Imperial County of Reuss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Imperial County of Reuss Reichsgrafschaft Reuß
c. 1010–1778/1806
Coat of arms
Reuss in 1820: Elder (green) and Younger (orange) line
Status	County
Capital	Weida until 1531, then Plauen, Gera and Greiz
Government	Principality
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	c. 1010
• Partitioned to R.-Gera,     R-Plauen and R-Weida	c. 1206
• Partitioned into Elder,     Middle and Younger line	1564
• Principality of Reuss     Elder Line	1778
• Principality of Reuss     Junior Line	1806
Preceded by Succeeded by Vogtland Reuss Elder Line Reuss Junior Line

Reuss (German: Reuß [ʁɔɪ̯s], royss) was the name of several historical states located in present-day Thuringia, Germany. Several lordships of the Holy Roman Empire which arose after 1300 and became Imperial Counties from 1673 and Imperial Principalities in the late 18th century were ruled by the House of Reuss.

A varying number of these counties came into being by partition; they were partially merged and divided again. After the end of the empire in 1806, the principality of the elder line, as well as several of the younger, became sovereign member states of the German Confederation, with the younger ones merging into a unified principality by 1848. The two remaining territories became federal principalities of the German Empire in 1871, the Principality of Reuss Elder Line with the state capital of Greiz and the Principality of Reuss Younger Line with the state capital of Gera. Both states were ruled by the House of Reuss until the German Revolution of 1918–1919. The head of each branch bore the German title Fürst (Prince, as head of a princely house) while their children and all other members of the house bore the title Prinz/Prinzessin (Prince/Princess, as agnate members of a princely house).

Since the end of the 12th century, all male members of the House of Reuss are named Heinrich (English: Henry), in honour of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (1190–1197), to whom they owed the dominions of Weida and Gera. For the purpose of differentiation, they are given order numbers according to certain systems (see below, section Numbering of the Heinrichs), and in private life they are distinguished by nicknames.

History of the various states

Several different principalities of the House of Reuss which had previously existed had by the time of the formation of the German Confederation become part of the two remaining lines (the Elder and the Younger lines). Before then, they had been part first of the Holy Roman Empire, and then the Confederation of the Rhine.

Origins

The region including what would become the Principality of Reuss was inhabited in early medieval times by Slavic people who were converted to Christianity by the German Emperor Otto I (936–973). In church matters the region was under the Diocese of Zeitz (founded in 968), which became a suffragan of Magdeburg. On account of the frequent inroads of the Slavs, the residence of the Bishop of Zeitz was removed to Naumburg in 1028, after which the See was called Naumburg-Zeitz.

Upon its subjection to German authority, the whole province was allotted to the March of Zeitz. As early as the year 1000, however, Emperor Otto III permitted the entire part lying on the eastern boundary of Thuringia, a wooded area, sparsely populated by the West Slavic people of the Sorbs, to be cleared for farmland and settled by German settlers. Emperor Henry IV appointed Henry the Pious of Gleissberg (c. 1040−1120) imperial vogt, or bailiff (advocatus imperii) of this settlement area, under the rule of the imperial Quedlinburg Abbey. He was a son of Erkenbert I of Weida, the oldest known ancestor of the family, who is mentioned in 1122 in the entourage of Count Adalbert of Everstein at the consecration of St John's church in Plauen. The name of the area Heinrich controlled derives from his office: Vogtland (Terra advocatorum, Land of the Bailiff). This designation has remained to this day a geographical summary for a region of 3,467 km² (comparable roughly to the county of Essex) which is located in Saxony, Thuringia and, to a lesser extent, in northern Bavaria.

The House of the Vogts (Bailiffs)

Coat-of-arms of the Vogts of Gera (1370), since the mid 15th century also of the Vogts of Plauen and the Lords Reuss of Plauen

The position of vogt soon became hereditary. While the dominions of Heinrich von Gleissberg included the towns Gera and Weida, his grandson Henry II the Rich (d. before 1209) also acquired Plauen. When his three sons divided their inheritance, three independent areas emerged, ruled by the branches of the bailiffs of Weida-Ronneburg, Plauen-Gera and Greiz-Reichenbach. The bailiffs, initially unfree nobles (Ministerialis), quickly rose to the rank of lords. After the division, the official title Vogt was carried on by all branches and passed on like a hereditary imperial fiefdom. When the bailiffs negotiated a treaty with Henry III, Margrave of Meissen in 1254, they acted as equal partners. In 1329 Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian confirmed the bailiffs a rank equal to Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, albeit without the title itself, they continued to use the designation Vogt.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the bailiffs of Weida gradually became independent of the Quedlinburg Abbey on the lands they administered. Their area included what is generally understood today as Vogtland. Over time the dominions of the bailiffs extended beyond the Vogtland into the Western Ore Mountains, with areas extending into what is now the Czech Republic.

The Weida branch was extinct in 1535, the branch of Greiz-Reichenbach was soon inherited by the branch of Plauen-Gera which then divided into Plauen (elder and younger line) and Gera-Schleiz-Lobenstein (extinct in 1550). The elder Plauen line of the vogts was extinct in 1380, the founder of the younger Plauen line was Henry (d. about 1300), who on account of his stay in Eastern European regions and his marriage with a granddaughter of King Daniel of Galicia received the surname of "der Reusse" (Ruthenus, a term for the Kievan Rus'), whence the name later passed to his country. His descendants were styled Lords Reuss of Plauen, Greiz and Gera. The House of Reuss is thus descended from the vogts of Plauen from whom they inherited the cities and lordships of Gera, Greiz, Schleiz and Lobenstein. However, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the vogts had lost the greater part of their possessions, most of which fell to the Electorate of Saxony, including Weida in 1427 and Plauen in 1482.

• 

  Plauen city and castle (1859)

• 

  Osterburg Castle at Weida

• 

  Osterstein Castle at Gera (until 1918 state capital of the Principality of Reuss Younger Line)

• 

  Greiz with Upper and Lower Castle (until 1918 state capital of the Principality of Reuss Elder Line)

House of Reuss

Coat-of-arms of the princely House of Reuss (younger line)

In 1306 the Plauen branch of the vogts was subdivided into an elder line (at Plauen) that died out around 1380, and a younger line (at Greiz and Reichenbach), called Reuss. In 1564 the latter was subdivided into three branches, the Elder (extinct in 1927), the Middle (extinct in 1616), and the Younger (of which the ruling line became extinct in 1945) and a side line, split off in 1692, Reuss-Köstritz, which had been raised to (however non-ruling) princes in 1806, still exists with about 30 male relatives, all named Heinrich, as the last surviving branch of the family, with the senior of this branch, the Prince Reuss-Köstritz, as head of the entire house, hence now The Fürst Reuss, while the others hold the agnatic title of prince.

In 1673 the Lords Reuss were raised to Imperial Counts and (depending on the line) from 1778 (1790 or 1802) to Imperial Princes. The dynasty ruled divided areas in various lines and sub-lines; around 1700 there were ten Reussian counties of both main branches. The lords, counts and princes were never styled of Reuss, but rather count or prince Reuss, as Reuss was originally not the name of a town or castle, but rather a personal designation for the founder of the branch that indicated his foreign connection through marriage (Reussen is in fact an older German term for Russians), and the family is still referred to today in the plural as die Reussen.

On account of the close relations of Reuss with the neighbouring Saxon states, Lutheranism speedily gained a foothold in Reuss. The rulers joined the Schmalkaldic League against the German emperor, and forfeited their possessions, but afterwards recovered them.

Numbering of the Heinrichs

All the males of the House of Reuss are named Heinrich (Henry) plus a number.

In the elder line the numbering covers all male children of the elder House, and the numbers increase until 100 is reached and then start again at 1.

In the younger line the system is similar but the numbers increase until the end of the century before starting again at 1.

This odd regulation was formulated as a Family Law in 1688, but the tradition of the uniformity of name was in practice as early as 1200. It was seen as a way of honoring the Hohenstaufen Emperor Heinrich/Henry VI, who raised Heinrich der Reiche/Henry the Rich (+1209) to the office of provost of the Quedlinburg Abbey, thus taking on the title of vogt.

Main partition

The Reuss territories in the 18th century:

• Green: Reuss elder line (Greiz, Burgk)
• Red: Reuss-Gera (with Saalburg)
• Yellow: Reuss-Schleiz
• Brown: Reuss-Lobenstein

In 1564 the sons of Henry XIII of Reuss at Greiz divided the estates into

• Reuss at Lower Greiz, descendants of Henry XIV the Elder
• Reuss at Upper Greiz, descendants of Henry XV the Middle
• Reuss at Gera, descendants of Henry XVI the Younger.

While the Middle Reuss became extinct in 1616, the Older and Younger lines were divided again several times until in 1778 Count Henry XI united the possessions of Upper and Lower Greiz to the Principality of Reuss Elder Line. In return the remaining estates of Gera, considerably larger though, became the Principality of Reuss Younger Line in 1806. The two remaining Reuss principalities joined the German Confederation in 1815. Several subdivisions of the Younger Line merged into a unified state by 1848.

Henry XXII of Reuss Elder line is notable among the modern princes of this house for his enmity to Prussia, which he opposed in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, when the Prussian troops occupied his domain. Henry joined the North German Confederation and the new German Empire in 1871. He alone of all the confederate princes remained until his death in 1902 an implacable enemy of Prince Bismarck and of the conditions created in Germany by the foundation of the empire. Despite his views, his daughter Hermine Reuss of Greiz later became the second wife of the exiled German Emperor Wilhelm II. Other daughters of the house also made important marriages: Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, by marriage the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was the maternal grandmother of Queen Victoria and the paternal grandmother of Albert, Prince Consort. Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz married the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1849 and Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz became queen consort of Bulgaria in 1908.

Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz (1878–1927), was incapable of ruling and therefore the regency passed to the ruling prince of the younger line of Reuss. Since the childless Heinrich XXIV was the last of his line, it was to be expected that the principality of the elder line would fall to the younger line after his death, and that a united state of Reuss would emerge as a result. However, both lines lost their thrones in the German Revolution of 1918–19 and a united, albeit republican state, the People's State of Reuss, emerged in 1919, only to merge with the larger state of Thuringia in 1920. The unified state of Reuss had a non-contiguous area of 1,143 square kilometers and 211,324 inhabitants (1919).

A (non-governing) side branch of the younger line had emerged in 1692 when Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Köstritz, a younger son of the ruling count Heinrich I. Reuss of Schleiz, received a number of landed estates as a paréage within his eldest brother's county, with his main seat at Köstritz Castle. This branch connected through marriages with important ruling houses, did however not govern their own territory, but lived as landowners in the county of the Schleiz Line. Henry XLIII., count Reuss of Köstritz, was elevated to hereditary Fürst (prince) by Emperor Francis II in 1806 (however without governmental power); the paréage of Köstritz remained within the principality of the younger line.

When the elder line died out with Heinrich XXIV in 1927 and the younger one when Heinrich XLV, son of the last ruler, died childless in 1945 as a prisoner of the communists, thus both main branches having become extinct, the dynastic succession (and the theoretical claims to their thrones) passed to the princely House Reuss of Köstritz. This side line of the Younger Line is therefore the only branch of the entire house that still exists today, but has over 30 male members, all named Heinrich. The family council decided on June 5, 1930, that all members of the remaining family should henceforth omit any line addition (Younger Line or Köstritz) from their names and call themselves Prince or Princess Reuss. This name (as well as the Heinrichs' count) was retained by a court order even in the Weimar republic. The current head of the family, Heinrich XIV, dynastic actually the Fürst (Prince) Reuss of Köstritz (b. 1952), is also styled The Fürst (Prince) Reuss, as Köstritz is no longer a side line but the only branch of the house. His main seat is Ernstbrunn Castle in Austria which his family had inherited in 1822, while Köstritz Castle was expropriated by communist East Germany in 1945 and demolished in the 1970s. In 1945, the Princes Reuss lost all of their extended possessions and castles in their ancestral homeland through expropriation. Heinrich XIV and some of his relatives regained some properties in the former Reuss states following German Reunification in 1990.

Aftermath

After World War I, the Reuss territories were unified in 1919 as the People's State of Reuss, which was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia in 1920.

• 

  The Upper Castle at Greiz

• 

  The Lower Castle at Greiz

• 

  Orangery at Gera

• 

  Burgk Castle

Rulers of Reuss

House of Reuss

Partitions of Reuss under Reuss rule

Table of rulers

Ruler		Born	Reign	Death	Ruling part	Consort	Notes
Erkenbert I		c.1090	1122-1163	1163	Lordship of Weida	Jordana of Gleissberg (c.1100-27 April 1167/73) 1120 three children	Founder of the family and one of the first few male members of the familty who were not called Henry.
Henry I the Just		1122	1163-1193	Before 8 September 1193	Lordship of Weida	Lukardis of Lautenberg (1126-1162) 1143/55 two children Juliane of Schwarzburg (1127-?) 1163 one child	Children of Erkenbert I. The elder two ruled jointly.
Erkenbert II		1124	1163-1175	c.1175	Lordship of Weida	Jordana of Putelendorf 1160 no children
Otto		c.1125	1163-1171	1171	Lordship of Weida (in Osterode)	Unmarried
Henry II the Rich		1164	1193-1209	Before 3 August 1209	Lordship of Weida	Bertha of Vohburg (c.1160-bef. 24 September 1209) 1187 five children
Henry III the Elder		c.1180	1209-1219	Before 9 July 1224	Lordship of Weida	Unknown three children	Children of Henry II, divided the Reuss lands for the first time. Henry III abdicated to his own son to join the Teutonic Order.
Henry IV the Middle		1182	1209-1249	After 7 February 1249	Lordship of Plauen	Jutta of Altenburg (1186-Aft. 1 May 1268) 1225 (annulled 8 September 1238) three children
Henry V the Younger		1184	1209-1239	After 38 May 1239	Lordship of Greiz	Unmarried
Greiz annexed to Plauen
Regency (1219-1224)
Henry VI the Peppersack		1210	1219-1254	After 23 September 1254	Lordship of Weida	Heilika of Hardegg (1214-?) 1235 two children
Henry I		1226	1249-1303	After 7 March 1303	Lordship of Plauen	Adelaide of Lobdeburg-Lichtenburg (1228-1253) 1247 Leuchtenburg one child ? of Everstein (1230-bef.1253) 1250 no children Kunigunde of Lützelstein (1234-Bef.23 April 1302) 1253 Lützelstein six children	Henry of Plauen and Henry of Gera were sons of Henry IV. Both of them restarted their numbering, possibly asserting a semi-independence for their respective feuds. Henry I of Plauen associated his eldest son to the government, and gave Greiz to his second son (who also restarted the numbering as a new state). The lord of Greiz's surname, the Russian is said to have originated the family's surname, Reuss.
Henry II the Bohemian		1254	1274-1302	1302	Lordship of Plauen	Catherine of Riesenburg Duchcov three children
Henry I the Russian		1256	1274-1295	12 December 1295	Lordship of Greiz	Jutta of Schwarzburg-Blankenheim (1277-Aft.10 May 1329) 30 March 1289 three children
Henry I		1227	1249-1269/74	1 June 1269/74	Lordship of Gera	Irmgard of Helmerungen (1231-Aft.31 August 1279) eight children
Henry VII the Red		1236	1254-1260	After 26 November 1260	Lordship of Weida	Unmarried	Children of Henry VI, ruled jointly.
Henry VIII of Orlamünde		1238	1254-1280	17 September 1280	Lordship of Weida	Irmgard of Dewin (c.1240-?) 1248 two children Sophie of Weimar-Orlamünde (1240-aft.1264) Bef.19 June 1258 three children
Henry II the Elder		1254	1269/74-1306/11	1306/11	Lordship of Gera	Irmgard of Weimar-Orlamünde (1264-1318) 27 March 1276 eight children	Children of Henry I, ruled jointly.
Henry III the Younger		1256	1269/74-1309/11	1309/11	Lordship of Gera	Unknown three children
Henry IX		1260	1280-1320	Before 3 August 1209	Lordship of Weida	? of Lobdeburg eight children	Children of Henry VIII, ruled jointly.
Henry X the Younger		1264	1280-1293	1293	Lordship of Weida	Hedwig two children
Regency of Jutta of Schwarzburg-Blankenheim (1295-1306)
Henry II		1289	1295-1350	18 December 1350	Lordship of Greiz	Sophie of Beichlingen (1288-1335) 1306 two children Salomea of Żagań (1319-Aft.12 June 1359) 1335 ten children
Henry III the Tall		1284	1303-1347/48	1347/48	Lordship of Plauen	Margaret of Seberg (1288-bef.20 February 1322) Bef. 1302 six children	Father and son. Henry IV received from his father the lordship of Muhldorf, but predeceased him.
Henry IV		1308	1317-1342/48	1342/48	Lordship of Plauen (at Mühldorf)	Agnes von Schlüsselberg (1312-Aft.17 August 1348) two children
Regency (1311-1314)							Had no heirs, and was succeeded by his brother Henry V.
Henry IV the Elder		1305	1311-1343	14 September 1343	Lordship of Gera	Sophia Schenk of Dornburg (d. Aft. 1331) 24 June 1324 no children
Henry XI the Elder		1289	1320-1366	Before 21 November 1366	Lordship of Weida	Catherine of Plauen (1310-Bef.1 March 1336) Bef.16 September 1323 four children	Cousins, ruled jointly. Henry XI was a son of Henry IX, and Henry XII son of Henry X. The latter abdicated in 1324.
Henry XII		1288	1320-1324	After 1349	Lordship of Weida	Unknown two children
Henry V the Elder		1322	1342/48-1357	After 7 March 1303	Lordship of Plauen (at Mühldorf)	Irmgard of Orlamünde (1326-Aft.5 May 1388) 1345 five children	Children of Henry IV. Henry V inherited the property of his father, and Henry VI received the lands of his grandfather. In 1357 Henry V abdicated to his son.
Henry VI the Younger		1324	1348-1370	Before 28 December 1370	Lordship of Plauen	Luitgard of Kranichfeld (1334-Aft.30 March 1376) 1353 three children
Henry V		1308	1343-1377	8 December 1377	Lordship of Gera	Matilda of Schwarzburg-Käfernburg (1313-1375/76) Bef. 20 July 1328 seven children	Henry V associated his eldest son, Henry VI, to the co-rulership, but he predeceased him.
Henry VI		1332	1343-1344	After 1344	Lordship of Gera	Jutta of Plauen (1331-Aft. 1344) 1344 no children
Henry III the Elder		1333	1350-1368	Before 18 August 1368	Lordship of Greiz	Jutta of Ackeborn (1343-?) three children Agnes of Leisnig-Penig (d.Aft.6 December 1359) Bf. 4 March 1355 three children	Children of Henry II. Henry IV and Henry V, the younger brothers, co-ruled at Ronneburg. After their deaths, Ronneburg was reabsorbed by Greiz.
Henry IV the Middle		1335	1350-1370	Bef. 1 October 1370	Lordship of Greiz (at Ronneburg)	Unmarried
Henry V the Younger		1337	1350-1398	1398	Lordship of Greiz (at Ronneburg)	Dorothea of Gera (1377-Bef.12 February 1410) Bef.20 December 1387 no children Sophie of Gera (1339-Bef.12 February 1411) no children
Ronneburg annexed to Greiz
Regency of Irmgard of Orlamünde (1357-1364)							Son of Henry V.
Henry VII		1348	1357-1380	After 7 March 1303	Lordship of Plauen (at Mühldorf)	? of Weida (Aft.1346-1363/66) Bef.28 Jul 1362 three children
Muhldorf annexed to Plauen
Henry XIII the Knight		1338	1366-1373	1370/73	Lordship of Weida	Elsa of Gera (1335-Aft.3 June 1371) no children	Sons of Henry XI, the first two ruled jointly, after a period of co-rulership with their father (since 1351).
Henry XIV the Red		1342	1366-1389	1387/89	Lordship of Weida	Margaret of Uttenhofen (1346-Bef.7 September 1376) two children
Henry VI the Elder		1355	1368-1449	After 23 May 1449	Lordship of Greiz	Gaudentia of Lobdeburg-Elsterburg (1359-Aft. 28 November 1395) Aft.14 February 1375 three children	Children of Henry III. Henry VI and Henry VII divided Greiz: Henry VI took Interior Greiz (Hintergreiz), and Henry VII took Exterior Greiz (Vordergreiz). Henry VIII joined his father, Henry VI, in the co-ruling, but predeceased him.
Henry VII the Younger		c.1360	1368-1426	16 June 1426	Lordship of Exterior Greiz	Matilda of Schönburg-Crimmitschau (1380-?) Bef. 14 March 1398 two children Irmgard of Kirchberg-Kranichfeld (d.aft.18 June 1462) Bef.3 June 1414 five children
Henry VIII		1382	1398-1436	1436	Lordship of Interior Greiz	Unmarried
Interior Greiz annexed to Exterior Greiz
Regency of Luitgard of Kranichfeld (1370-1387)							Son of Henry VI.
Henry VIII		1362	1370-1413	Before 5 July 1413	Lordship of Plauen	Anna of Riesenburg (1366-Aft.1411) 1383/86 two children
Henry VII		3 May 1341	1377-1420	1420	Lordship of Gera	Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg (1341-1399/1401) 4 December 1367 two children Lutrud of Hohnstein-Heringen (1372-24 April 1446) 23 October 1401 Eltville six children	Brother of Henry VI, succeeded his father.
Henry XV		1366	1389-1404	Before 23 September 1404	Lordship of Weida	Unknown	Son of Henry XIV, co-ruled with his father since his uncle's death in 1373.
Henry XVI the Elder		1390	1404-1454	1452/54	Lordship of Weida	Anna (1396-Aft.14 April 1442) Bef.1415 no children	Children of Henry XV, ruled jointly.
Henry XVII the Middle		Aft. 1394	1404-1426	1421/26	Lordship of Weida	Anna of Dahme (1396-3 October 1414) 1405/06 no children
Henry XVIII the Younger		1396	1404-1462	After 27 June 1462	Lordship of Weida	Elisabeth of Dahme (1410-?) four children
Henry I		1362	1413-1447	Before 5 July 1413	Lordship of Plauen/Burgraviate of Meissen	Margaret of Dahme (1390-Aft.2 September 1412) Bef.3 July 1410 four children Katharina of Sternberg (1400-?) no children Anna Holitz of Sternberg (1413-?) 8 January 1441 no children	Received the title of Burgrave of Meissen, which motivated a new restart on the Plauen line numbering of rulers.
Henry VIII the Elder		2 March 1404	1420-1426	16 June 1426	Lordship of Gera (at Burgk from 1425)	Margaret of Wertheim (d. Bef. 23 October 1424) 30 August 1412 Kronach no children Williburg of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg (d. Aft. 1426) Bef.2 May 1426 no children	Children of Henry VII, ruled jointly until 1425, dividing then the land, but it was quickly reunited under Henry IX. His sons would officially divide the land.
Henry IX the Middle		14 January 1406	1420-1451/52	Before 21 August 1482	Lordship of Lobenstein	Matilda of Schwarzburg-Wachsenburg (1409-Aft.4 August 1456) 1435/39 eight children
			1451/52-1482		Lordship of Gera
Henry X the Younger		11 October 1415	1420-1451/52	1451/52	Lordship of Schleiz	Anna of Henneberg-Römhild (1424-Aft.16 November 1467) 1439/40 five children
Lobenstein and Schleiz briefly annexed to Gera
Henry IX the Elder		1410	1426-1476	Before 28 February 1476	Lordship of Greiz	Magdalena of Schwarzenberg (1277-Aft.10 May 1329) 1443 ten children	Children of Henry VII, ruled jointly.
Henry X the Younger		1424	1426-1462	17 March 1462	Lordship of Greiz	Unmarried
Henry II		1417	1447-1482/84	1482/84	Lordship of Plauen/Burgraviate of Meissen	Anna-Agnes of Anhalt-Zerbst (1433-8 April 1492) 1456/61 (annulled bef.1467) no children Anna of Bünau (1430-Aft.1480) seven children	In 1466 the lordship of Plauen over the Ämter of Plauen and Voigtsberg ended with the expulsion of Henry II. It was given to the Saxon elector, Ernest as a Bohemian enfeoffment. However, the lordship appears to have been passed to Henry II's descendants.
Henry XIX		?	1454-1512	1512	Lordship of Weida	Agnes Schenk of Landsberg (d.1512) five children	Henry XIX was a son of Henry XVIII. From 1480, he included his three sons on a co-rulership. Henry XXII was the only of his sons to survive him. As Henry XXII had no male heirs, the line went extinct.
Henry XX the Elder		1466	1480-1507	2 May 1507	Lordship of Weida	Unmarried
Henry XXI the Middle		1468	1480-1510	After 7 February 1510	Lordship of Weida	Unmarried
Henry XXII the Younger		1470	1480-1531	5 March 1531	Lordship of Weida	Margaret of Mansfeld-Querfurt (1458-20 February 1531) bef.1493 one child
Weida annexed to Plauen
Henry XI the Elder		1455	1476-1502	Before 7 July 1502	Lordship of Greiz	Catherine of Gera (1475-Aft.23 May 1505) 2 July 1496 two children	Children of Henry IX, ruled jointly. Henry XIII dropped the co-rulership in 1485, but returned to rule alone in 1529, after the death of his elder brother and abdication of his other brother.
Henry XII the Middle		1459	1476-1529	Before 29 September 1539	Lordship of Greiz (at Kranichberg until 1502)	Catherine of Gleichen-Remda (d. Aft.1509) 5 February 1488 two children
Henry XIII the Silent		1464	1476-1485 1529-1535	8 June 1535	Lordship of Greiz	Anna Dorothea of Colditz (1484-?) Bef.14 February 1506 two children Amalia of Mansfeld-Vorderort (1506-Aft.1557) seven children
Kranichberg reabsorbed in Greiz
Henry XI the Elder		1436	1482-1502	25 September 1508	Lordship of Gera	Unmarried	Children of Henry IX, divided the land. However, Henry XIII died soon after and Henry XII acquired his land. Henry XI would sell his part to his nephews Henry XIV and Henry XV in 1502.
Henry XII the Middle		1438	1482-1500	26 August 1500	Lordship of Schleiz	Hedwig von Mansfeld-Heldrungen (1441-1527) five children
Henry XIII the Younger		1439	1482-1489	Before 11 October 1489	Lordship of Lobenstein	Unmarried
Gera and Lobenstein annexed to Schleiz
Henry III		1453	1482/84-1519	28 August 1519	Lordship of Plauen/Burgraviate of Meissen	Matilda of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg (1457-1492) 18 February 1478 Königswart two children Barbara of Anhalt-Köthen (1485-1532/33) 25 November 1503 Waldmünchen three children	In 1482 finally renounced his claims in favour of the House of Wettin, but still retained the right for himself and his descendants to bear the title of Burgrave of Meissen, which conferred on him a voice at the Imperial Diet. This was confirmed to him by Emperor Frederick III in a 1490 document.
Henry XIV the Elder		1471	1500-1538	12 April 1538	Lordship of Schleiz	Magdalena of Minitz-Lischkow (1469/74-1510/15) Bef. 19 September 1502 three children Anna of Beichlingen (d. 30 July 1571) 1515 no children	Children of Henry XII, ruled jointly. They bought Gera from his uncle in 1502. Both left no heirs, and their domains were absorbed by Plauen.
Henry XV the Younger		1476	1500-1547	17 August 1550	Lordship of Schleiz	Ludmilla of Lobkowicz-Hassenstein (d.1532) 24 October 1510 no children Margaret (d.Bef. 11 September 1549) no children Margaret of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg (1530-18 March 1559) 6 May 1550 no children
Schleiz annexed to Plauen (1547-1562)
Regencies of Barbara of Anhalt-Köthen (1519-21) and Zdenko Leo Rosenthal, High Burgrave of Bohemia (1521-24)
Henry IV		24 August 1510	1519-1554	19 March 1554	Lordship of Plauen/Burgraviate of Meissen	Margaret of Salm-Neuburg (1517-19 March 1573) 29 August 1532 two children
Henry XIV / I the Elder		1506	1535-1547 1562-1572	22 March 1572	Lordship of Greiz Lordship of Lower Greiz (Elder Line)	Barbara of Metsch (1507-April 1580) 10 June 1524 eleven children	Children of Henry XIII, ruled jointly. After recovering the Reuss territories from their cousins from Plauen (who would eventually annex in 1572), the brothers divided the land. Henry XIV became the progenitor of the Reuss Elder Line, Henry XV the forefather the Reuss Middle Line and Henry XVI as founder of the Reuss Younger Line. The Elder and Younger Lines restarted their numberings.
Henry XV the Middle		8 November 1525	1535-1547 1562-1578	22 June 1578	Lordship of Greiz Lordship of Upper Greiz (Middle Line I)	Maria Salomea of Oettingen-Oettingen (12 January 1535 – 12 January 1603) 27 October 1560 Weimar four children
Henry XVI / I the Younger		29 November 1530	1535-1547	6 April 1572	Lordship of Greiz	Elisabeth Brigitte of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg (1534-23 June 1564) 1556 three children Dorothea of Solms-Laubach (26 November 1547 – 18 November 1595) 6 January 1566 Zeitz three children
			1562-1572		Lordship of Gera (Younger Line)
Greiz annexed to Plauen (1547-1562)
Henry V the Elder		9 October 1533	1554-1568	24 December 1568	Lordship of Plauen/Burgraviate of Meissen	Dorothea Catherine of Brandenburg-Ansbach 2 February 1556 Gera or Ansbach four children	Children of Henry IV, ruled jointly. After Henry VI's death, the Plauen line went extinct, as the children of Henry V died all in infancy. The land of Plauen was annexed to Greiz.
Henry VI the Younger		29 December 1536	1554-1572	22 January 1572	Lordship of Plauen/Burgraviate of Meissen	Catherine of Brunswick-Gifhorn (1548-10 December 1565) 9 April 1564 Fallersleben no children Anna of Pomerania-Stettin (5 February 1531 – 13 October 1592) 27 August 1566 Stettin no children
Plauen annexed to Greiz
From this point on, numerals are no longer sequential (if we exclude the Middle Line I, the first to be extinct). Remember the numberings once more: The Elder Line numbers every male member of the family (even the stillborn sons) in sequential order of birth until 100; the numbering restarts from there. The Younger Line numbers every male member of the family (even the stillborn sons) in sequential order of birth until the end of the century; the numbering restarts from the first child born in the new century. Given these implications, a male ruler that succeeds his father and wasn't the first son skips numerals; that's why numerals are not sequential from this point on.
Henry II the Tall		12 December 1543	1572-1608	24 May 1608	Lordship of Burgk (Elder Line)	Judith of Oettingen-Oettingen (3 October 1544 – 4 November 1600) 21 September 1573 Oettingen eight children Anna of Mansfeld (1563-21 December 1636) 7 November 1601 Burgk no children	Children of Henry XIV/I, divided the land. The younger two ruled jointly.
Henry III		1546	1572-1582	1581/82	Lordship of Lower Greiz (Elder Line)	Unmarried
Henry V		4 November 1549	1572-1604	9 October 1604	Lordship of Lower Greiz (Elder Line)	Maria of Schönburg-Waldenburg (29 August 1565 – 9 March 1628) 25 November 1583 Waldenburg eleven children
Regency (1572-86)							Born two months after his father's death.
Henry II the Posthumous		10 June 1572	1572-1635	23 December 1635	Lordship of Gera (Younger Line)	Magdalena of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim-Langenburg (28 December 1572 – 2 April 1596) 7 February 1594 Weikersheim one child Magdalena of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (2 April 1580 – 22 April 1652) 22 May 1597 Rudolstadt seventeen children
Henry XVII the Elder		29 November 1530	1578-1607	6 April 1572	Lordship of Upper Greiz (Middle Line I)	Jutta of Waldeck-Eisenberg (12 November 1560 – 23 May 1621) 28 May 1583 Eisenberg no children	Children of Henry XV. Henry XVIII dropped the co-rulership, but returned to government after the death of his brother.
Henry XVIII the Middle		29 November 1530	1578-1597 1607-1616	6 April 1572	Lordship of Upper Greiz (Middle Line I)	Agnes Maria of Erbach (25 May 1573 – 28 June 1634) 5 May 1593 Greiz no children
Upper Greiz (Middle Line I) annexed to Lower Greiz (Elder Line)
Henry III		12 December 1594	1604-1609	12 September 1609	Lordship of Lower Greiz (Elder Line)	Unmarried	Children of Henry V senior, divided the land. Henry IV took the land of Upper Greiz (which was ruled by the original Middle Line (I) descended from Henry XV) and founded a new Reuss Middle Line (II). Henry V, while initially settled in Burgk, took over Upper Greiz following is elder brother Henry III's death in 1609.
Henry IV the Middle		11 March 1597	1604-1629	25 August 1629	Lordship of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Elisabeth Juliane of Salm-Neufville (1602-14 May 1653) May 1624 Arolsen four children
Henry V		4 December 1602	1604-1667	7 March 1667	Lordship of Lower Greiz (at Burgk until 1609) (Elder Line)	Anna Marie of Salm-Neufville (10 August 1606 – 20 November 1651) 28 November 1630 Greiz eight children
Henry II		30 December 1575	1608-1639	6 September 1639	Lordship of Burgk (Elder Line)	Magdalene of Putbus (21 February 1590 – 12 January 1665) 29 September 1609 Burgk nine children	Children of Henry II the Tall, divided the land. Henry III joined Henry II in a co-rulership, while Henry IV ruled from Dolau.
Henry III		22 December 1578	1608-1616	24 January 1616	Lordship of Burgk (Elder Line)	Anna Magdalena von Schönburg-Waldenburg (1 February 1582 – 7 January 1615) 21 February 1602 Gera three children
Henry IV		9 December 1580	1608-1636	3 January 1636	Lordship of Burgk (at Dolau) (Elder Line)	Anna Genoveva of Stolberg-Stolberg (3 February 1580 – 18 December 1635) 1626 no children
Dolau annexed to Upper Greiz
Henry I the Elder		3 May 1627	1629-1681	8 March 1681	Lordship of Upper Greiz (1629–73) County of Upper Greiz (1673–81) (Middle Line II)	Sibylle Magdalene of Kirchberg (24 July 1624 – 24 February 1667) 10 August 1648 Schleiz eleven children Sibylle Juliane of Schwarzburg-Arnstadt (20 July 1646 – 5 April 1698) 2 April 1688 Greiz eight children
Henry II the Other		14 August 1602	1635-1670	28 May 1670	Lordship of Gera (Younger Line)	Catherine Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (28 August 1617 – 17 January 1701) 23 November 1642 Gera eight children	Children of Henry II the Posthumous, divided the land. Henry IX left no heirs and was succeeded by Henry III's sons.
Henry III		31 October 1603	1635-1640	12 July 1640	Lordship of Gera (at Saalburg) (Younger Line)	Catherine Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (28 August 1617 – 17 January 1701) 23 November 1642 Gera eight children
Henry IX		22 May 1616	1635-1666	9 January 1666	Lordship of Lobenstein (Younger Line)	Unmarried
Henry X		9 September 1621	1666-1671	9 January 1666	Lordship of Lobenstein (Younger Line)	Maria Sibylle of Upper Greiz (4 August 1625 – 17 May 1665) 24 October 1647 Schleiz four children
Henry III		15 September 1616	1639-1640	7 June 1640	Lordship of Burgk (Elder Line)	Unmarried	Son of Henry II (d.1639), left no heirs.
Burgk annexed to Lower Greiz
Henry I		26 March 1639	1640-1692	18 March 1692	Lordship of Schleiz (1666–73) County of Schleiz (1806–22) (Younger Line)	Esther of Hardegg-Glatz-Machlande (6 December 1634 – 21 September 1676) 9 February 1662 Vienna eight children Maximiliane of Hardegg-Glatz-Machlande (16 March 1644 – 27 August 1678) 22 October 1677 Regensburg one child Anna Elisabeth of Sinzendorf (12 May 1659 – 8 October 1683) 16 May 1680 Asch three children	Son of Henry III of Gera.
Henry II		8 January 1634	1667-1697	5 October 1697	Lordship of Burgk (1667–73) County of Burgk (1673–97) (Elder Line)	Elisabeth Sibylle of Burgk (15 September 1627 – 9 January 1703) 8 January 1655 Greiz three children	Children of Henry V, divided the land. This division saw a brief reappearance of Burgk, before being definitively annexed to Greiz.
Henry IV		5 August 1638	1667-1675	21 February 1675	Lordship of Lower Greiz (1667–73) County of Lower Greiz (1673–75) (Elder Line)	Anna Dorothea of Ruppa (3 October 1651 – 17 June 1698) 31 October 1671 Greiz eleven children
Henry V		19 April 1645	1667-1698	12 February 1698	Lordship of Lower Greiz (at Rothenthal) (1667–73) County of Lower Greiz (at Rothenthal) (1673–98) (Elder Line)	Angelique Desmier d'Olbreuse (1637-5 October 1688) 15 February 1678 Celle no children Christiane of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Homburg (10 January 1680 – 17 September 1724) 5 June 1697 Frankfurt am Main no children
Burgk and Rothenthal annexed to Lower Greiz
Henry IV		13 March 1650	1670-1686	13 March 1686	Lordship of Gera (1670–73) County of Gera (1673–86) (Younger Line)	Anna Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (18 August 1645 – 1 July 1716) 20 June 1672 Gera eight children
Henry III		16 December 1648	1671-1710	24 May 1710	Lordship of Lobenstein (Younger Line)	Marie Christiane of Leiningen-Westerburg (28 January 1650 – 19 November 1714) 22 October 1673 Bad Lobenstein fourteen children	Children of Henry X, divided once more the land.
Henry V		18 May 1650	1671-1672	31 May 1672	Lordship of Lobenstein (Younger Line)	Unmarried
Henry VIII		20 May 1652	1671-1711	29 October 1711	Lordship of Lobenstein (at Hirschberg) (Younger Line)	Elisabeth of Bodenhausen (27 June 1650 – 7 May 1687) 3 March 1679 Muhldorf no children Sophia Juliane of Upper Greiz (25 December 1670 – 23 August 1696) 19/26 July 1688 Schleiz no children
Henry X		29 November 1662	1671-1711	10 June 1711	Lordship of Ebersdorf (1671–73) County of Ebersdorf (1673-1711) (Younger Line)	Erdmuthe Benigna of Solms-Laubach (13 April 1670 – 14 September 1732) 20 November 1694 Laubach eight children
Hirschberg reabsorbed into Lobenstein
Henry XIII		29 September 1672	1675-1733	14 April 1733	County of Lower Greiz (Elder Line)	Sophie Elisabeth of Stolberg-Wernigerode (6 February 1676 – 14 November 1729) 14 August 1697 Ilsenburg thirteen children	Children of Henry IV, ruled jointly.
Henry XIV		14 January 1674	1675-1682	20 January 1682	County of Lower Greiz (Elder Line)	Unmarried
Henry VI		7 August 1649	1681-1697	11 October 1697	County of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Amalie Juliane of Lower Greiz (4 October 1636 – 25 December 1688) 29 July 1674 Forst one child Henriette Amalie of Friesen (19 May 1668 – 5 August 1732) 3 May 1691 Leipzig three children	Children of Henry I, divided the land; Henry VI and Henry XV formed a co-rulership in Greiz, while Henry XVI ruled from Dolau. The latter left no heirs, and Dolau was reabsorbed in Greiz.
Henry XV		2 January 1676	1681-1690	29 September 1690	County of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Unmarried
Henry XVI		3 November 1678	1681-1698	24 April 1698	County of Dolau (Middle Line II)	Unmarried
Dolau annexed to Upper Greiz
Regency of Anna Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Henry I, Count of Reuss-Schleiz (1686-91)							Left no heirs. He was succeeded by his brother.
Henry XVIII		21 March 1677	1686-1735	25 November 1735	County of Gera (Younger Line)	Unmarried
Henry XI		12/29 April 1669	1692-1726	28 July 1726	County of Schleiz (Younger Line)	Johanna Dorothea of Tattenbach-Geilsdorf (13 March 1675 – 26 October 1714) 1 September 1692 Geilsdorf one child Auguste Dorothea of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (2/3 January 1678 – 9 May 1740) 8 May 1715 Langenburg two children	Children of Henry I of Schleiz, divided the land.
Henry XXIV		26 July 1681	1692-1748	24 July 1748	County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Maria Eleonore Emilia of Promnitz-Dittersbach (7 May 1688 – 12 May 1776) 6 May 1704 Wrocław twelve children
Regency (1697-1707)							Left no heirs, and died young. He was succeeded by his brother.
Henry I		29 December 1693	1697-1714	7 September 1714	County of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Unmarried
Henry XV		24 September 1674	1710-1739	12 May 1739	County of Lobenstein (Younger Line)	Ernestine Eleonore von Schönburg-Waldenburg (2 November 1677 – 2 August 1741) 21 July 1701 Waldenburg fourteen children	Children of Henry III of Lobenstein, divided the land.
Henry XXVI		16 September 1681	1710-1730	21 June 1730	County of Lobenstein (at Selbitz) (Younger Line)	Juliane Rebecca of Tattenbach-Selbitz (31 August 1692 – 10 September 1739) 31 March 1715 Selbitz twelve children
Henry XXIX		21 July 1699	1711-1747	22 May 1747	County of Ebersdorf (Younger Line)	Sophie Theodora of Castell-Remlingen 7 September 1721 Castell thirteen children
Henry II		4 February 1696	1714-1722	17 November 1722	County of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Sophie Charlotte of Bothmer (11 October 1697 – 14 September 1748) 22 October 1715 Dresden five children
Regency (1722-1723)							Died as a child, and left no heirs. He was succeeded by his brother.
Henry IX		31 December 1718	1722-1723	17 March 1723	County of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Unmarried
Regency (1723-1734)
Henry XI		18 March 1722	1723-1800	28 June 1800	County of Upper Greiz (1723–78) Principality of Upper Greiz (1778-1800) (Middle Line II)	Conradine Eleonore of Köstritz (22 December 1719 – 2 February 1770) 4 April 1743 Köstritz eleven children Christine Albertine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (25 November 1732 – 4 October 1809) 25 October 1770 Frankfurt am Main no children
Henry I		10 March 1695	1726-1744	6 December 1744	County of Schleiz (Younger Line)	Juliane Dorothea Luise of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Virneburg (8 July 1694 – 15 February 1734) 7 March 1721 Gaildorf three children	Left no heirs. He was succeeded by his brother.
Henry XI		31 December 1715	1730-1745	22 August 1745	County of Lobenstein (at Selbitz) (Younger Line)	Unmarried
Henry III		26 January 1701	1733-1768	17 March 1768	County of Lower Greiz (Elder Line)	Unmarried
Lower Greiz annexed to Upper Greiz
Henry XXV		27 August 1681	1735-1748	13 March 1748	County of Gera (Younger Line)	Justine Eleonore Sophie of Giech-Thurnau (12 December 1698 - 1 February 1718) 21 February 1717 Thurnau no children Sophia Marie of the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen (5 April 1702 – 13 November 1761) 24 August 1722 Sondershausen four children
Henry II		19 July 1702	1739-1782	6 May 1782	County of Lobenstein (Younger Line)	Juliane Dorothea Charlotte of Hochberg-Fürstenstein (10 June 1713 – 22 May 1757) 23 November 1735 Fürstenstein two children
Henry XII		15 May 1716	1744-1784	25 January 1784	County of Schleiz (Younger Line)	Christine of Erbach-Schönberg (5 May 1721 – 26 November 1769) 2 October 1742 Schönberg five children Christiane Ferdinandine of Isenburg-Philippseich (24 August 1740 – 7 December 1822) 13 July 1770 Philippseich two children
Henry XIX		16 October 1720	1745-1778	30 November 1783	County of Lobenstein (at Selbitz) (Younger Line)	Juliane Rebecca of Tattenbach-Selbitz (31 August 1692 – 10 September 1739) 31 March 1715 Selbitz twelve children	Abdicated of Selbitz, but his nephew Henry LIV became ruler of Lobenstein.
Selbitz annexed to Lobenstein
Henry XXIV		22 January 1724	1747-1779	13 May 1779	County of Ebersdorf (Younger Line)	Caroline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg 28 June 1754 Thurnau seven children
Henry XXX		24 April 1727	1748-1802	26 April 1802	County of Gera (Younger Line)	Louise Christiane of the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen (17 August 1748 – 31 January 1829) 28 October 1773 Hungen no children
Gera divided between the other Younger Line feuds
Henry VI		1 July 1707	1748-1783	1 May 1783	Elder County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Henrietta Juana Francisca Susanna Casado y Huguetan (2 May 1725 – 6 January 1761) 16 September 1746 Copenhagen seven children	Children of Henry XXIV, divided the land and founded new lines: Henry VI founded the Elder County; Henry IX the Middle County and Henry XXIII the Younger County.
Henry IX		15 September 1711	1748-1780	16 September 1780	Middle County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Amalie Esperance of Wartensleben-Flodroff (17 March 1715 – 22 April 1787) 7 June 1743 Dorth (near Deventer) nine children
Henry XXIII		9 December 1722	1748-1787	3 September 1787	Younger County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Ernestine Henriette Sophie of Schönburg-Wechselburg-Forderglauchau (2 December 1736 – 10 December 1768) 13 February 1754 Bad Köstritz five children Friederike Dorothea of Brandenstein (7 December 1727 – 6 July 1807) 5 February 1780 Pölzig no children
Henry LI		16 May 1761	1779-1822	10 July 1822	County of Ebersdorf (1779-1806) Principality of Ebersdorf (1806–22) (Younger Line)	Louise Henriette of Hoym (30 March 1772 – 19 April 1832) 16 August 1791 Gera three children
Henry XXXVIII		9 October 1748	1780-1835	10 April 1835	Middle County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Henriette Friederike Ottilie of Schmettow-Stonsdorf (23 July 1753 – 19 August 1786) 17 July 1784 Wolfshagen one child Johanne Friederike Fletscher (24 March 1756 – 28 June 1815) 13 February 1792 Schloss Baruth no children	Left no heirs, and was succeeded by his nephew.
Henry XXXV		19 November 1738	1782-1805	30 March 1805	County of Lobenstein (Younger Line)	Unmarried	After his death the county fell to the Selbitz line.
Henry XLIII		12 April 1752	1783-1814	22 September 1814	Elder County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Louise Christine of Ebersdorf (2 June 1759 – 5 December 1840) 1 June 1781 Ebersdorf five children
Henry XLII		27 February 1752	1784-1818	17 April 1818	County of Schleiz (Younger Line)	Caroline Henriette of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg (11 June 1761 – 22 December 1849) 10 June 1779 Kirchberg an der Jagst eight children
Henry XLVII		27 February 1756	1787-1833	7 March 1833	Younger County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Unmarried	Left no heirs and was succeeded by his brother.
Henry XIII		16 February 1747	1800-1817	29 January 1817	Principality of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Louise Wilhelmine of Nassau-Weilburg 9 January 1786 Kirchheimbolanden four children
Henry LIV		8 October 1767	1805-1824	17 May 1824	County of Lobenstein (1805–06) Principality of Lobenstein (1806–22) (Younger Line)	Marie of Stolberg-Wernigerode (4 May 1774 – 16 June 1810) 20 June 1803 Wernigerode no children Franziska of Köstritz (7 December 1788 – 17 June 1843) 31 May 1811 Mannheim no children	From Selbitz line. Nephew of Henry XIX of Selbitz. Left no heirs.
Lobenstein annexed to Ebersdorf
Henry LXIV		31 March 1787	1814-1856	15 September 1856	Elder County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Unmarried	Left no heirs, and was succeeded by his cousin.
Henry XIX		1 March 1790	1817-1836	31 October 1836	Principality of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort (29 September 1798 – 27 July 1871) 7 January 1822 Prague two children	Left no male heirs, and was succeeded by his brother.
Henry LXII		31 May 1785	1818-1854	19 June 1854	County of Schleiz (1818–48) Principality of Schleiz (1848–54) (Younger Line)	Unmarried	Left no heirs. He was succeeded by his brother.
Henry LXXII		27 March 1797	1822-1848	17 February 1853	Principality of Ebersdorf (Younger Line)	Unmarried	Abdicated in 1848, due to civil unrest in connection with the revolutions that spread through Germany and elsewhere in Europe that year.
Ebersdorf annexed to Schleiz
Henry XLIX		16 October 1759	1833-1840	29 February 1840	Younger County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Unmarried	Left no heirs and was succeeded by his brother.
Henry LXIII		18 June 1786	1835-1841	27 September 1841	Middle County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode (26 September 1801 – 14 March 1827) 21 February 1819 Wernigerode Castle six children Caroline of Stolberg-Wernigerode (16 December 1806 – 26 August 1896) 11 May 1828 Wernigerode Castle six children	Son of Henry XLIV, brother of Henry XXXVIII.
Henry XX		29 June 1794	1836-1859	8 November 1859	Principality of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Sophia Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (18 September 1809 – 21 July 1838) 25 November 1834 Prague no children Caroline of Hesse-Homburg 1 October 1839 Bad Homburg five children
Henry LII		21 September 1763	1840-1851	23 February 1851	Younger County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Unmarried	Left no heirs and was succeeded by his nephew.
Henry IV		26 April 1821	1841-1894	25 July 1894	Middle County of Köstritz (1841–78) Middle Principality of Köstritz (1878–94) (Younger Line)	Louise Caroline of Greiz (3 December 1822 – 28 May 1875) 27 December 1854 Greiz nine children
Henry LXXIII		31 July 1798	1851-1855	16 January 1855	Younger County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Ernestine Henriette Sophie of Schönburg-Wechselburg-Forderglauchau (2 December 1736 – 10 December 1768) 13 February 1754 Bad Köstritz five children Friederike Dorothea of Brandenstein (7 December 1727 – 6 July 1807) 5 February 1780 Pölzig no children	Son of Henry LV, who was a brother of Henry XLVII, Henry XLIX, and Henry LII; Left no heirs and was succeeded by his nephew.
Henry LXVII		20 October 1789	1854-1867	11 July 1867	Principality of Schleiz (Younger Line)	Adelaide of Ebersdorf (28 May 1800 – 25 July 1880) 18 April 1820 Ebersdorf eight children	Brother of Henry LXII.
Henry XVIII		14 May 1847	1855-1911	15 August 1911	Younger County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Friederike Wilhelmine of Mecklenburg (7 November 1868 – 20 December 1944) 17 November 1886 Schwerin three children	Son of Henry II, brother of Henry LXXIII.
Henry XLIII		19 May 1792	1856-1878	1 February 1878	Elder County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Matilda Harriet Elizabeth Locke (12 May 1804 – 29 December 1877) 5 November 1834 Florence no children	Son of Henry XLVIII, brother of Henry XLIII. The line went extinct after his death.
Elder County of Köstritz annexed to the Middle County of Köstritz
Regency of Caroline of Hesse-Homburg (1859-1867)
Henry XXII		28 March 1846	1859-1902	19 April 1902	Principality of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe 8 October 1872 Bückeburg six children
Henry XIV		28 May 1832	1867-1913	29 March 1913	Principality of Schleiz (Younger Line)	Agnes of Württemberg 6 February 1858 Karlsruhe two children Friederike Gratz (28 February 1851 – 22 May 1907) 14 February 1890 Gera (morganatic) one child
Henry XXIV		8 December 1855	1894-1910	2 October 1910	Middle Principality of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Emma Elisabeth of Köstritz (10 July 1860 – 2 December 1931) 27 May 1884 Jänkendorf five children
Henry XXIV		20 March 1878	1902-1918	13 October 1927	Lordship of Upper Greiz (Middle Line II)	Unmarried	Abolition of the monarchy in 1918. He left no heirs, and the titles passed to the Prince of Gera, Henry XXVII.
Henry XXXIX		23 July 1891	1910-1918	24 February 1946	Middle Principality of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Antonia Emma Elisabeth of Castell-Castell (18 April 1896 – 4 May 1971) 7 August 1918 Castell six children	Abolition of the monarchy in 1918.
Henry XXXVII		1 November 1888	1911-1918	9 February 1964	Younger County of Köstritz (Younger Line)	Frieda Mijotki (25 September 1891 – 2 October 1957) 14 November 1922 Berlin (morganatic, annulled 21 February 1930) no children Stephanie Clemm of Hohenberg (25 December 1900 – 10 February 1990) 7 August 1933 Garmisch-Partenkirchen two children	Abolition of the monarchy in 1918.
Henry XXVII		10 November 1858	1913-1918	21 November 1928	Principality of Schleiz (Younger Line)	Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg 11 November 1884 Langenburg five children	Abolition of the monarchy in 1918.

Side branch member's links to Reichsbürger movement

On 7 December 2022, German police conducted an operation which resulted in the arrest of 25 alleged members of the far-right group Reichsbürger, including a member of the Köstritz branch of the House of Reuss, identified as Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss. The suspects arrested in the operation were allegedly planning to overturn the existing German government, and instate Heinrich XIII as the new German de facto leader. His distant cousin Heinrich XIV Prince Reuss, the head and speaker of the House of Reuss and its family association, had previously referred to Heinrich XIII as "a confused old man who had been radicalised through disappointments". On behalf of the family association, which Heinrich XIII had left years ago, Heinrich XIV sharply distanced himself from him again after he was arrested, saying that "30 years ago he was a modern businessman, but nowadays he is fooled by all sorts of conspiracy theories". In the line of succession to the House of Reuss, Heinrich XIII only ranked 17th, and the head of the house called him "a marginal figure". He said his behaviour was a "catastrophe" for the family, whose heritage as tolerant and cosmopolitan rulers was now associated with "terrorists and reactionaries". He believes Reuss' anti-government views derive from his resentment at the German judicial system for its failure to recognize his claims to family properties expropriated at the end of World War II.

In fiction

A young Reuss count, sent to the 1815 Congress of Vienna, is the protagonist of the 1899 operetta Wiener Blut and the 1942 film based on it. Much of the hilarity of the film centers around his impossible name of "Reuss-Schleiz-Greiz".

See also

• Burgraves of Meissen