Leopold III, Prince of Lippe
Encyclopedia
Leopold III of Lippe was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe
reigning from 1851 until his death.
the eldest child of Leopold II
, the reigning prince of Lippe and his consort Princess Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
(1800–1867). Being the heir apparent
to the throne from birth he had the title Hereditary Prince.
He succeeded as Prince of Lippe on 1 January 1851 following the death of his father. A year after succeeding to the throne Leopold was married on 17 April 1852 in Rudolstadt
to Princess Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
(1833–1896) the daughter of Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
.
s. The first on 9 March placed the Catholic Church on an equal footing with the state Calvinist religion. The second six days later on 15 March was to grant the same status to the Lutherans.
Lippe went through various changes during his reign. At his ascension the principality was a member of the German Confederation
, and Leopold supported Prussia
during the Austro-Prussian War
of 1866. Following the war and the dissolution of the German Confederation, Lippe joined the North German Confederation
on its creation in 1867. Lippe would then remain a member of the North German Confederation until the creation of the German Empire
in 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War
.
Prince Leopold was one of the main promoters of the creation of the Hermann monument
in the Teutoburg Forest
which was opened by the German Emperor William I
in the summer of 1875. A few months after the unveiling of the monument Leopold died in Detmold
. As Leopold was childless, his brother Woldemar
succeeded him as Prince of Lippe.
The composer Johannes Brahms
was a member of the prince's household between 1857 and 1859 as a conductor and music teacher to his sister Princess Friederike.
Principality of Lippe
Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...
reigning from 1851 until his death.
Early life and ascension
Leopold III was born in DetmoldDetmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
the eldest child of Leopold II
Leopold II, Prince of Lippe
Leopold II of Lippe was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe. Succeeding to the throne in 1802 he assumed control of the government in 1820 from his mother who had been acting as regent due to his age at ascension.-Biography:Leopold II was born in Detmold the eldest child of Leopold I the...
, the reigning prince of Lippe and his consort Princess Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with capital at Sondershausen.-History:...
(1800–1867). Being the heir apparent
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 from birth he had the title Hereditary Prince.
He succeeded as Prince of Lippe on 1 January 1851 following the death of his father. A year after succeeding to the throne Leopold was married on 17 April 1852 in Rudolstadt
Rudolstadt
Rudolstadt is a town in the German Bundesland of Thuringia, close to the Thuringian Forest to the southwest, and to Jena and Weimar to the north....
to Princess Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt.-History:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands...
(1833–1896) the daughter of Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a sovereign prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.-Biography:He was born in Rudolstadt the second son of the reigning prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Louis Frederick II and his wife Landgravine Caroline of Hesse-Homburg...
.
Reign
In 1854 Leopold issued two sovereign edictEdict
An edict is an announcement of a law, often associated with monarchism. The Pope and various micronational leaders are currently the only persons who still issue edicts.-Notable edicts:...
s. The first on 9 March placed the Catholic Church on an equal footing with the state Calvinist religion. The second six days later on 15 March was to grant the same status to the Lutherans.
Lippe went through various changes during his reign. At his ascension the principality was a member of the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
, and Leopold supported Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
during the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866. Following the war and the dissolution of the German Confederation, Lippe joined the North German Confederation
North German Confederation
The North German Confederation 1866–71, was a federation of 22 independent states of northern Germany. It was formed by a constitution accepted by the member states in 1867 and controlled military and foreign policy. It included the new Reichstag, a parliament elected by universal manhood...
on its creation in 1867. Lippe would then remain a member of the North German Confederation until the creation 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 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
.
Prince Leopold was one of the main promoters of the creation of the Hermann monument
Hermannsdenkmal
The Hermannsdenkmal is a monument located in Ostwestfalen-Lippe in Germany in the Southern part of the Teutoburg Forest, which is southwest of Detmold in the district of Lippe...
in the Teutoburg Forest
Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...
which was opened by the German Emperor William I
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
in the summer of 1875. A few months after the unveiling of the monument Leopold died in Detmold
Detmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
. As Leopold was childless, his brother Woldemar
Woldemar, Prince of Lippe
Woldemar of Lippe was the sovereign of the Principality of Lippe reigning from 1875 until his death.-Early life and reign:...
succeeded him as Prince of Lippe.
The composer Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
was a member of the prince's household between 1857 and 1859 as a conductor and music teacher to his sister Princess Friederike.