principality · Germany and Central Europe

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

1599 CE – 1920 CE · capital Sondershausen

A Thuringian principality of the house of Schwarzburg, ruled from Sondershausen and Arnstadt, where the young Bach held his first organ post.

Origins

The Treaty of Stadtilm of 1599 split the Schwarzburg lands, and Count John Günther I's line received Sondershausen and Arnstadt, forming Schwarzburg-Sondershausen alongside the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Rule and society

The counts became princes in 1697 and ruled a Lutheran territory in two parts, the Lower Lordship around Sondershausen and the Upper Lordship around Arnstadt. Arnstadt gave Johann Sebastian Bach his first post as organist in 1703. The princes kept a court orchestra, and in the 19th century Sondershausen became known for its public concerts and music school.

Decline and legacy

The principality joined the German Empire in 1871. When Prince Karl Günther died childless in 1909, Günther Victor of Rudolstadt inherited it in personal union. He abdicated in November 1918, and in 1920 the state merged into the Free State of Thuringia.

Lineage

County of Schwarzburg 1123 CE – 1599 CEPrincipality of Schwarzburg-SondershausenFree State of Thuringia 1920 CE – 1952 CE

Connections (2)

  • Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was part of Holy Roman Empire1599 CE – 1806 CE
  • Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was part of German Empire1871 CE – 1918 CE

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen
MLA
“Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻