Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the heir apparent
to the throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
and a member of the SS
. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
in 1945 with the house becoming extinct on his death.
the eldest child of the reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick Francis IV and his wife Princess Alexandra of Hanover a daughter of Crown Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark
. Following the defeat of the German Empire
in World War I
his father abdicated on 14 November 1918. He did not succeed to the throne as the Empire was replaced with the Weimar Republic
.
and by 1936 he had been promoted to the rank of Hauptsturmführer
(Captain). He was posted to Denmark
during World War II
where he worked at the German embassy as a personal aide to Werner Best
. He spent the summer months of 1944 serving with the Waffen-SS
tank corps.
In May 1943 a family council was called by the Grand Ducal family and Friedrich Franz was passed over as heir in favour of his younger brother Duke Christian Louis who would instead inherit the family property. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 17 November 1945 following the death of his father.
Friedrich Franz married Karin Elisabeth von Schaper (b. 1920) the daughter of Walter von Schaper and his wife Baroness Louise von Münchhausen on 11 June 1941 at Wiligrad. They divorced on 22 September 1967 but remarried a decade later in Glücksburg
on 27 April 1977. The death of his brother Duke Christian Ludwig in 1996 left Friedrich Franz as the only male member of the grand ducal house. As he had no children and his brother had only two daughters
following his death in Hamburg
the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became extinct in the male line.
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
and a member of the SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
House of Mecklenburg
The House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavic origin that ruled until 1918.- Origins :Niklot was a lord of the Wendish tribe of Obotrites. When the Holy Roman Empire expanded eastwards, notably to the coast of Baltic in 13th century, a portion of Obotrite lords allied with...
in 1945 with the house becoming extinct on his death.
Early life
He was born in SchwerinSchwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
the eldest child of the reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick Francis IV and his wife Princess Alexandra of Hanover a daughter of Crown Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark was the youngest daughter of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.-Early life:Thyra was the sister of Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, George I of Greece and...
. Following the defeat of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
his father abdicated on 14 November 1918. He did not succeed to the throne as the Empire was replaced with the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
.
Post monarchy
In May 1931 against the will of his father, Friedrich Franz joined the SSSchutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
and by 1936 he had been promoted to the rank of Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain). He was posted to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
where he worked at the German embassy as a personal aide to Werner Best
Werner Best
Dr. Werner Best was a German Nazi, jurist, police chief, SS-Obergruppenführer and Nazi Party leader from Darmstadt, Hesse. He studied law and in 1927 obtained his doctorate degree at Heidelberg...
. He spent the summer months of 1944 serving with the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
tank corps.
In May 1943 a family council was called by the Grand Ducal family and Friedrich Franz was passed over as heir in favour of his younger brother Duke Christian Louis who would instead inherit the family property. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 17 November 1945 following the death of his father.
Friedrich Franz married Karin Elisabeth von Schaper (b. 1920) the daughter of Walter von Schaper and his wife Baroness Louise von Münchhausen on 11 June 1941 at Wiligrad. They divorced on 22 September 1967 but remarried a decade later in Glücksburg
Glücksburg
Glücksburg is a small town in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.It is situated on the south side of the Flensburg Fjord, an inlet of the Baltic Sea, approx. 10 km northeast of Flensburg...
on 27 April 1977. The death of his brother Duke Christian Ludwig in 1996 left Friedrich Franz as the only male member of the grand ducal house. As he had no children and his brother had only two daughters
Duchess Donata of Mecklenburg
Duchess Donata of Mecklenburg is the senior member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Since there are no males left in the family, the Schwerin branch itself is considered extinct due to the Salic law of succession...
following his death in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became extinct in the male line.