Solms-Laubach

County of Solms-Laubach
*Grafschaft Solms-Laubach*
County of Solms-Laubach Grafschaft Solms-Laubach
1544–1676 ; 1696–1806
	Coat of arms
Status	State of the Holy Roman Empire
Capital	Laubach
Government	Principality
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Partitioned from S-Lich	1544
• Partitioned to create ; Solms-Sonnenwalde	; 1561
• Partitioned to create ; S-Baruth & S-Rödelheim	; 1607
• Partitioned to create ; Solms-Sonnenwalde	; 1627
• Annexed to Solms-Baruth	1676–96
• Mediatised to Hesse	1806
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Solms-Lich
Grand Duchy of Hesse

Solms-Laubach was a County of southern Hesse and eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The House of Solms^[1] had its origins in Solms, Hesse.

History

Solms-Laubach was originally created as a partition of Solms-Lich. In 1537 Philip, Count of Solms-Lich, ruling count at Lich, purchased the Herrschaft Sonnewalde in Lower Lusatia which he left to his younger son Otto of Solms-Laubach (1496–1522), together with the county of Laubach. While Lich and Laubach were counties with imperial immediacy, Sonnewalde remained a semi-independent state country within the March of Lusatia (the latter being an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire). A later Count Otto (1550–1612) moved to Sonnewalde and built the castle in 1582. In 1596 he also purchased the nearby Herrschaft of Baruth which was also elevated to a state country within the March of Lusatia. The branch then was divided into the twigs of Solms-Laubach, Solms-Sonnewalde and Solms-Baruth.

Solms-Laubach partitioned between itself and Solms-Sonnenwalde in 1561; between itself, Solms-Baruth and Solms-Rödelheim 1607; and between itself and Solms-Sonnenwalde 1627. Solms-Laubach inherited Solms-Sonnenwalde in 1615. With the death of Count Charles Otto in 1676, it was inherited by Solms-Baruth and recreated as a partition in 1696. Solms-Laubach was mediatised to Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806.

The counts of Solms-Laubach still own Laubach Castle and Arnsburg Abbey. Until 1935, Münzenberg Castle also belonged to the estate.

Counts of Solms-Laubach

First creation: 1544–1676

Frederick Magnus I (1544–61)
John George (1561–1600)
Albert Otto I (1600–10)
Albert Otto II (1610–56)
Charles Otto (1656–76)

Second creation: 1696–1806

Frederick Ernest (1696–1723)
Christian Augustus (1723–84), with...
- Frederick Magnus II (1723–38)
Frederick Louis Christian (1784–1806)

Mediatized

Friedrich Ludwig Christian, 5th Count 1806 (Mediatized)-1822 (1769–1822)
- Otto, 6th Count 1822-1872 (1799–1872)
  - Friedrich, 7th Count 1872–1900 (1833–1900)
    - Otto, 8th Count 1900–1904 (1860–1904)
      - Georg, 9th Count 1904–1969 (1899–1969)
        Otto, 10th Count 1969–1973 (1926–1973)
        Karl, 11th Count 1973–present (b.1963)
        August, Hereditary Count of Solms-Laubach (b.1994)
        
        Count Gustav (b.1965)
        Count Oscar (b.2008)
        
        Count Franz (b.1971)
      - Count Friedrich (1902-1991)
        Count Ernst (b.1939)
        Count Stefan (b.1976)
    - Count Reinhard (1872-1937)
      - Count Hans (1927-2009)
        Count Georg (b.1972)
  - Count Ernst (1837-1908)
    - Count Ernstotto (1890-1977)
      - Count Friedrich-Ernst (b.1940)
        Count Moritz (b.1980)
        
        Count Philipp (b.1985)^{[citation needed]}