Solms-Laubach

Solms-Laubach was a County of southern Hesse and eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The House of Solms had its origins in Solms, Hesse.

History
Solms-Laubach was originally created as a partition of Solms-Lich. In 1537 Philip, Count of Solms-Lich, ruling count at Lich, purchased the Herrschaft Sonnewalde in Lower Lusatia which he left to his younger son Otto of Solms-Laubach (1496–1522), together with the county of Laubach. While Lich and Laubach were counties with imperial immediacy, Sonnewalde remained a semi-independent state country within the March of Lusatia (the latter being an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire). A later Count Otto (1550–1612) moved to Sonnewalde and built the castle in 1582. In 1596 he also purchased the nearby Herrschaft of Baruth which was also elevated to a state country within the March of Lusatia. The branch then was divided into the twigs of Solms-Laubach, Solms-Sonnewalde and Solms-Baruth.

Solms-Laubach partitioned between itself and Solms-Sonnenwalde in 1561; between itself, Solms-Baruth and Solms-Rödelheim 1607; and between itself and Solms-Sonnenwalde 1627. Solms-Laubach inherited Solms-Sonnenwalde in 1615. With the death of Count Charles Otto in 1676, it was inherited by Solms-Baruth and recreated as a partition in 1696. Solms-Laubach was mediatised to Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806.

The counts of Solms-Laubach still own Laubach Castle and Arnsburg Abbey. Until 1935, Münzenberg Castle also belonged to the estate.

First creation: 1544–1676

 * Frederick Magnus I (1544–61)
 * John George (1561–1600)
 * Albert Otto I (1600–10)
 * Albert Otto II (1610–56)
 * Charles Otto (1656–76)

Second creation: 1696–1806

 * Frederick Ernest (1696–1723)
 * Christian Augustus (1723–84), with...
 * Frederick Magnus II (1723–38)
 * Frederick Louis Christian (1784–1806)

Mediatized

 * Friedrich Ludwig Christian, 5th Count 1806 (Mediatized)-1822 (1769–1822)
 * Otto, 6th Count 1822-1872 (1799–1872)
 * Friedrich, 7th Count 1872–1900 (1833–1900)
 * Otto, 8th Count 1900–1904 (1860–1904)
 * Georg, 9th Count 1904–1969 (1899–1969)
 * Otto, 10th Count 1969–1973 (1926–1973)
 * Karl, 11th Count 1973–present (b.1963)
 * August, Hereditary Count of Solms-Laubach (b.1994)
 * Count Gustav (b.1965)
 * Count Oscar (b.2008)
 * Count Franz (b.1971)
 *  Count Friedrich (1902-1991)
 * Count Ernst (b.1939)
 * Count Stefan (b.1976)
 * Count Reinhard (1872-1937)
 * Count Hans (1927-2009)
 * Count Georg (b.1972)
 * Count Ernst (1837-1908)
 * Count Ernstotto (1890-1977)
 * Count Friedrich-Ernst (b.1940)
 * Count Moritz (b.1980)
 * Count Philipp (b.1985)

Literature

 * Rudolph zu Solms-Laubach: Geschichte des Grafen- und Fürstenhauses Solms. Adelmann, Frankfurt am Main 1865