GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN ROYAL OR NOBLE NAME OR TITLE CHANGES OTHER THAN BY ADOPTION AFTER 1918

 © Guy Stair Sainty

[Noble Names, using “von” or “zu” or titles are illegal in Austria, although commonly used in Society]

Altenburg - The day preceding the marriage of Archduke Clemens of Austria on 20 Feb 1930 to Countess Elisabeth Rességuier de Miremont (at the time breaching the House Laws) he and his wife received the title of “Graf und Grafin von Altenburg” from the Archduke Otto. This name change was recorded by the government of Nieder-Ósterreich on 2 April 1931. By a further decree of the Archduke Otto dated 15 December 1949, the title of Graf und Grafin was elevated to that of Prinz und Prinzessin. 

The title of Prinzessin von Altenburg was conferred on Alice noble Ankarcrona with successibility to the issue of her second marriage to the Archduke Karl-Albrecht, Duke of Teschen, by Archduke Otto on 15 Dec 1949. 

Brena - Prince Georg von Sachsen-Weimar und Eisenach by an act recorded by the Government of Baden-Württemberg renounced the name, title and rank of Prince of the House of Saxony, taking the forename and last name “Jorg Brena”.  

Freusberg - Prince Georg von und zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein married on 22 April 1913 Marie Rühm who was created Freifrau von Freusberg. Each of their four children were born and recorded as Freiherr or Freifrau von Freusberg. By an act recorded at Eisenach on 1 April 1946 (and recognized by the Fürst von Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein) the three younger children abandoned the name and titles of Freusberg, becoming once again Prinz und Prinzessin von und zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein - only the eldest son, Rolf, remaining Freiherr von Freusberg.  

Fugger-Polignac - Erbgraf Carl-Anton Fugger von Babenhausen abandoned his rights as eldest son in favor of his next brother Hubertus (now Fürst) on 23 December 1970. On 18 August 1975 he married Princess Hélène de Polignac and by an act of 27 March 1979 adopted the name and title of Graf Fugger-Babenhausen de Polignac. It is unlikely that this act was in accordance with the original patent of the Holy Roman Empire conferring the title of Reischfürst. 

Habsburg - By decision of the Archduke Otto of 30 November 1990, the wives and issue of the Archdukes Joseph-Ferdinand, Radbot, Heinrich, Leopold (a naturalized American citizen as Leopold Lorraine), Stefan, Dominic, Franz-Josef, Karl Pius, Markus, Johann, Carl-Salvator, Albrecht (Duke of Teschen), Leo-Karl, Istvan and Geza, were created Graf or Grafin von Habsburg. (Note: the family name is Habsburg-Lothringen, Lothringen being the male line so this was not simply the use of their family name with the addition of a title as it has been sometimes portrayed).

Hanau - Electoral Prince, later Elector Friedrich-Wilhelm von Hessen, married Gertrude Falkenstein, (divorced Lehmann) who was created Grafin von Schaumburg & Erlaucht for her and her descendants on 10 October 1831, with no restriction on the succession (other than by male succession). Following her husband’s accession, she was created Fürstin von Hanau, and the title Prinz und Prinzessin von Hanau conferred on her descendants by the Elector of Hesse on 2 June 1853, with the restriction that this title could only pass to the issue of marriages into families of Countly rank or higher. The titles of Fürst or Fürstin von Hanau und Horowitz was granted by Emperor Franz Josef subject to the same rules on 6 March 1855 and the style of Durchlaucht conferred by the Elector of Hesse on 10 June 1862. Of their five sons who married, three left no issue and the two who left issue were married “unequally” and their issue reverted to the rank of Graf or Grafin von Schaumburg.  

By a decision of the Bavarian Courts of 4 June 1930, confirmed in Munich 28 May 1931, the Graf und Grafin von Schaumburg were restored to the rank of Prinz (Fürst) und Prinzessin (Fürstin) von Hanau, Graf und Grafin von Schaumburg; this decision confirmed by the editorial board of the Almanach de Gotha on 10 April 1938.  

Hessen - Christian Prinz und Langraf von Hessen-Philippsthal-Barchfeld married in breach of the House Laws to Elizabeth Reid Rogers (from Jackson, Tennessee) on 14 January 1915; she was created Freifrau von Barchfeld by the Grand Duke of Hesse on the same day. In an act recorded by the Government of Prussia on 23 June 1920, he and his wife and issue became Prinz und Prinzessin von Hessen.

Hohenau - Prince Wilhelm von und zu Liechtenstein married on 19/21 August 1950 Emma von Gutmansthal-Benvenuti. On 11 July 1950 he renounced the name, title and rank of Prinz von und zu Liechtenstein and received the title of Graf von Hohenau for him and his descendants. He was widowed on 31 August 1984 and was restored to the rank of Prinz von und zu Liechtenstein while his issue retained the titles of Graf or Grafin von Hohenau. On 28 October 1990 (not 1980 as stated in Starke) he became Prince Grand Prior of Austria of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta taking simple vows of Justice, and has subsequently made solemn profession (thereby becoming Fra’ Wilhelm Liechtenstein).  His youngest son, Graf Heinrich v. Hohenau, then assumed the name of Prinz v. u. z. Liechtenstein with the permission of the Sovereign Prince.

Landskron - Prince Albrecht-Johannes von und zu Liechtenstein married on 3 September 1966 Tamara Nyman who was created on 8 August 1966 Baronin von Landskron  by the Sovereign Prince. By an act of 28 January 1971 Prince Albrecht abandoned the name and title of von und zu Liechtenstein, receiving the title of Freiherr von Landskron from the Sovereign Prince. 

Putbus - the male line of the Grafen von Wylich und Lottum, Fürsten von Putbus became extinct on 18 April 1907. The Principality of Putbus had been acquired by inheritance by Wilhelm Graf von Wylich und Lottum through his mother Clothilde, only daughter of Malte Fürst von und zu Putbus (title created by the King of Sweden as ruler of Pomerania in 1807, and confirmed Prussia 1817, and Serene Highness 1819, the fideicommis of Putbus founded 1839), by confirmation of (Prussia) 1860; his son died without male heirs in 1907. The property was then inherited by the latter’s eldest daughter Grafin Marie von Wylich und Lottum  who in 1877 married Franz von Veltheim (1848- who was created Fürst und Herr zu Putbus (Prussia) 1908. But he died in 1930 without leaving issue. The principality was now left to Grafin Marie’s next sister, Grafin Asta, now Frau von Riepenhausen, who the German nobility association accorded the person right to the title Fürstin von Putbus on 25 September 1830, but who died without issue in 1934 when the inheritance passed to the son of Grafin Viktoria von Wylich und Lottum (1861-1933) who had married in 1888 Ludolf von Veltheim, younger brother of Franz above. They left an only son, Malte Ludolf von Veltheim, who now inherited the properties of Putbus. By a decision of the German Nobility Association (Abteilung fur adelsrechtliche Fragen der Deutschen Adelsgenossenschaft) of 14 August 1936 Malte von Veltheim was permitted to bear the united arms of Veltheim and Putbus and authorized to be admitted into the third part of the Gotha. By a decision of the German Minister of the Interior on 20 Oct 1938, Malte, his wife and children were authorized to assume the name “von Putbus”. Ludolf von Veltheim died in March 1944; his son Malte, a knight of Justice of the Johanniter Order, died in Sachsenhausen concentration camp (for his part in the plot against Hitler) 10 February 1945, but by his marriage to Marie von Ploetz, had five daughters and two sons. The eldest son, Friedrich Malte von Putbus was killed in battle 9 March 1945. The youngest son, Franz von Putbus (born 1927), a Knight of Justice of the Johanniter Order, married in 1964 Michaela Grafin von Cramer and has a son (Malte) and daughter, Bettina. By a decision of the German Nobility Association of 20 Feb 1951 he was permitted to assume the title of Fürst von Putbus, this title to pass by male primogeniture descent.