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{{Infobox country
|native_name            = ''Grafschaft Stolberg-Wernigerode''
|conventional_long_name = County of Stolberg-Wernigerode
|common_name            = Stolerg-Wernigerode
|
|era                    = Middle Ages
|status                 = Vassal
|empire                 = Holy Roman Empire
|government_type        = County
|
|year_start             = 1645
|year_end               = 1807
|
|event_pre              = [[County of Wernigerode|Wernigerode]] inherited by <br>{{spaces|4}}[[counts of Stolberg]]
|date_pre               = 1429
|event_start            = Partitioned from <br>{{spaces|4}} [[Stolberg-Stolberg]]
|date_start             = 
|event1                 = Partitioned to create <br>{{spaces|4}} [[Stolberg-Gedern]]
|date_event1            = 1677
|event2                 = Under ''[[Vogt]]erei'' of <br>{{spaces|4}} [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]
|date_event2            = 1714
|event3                 = Acquired <br>{{spaces|4}} [[Stolberg-Schwarza]]
|date_event3            = 1748
|event4                 = Reacquired <br>{{spaces|4}} Stolberg-Gedern
|date_event4            = 1804
|event_end              = [[German Mediatisation|Mediatised]] to [[Kingdom of Westphalia|Westphalia]]
|date_end               = 
|event_post             = [[Congress of Vienna|Awarded]] to Prussia
|date_post              = 1815
|
|p1                     = Stolberg-Stolberg
|image_p1               = [[File:DEU Stolberg (Harz) COA.svg|20px]]
|s1                     = Kingdom of Westphalia
|flag_s1                = Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg
|
|image_flag             = 
|image_coat             = Stolberg-1429.PNG
|
|image_map              = 
|image_map_caption      = 
|
|capital                = Wernigerode
|footnotes              = 
}}
The '''County of Stolberg-Wernigerode''' ({{langx|de|Grafschaft Stolberg-Wernigerode}}) was a [[county]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] located in the [[Harz]] region around [[Wernigerode]], now part of [[Saxony-Anhalt]], [[Germany]]. It was ruled by a branch of the [[House of Stolberg]].

==History==
The [[County of Wernigerode|Counts of Wernigerode]] had become extinct in 1429 and their lands were inherited through [[Salic law]] by the [[County of Stolberg|Counts of Stolberg]], sovereign counts of the Empire since the early 11th century. On 31 May 1645, the Harz line of [[Stolberg-Stolberg]] was divided between a senior Stolberg-Wernigerode line and a junior Stolberg-Stolberg line. Because Wernigerode was heavily damaged by the [[Thirty Years' War]], the Counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode also resided in the castle of [[Ilsenburg]].

[[File:WernigerodeCastleWinter.jpg|thumb|left|[[Wernigerode Castle]]]]
The town of [[Gedern]] in [[Landgraviate of Hesse|Hesse]], acquired in 1535, became the seat of the cadet branch of [[Stolberg-Gedern]] in 1677. This junior line, raised to an imperial principality by Emperor [[Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles VII of Wittelsbach]] in 1742, was reacquired by Stolberg-Wernigerode in 1804. The Wernigerode line also re-acquired [[Stolberg-Schwarza]] on 14 September 1748.

In 1714, Count Christian Ernest surrendered his military and the fiscal independence of Stolberg-Wernigerode to King [[Frederick William I of Prussia]], although he still maintained subordinated rule over his territories as a count. The county was [[German Mediatisation|mediatised]] in 1807 and made part of the [[Kingdom of Westphalia]]. In the 1815 [[Congress of Vienna]], Stolberg-Wernigerode was granted to [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], although successive counts retained sovereign rights until 1876. The territory was incorporated into the Prussian [[Province of Saxony]] in 1815.

The Counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode were considered ''[[Reichsfreiheit|Reichsfrei]]''. The children of ''[[Fürst]]en'', ''Fürstinnen'' and ''Erbprinzen'' (Princes and Princesses) zu Stolberg-Wernigerode bore the title of Prince(ss) zu Stolberg-Wernigerode and were [[style (manner of address)|styled]] as [[Serene Highness]]. Other members of this line bore the equal title of ''[[Graf]]/Gräfin zu Stolberg-Wernigerode'' (not to be confused with ordinary Counts) and were styled as [[Illustrious Highness]].

==Rulers of Stolberg-Wernigerode==
===Counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode===
* [[Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg|Henry Ernest]], 1645-1672
* [[Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Ilsenburg|Ernest]], son, 1672-1710
* [[Christian Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode|Christian Ernest]], nephew, 1710-1771
* [[Henry Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode|Henry Ernest]], son, 1771-1778
* [[Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode|Christian Frederick]], son, 1778-1824
* [[Henry of Stolberg-Wernigerode|Henry]], son, 1824-1854
* [[Otto of Stolberg-Wernigerode|Otto]], grandson, 1854–1896, [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany]], ''[[Fürst]]'' from 1890 on

=== Princes of Stolberg-Wernigerode  ===
{{Tree list}}
* {{Tree list/final branch}} '''[[Otto of Stolberg-Wernigerode|Otto]]''', 1st Prince 1890-1896 (1837-1896) - [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany]], ''[[Fürst]]'' from 1890 on
** {{Tree list/final branch}} '''Christian Ernst''', 2nd Prince 1896-1940 (1864-1940)
*** {{Tree list/final branch}} '''Botho''', 3rd Prince 1940-1989 (1893-1989)
**** '''Christian-Heinrich''', 4th Prince 1989-2001 (1922-2001)
***** Prince Ludwig-Christian (b.1958)
***** Prince Bolko (b.1959)
****** Princess Natasia (b.1992)
***** '''Philipp''', 5th Prince 2001-''present'' (b.1967)
****** {{Tree list/final branch}} Carl, Hereditary Prince of Stolberg-Wernigerode (b.2009/10)
***** {{Tree list/final branch}} Prince George (b.1970)
****** Prince Tassilo (b.2005)
****** {{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Nikolas (b.2007)
**** {{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Elger (b.1935)
***** {{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Alexander (b.1967) - ''adopted by [[Stolberg-Rossla|Stolberg-Roßla]] line''
{{Tree list/end}}

== See also ==
* [[House of Stolberg]]

==References==
<references/>
* {{cite book|last=Köbler|first=Gerhard|title=Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder|publisher=Verlag C. H. Beck|location=[[Munich]]|year=1988|isbn=3-406-33290-0|page=639|language=de}}
* {{cite book|last=Schwineköper|first=Berent|authorlink=Berent Schwineköper|title=Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands, Band 11, Provinz Sachsen/Anhalt|year=1987|publisher=Alfred Kröner Verlag|location=Stuttgart|isbn=3-520-31402-9|page=644|language=de}}

{{Upper Saxon Circle}}

{{coord missing|Germany}}

[[Category:Counties of the Holy Roman Empire]]