German Royalty: Castell


Figure 1.-- Here we have Donat Countess Von Castell-Ruedenhausen (1950- ) with her two children Georg Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia (1976- ) and Cornelie-Cecile, Princess of Prussia (1978- ).

We have found difficulty researching the Castell family. One source indicated that the Castell family is an old German artistocratic family. A German reader, however, doubts that. We have very limited information on the family. There is some information available on the family, but much of it is in German, making it difficult for us to use.

Origins

One source indicates that the Castell family were the lords of Kreis (cuunty) Gerolzhofen and Reigierungsbezirk (administrative district) Unterfranken of Bavaria. The family was essentialy the ruling family of a Grafschaft (another word similar to county). The German word for count is Graf. They were a member of the Fraenkische Grafenkolleg. The Castell family were classed as counts. Interested reders can find the long genealogy at the Worldroots internet site of the still existent Castell family. The first family member listed here is Count Rupert V (mentioned 1190 and 1223). A modern genology of the family is also available at the Worldroots internet site. A HBc reader writes, "The Castell family were not the lords/Earls of Gerolzhofen. They were never living in Gerolzhofen ! “Kreis” is a modern term not used at times when we had feudal sovereignty. Today it is a town in the Kreis Schweinfurt in the northern Regierungsbezirk (administrative district) Unterfranken of Bavaria. I doubt that it is correct that the family Castell has any relation to this town. There is no mention of Gerolzhofen in the genealogies and no mentioning of the Castell family in the Web history page of this village. The family was essentialy the ruling family of a Grafschaft (another word similar to county). (according to a Web page of the Castell family. It was the “Grafschaft Castell” in southern Unterfranken near to Nuremberg)."

Branchs

There were two branches: 1) Castell-Castell who were Protestant and 2) Castell-Ruedenhausen wiyth both Protestant and Catholic members.

Wuerttemberg

Grafschaft Castell held a tenancy subject to Wuerttemberg. The family was on the personal list of the Reichsadel. They controlled three territories and 28 villages (Flecken). A reader writes, "I can’t confirm this with regard to Württemberg from what I found in the Web). Please look into the Web page of Gerolzhofen with the official history and the Web page of the village Castell mentioning just what you write for the family. Follow the link “GEMEINDE CASTELL” there and then the navigation entry “Geschichte”. See also about Rüdenhausen, a small village to the north of Castell.

Bavaria

This fief joined Bavaria (1901). Our reader writes, "The history page of Castell says that they joined Bavaria in 1806 during the Napoleonic times. And I doubt that they were a “fief”, as they were “reichsunmittelbar”, i. e., independent in the former Holy Roman Empire, the medieval German imperial state.

Donat Countess Irene Von Castell-Ruedenhausen

Here we see Donat Countess Irene Von Castell-Ruedenhausen--Countess zu Solms-Laubach (1950- ). Our reader writes, "The second Christian name “Irene” is not listed in the genealogy, it is the name of her mother) von Castell-Ruedenhausen Countess zu Solms-Laubach." She was the daughter of Siegfried IV Fürst zu Castell-Ruedenhausen and Countess Irene zu Solms-Laubach. She married 1975 Louis Ferdinand Oskar Christian, Prince of Prussia (1944- ). Her husband husband, Louis Ferdinand, died in 1977. Their two children were Georg Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia (1976- ) and Cornelie-Cecile, Princess of Prussia (1978- ). The vital data for Countess Donat can ve found on the Worldroots internet site. A reader writes, "Sorry, not all what you wrote can be verified when reading her entry. In nobility lists familiar to me, the name of Gerolzhofen does not occur. Castell is the home of this family. Well, the title line of your page , I think, is not adequate. The Castell family never was a German royal family. The marriage of Countess Donat with a Prussian prince in 1975 did not establish “royalty” – we don’t have royals any more." A reader writes, "The Countess seems to be very Web media-oriented !).







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Created: 6:46 PM 4/26/2005
Last updated: 6:46 PM 4/26/2005