
 * 1734–1811 : County of Salm-Reifferscheid-Hainsbach (mediatised to Prussia, branch became extinct in 1897)
 * 1639–1806 : Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck (mediatised to Prussia, branch became extinct in 1888)
 * 1165–1475 : County of Upper Salm / 1475-1499 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Upper Salm (House of Salm-Dhaun and House of Salm-Kyrburg)
 * 1210–1500 : County of Salm-Blankenburg (House of Lorraine)
 * 1431–1670 : County of Salm-Badenweiler (House of Bourbon)
 * 1520–1784 : County of Salm-Neuburg (House of Sinzendorf)
 * 1499–1748 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Dhaun (House of Salm-Püttlingen)
 * 1697–1750 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Püttlingen (?)
 * 1561–1696 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Neuweiler (House of Salm-Leuze and House of Salm-Hoogstraten)
 * 1574-1738 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Salm
 * 1738–1810 : Principality of Salm-Salm (mediatised to Prussia)
 * 1696–1742 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Leuze
 * 1742–1743 : Principality of Salm-Leuze (House of Salm-Kyrburg)
 * 1696–1738 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Hoogstraten (later known as House of Salm-Salm)
 * 1561–1803 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Grumbach (mediatised to Prussia)
 * 1803–1813 : Principality of Salm-Horstmar (mediatised to Prussia, branch still extant)
 * 1668-????' Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Rheingrafenstein-Grenzweiler (branch became extinct in 1819)
 * 1499–1681 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Kyrburg (House of Salm-Mörchingen)
 * 1607-1637 : Wild and Rhinegraviate of Salm-Tronecken (branch became extinct in 1637)
 * 1607–1688 : Wild- and Rhinegraviate Salm-Mörchingen (branch became extinct in 1688)
 * 1743–1810 : Principality of Salm-Kyrburg (mediatised to Prussia)

The successors of the House of Salm: the Reiffersheidt family
The counts of Lower Salm became extinct in 1416, and the county was inherited by the House of Reifferscheid-Dyck. In 1628 the county was elevated to an altgraviate, and henceforth the fief was renamed the Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid.

In 1639 the Altgraviate was divided up into the Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Bedburg, to the Northwest of Cologne, and the Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck, Neuss.

House of Reifferscheidt-Dyck (1416-1803; in Dyck, from 1639 in Bedburg, renamed Krautheim 1803–1806)
 * Otto (1416–1455)
 * John I (1455–1475)
 * John II (1475–1479)
 * Peter (1479–1505)
 * John III (1505–1537)
 * John IV (1537–1559)
 * Werner (1559–1629)
 * Ernst Frederick, (1629–1639) first altgrave
 * Ernest Salentin (1639–1684)
 * Francis Ernest (1684–1721)
 * August Eugene Bernard (1721–1767)
 * William (1767–1775)
 * Joseph Zu (1775–1806) in pretence until 1861

House of Reifferscheidt-Dyck (in Bedburg 1639–1803, renamed Krautheim 1803–1806)
 * Erik Adolf (1639–1673)
 * Francis William (1673–1734)
 * Charles Anthony (1734–1755)
 * Sigismund (1755–1798)
 * Francis William, reign (1798–1806) last altgrave (1803–1804), first prince (1804–1806) died 1831

Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz and Salm-Reifferscheidt-Hainsbach
In 1734 the Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Bedburg was divided in three by splitting off the Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Raitz, from Bohemian descent, and the Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Hainsbach from the original altgraviate.

In 1803 the, smaller, Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Bedburg was renamed the Altgraviate of Salm-Reifferscheid-Krautheim. In 1804 it was raised to a principality, und existed until 1806, when it was mediatised.

House of Reifferscheid-Dyck (in Raitz 1734–1811)
 * Anthony (1734–1769)
 * Charles Joseph, last altgrave (1769–1790), first prince (1790–1811)

House of Reifferscheidt-Dyck (in Hainsbach 1734–1811)
 * Leopold Anthony (1734–1769)
 * Francis Wenceslaus (1769–1811), died 1832

Post-mediatized princes of Salm-Kyrburg

 * Frederick IV, first mediatised prince (1813–1859)
 * Frederick V (1859–1887)
 * Frederick VI Louis (1887–1905)

Post-mediatized princes of Salm-Salm

 * Constantin Alexander, first mediatised prince (1813–1828)
 * Florentin (1828–1846)
 * Alfred I (1846–1886)
 * Nicolas Leopold II (1886–1908)
 * Alfred II (1908–1923)
 * Nicolas Leopold III (1923–1988)
 * Charles-Philip (1988–present)
 * Emanuel, heir (born 1961)

Post-mediatized princes of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck

 * Joseph Zu (1806-1861) in pretence
 * Alfred (1861–1888), title to branch of Salm-Reifferscheid-Krautheim

Post-mediatized princes of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Krautheim

 * Francis William, 1806-1831
 * Constantin (1831–1856), title in pretence
 * Francis Charles (1856–1860)
 * Leopold (1860–1893)
 * Alfred (1893–1924)

Post-mediatized princes of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Hainsbach

 * Francis Wenceslaus (1811–1832), title in pretence
 * Francis Vincent (1832–1842)
 * John (1842–1847)
 * Francis Joseph (1847–1887)
 * Alois (1887–1897)

Post-mediatized princes of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz

 * Hugh I Francis (1811–1836), title in pretence
 * Hugh II Charles (1836–1888)
 * Hugh III (1888–1890)
 * Hugh IV (1890–1903)
 * Hugh V Leopold (1903–1946)
 * Hugh VI
 * Hugh VII (born 1973)