Charles, 6th Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Prince Karl Heinrich Ernst Franz zu Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg ( born May 21, 1834 in Haid, today: Bor u Tachova, Czech Republic, † November 8, 1921 in Cologne) was a member of parliament and longtime president of the " Commissariat of German Catholics days "; as a widower, he was Dominican and lived waiving all titles or offices in the monastery.
Family
The noble family of those Lowenstein goes back to the Wittelsbach Frederick I, the victorious, Elector Palatine (1425-1476), whose children were not entitled to inherit from his marriage to Clara Tott in his own dynasty, which is why they belonged to a separate princely house.
Life
Youth
Prince Charles was born from the marriage of Crown Prince Konstantin Josef zu Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1802-1838) with Marie Agnes Henriette Princess of Hohenlohe- Langenburg ( 1804-1835 ). Except the boy the couple had only the daughter Adelheid (1831-1909), who married the deposed King Michael I of Portugal and was a widow Benedictine nun. Karl's mother died a few months after his birth, his father went after her, before the child was 5 years old. Therefore, one could raise the boy as orphans of the cultural historian Alexander Kaufmann. Already in 1849 - at the death of his grandfather, Prince Karl Thomas Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg - became the 15 -year-old chief of the house Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg; 1854 to 1857 he studied law.
First marriage
Karl Fürst zu Löwenstein -Wertheim married in 1859 in Offenbach am Main Adelheid Princess of Isenburg - Büdingen ( 1841-1861 ). On February 20, 1861 she gave birth to their daughter Maria Anna, and died from the effects of birth 12 days later. The princess was as Sister Benedicta (1861-1896) nun in the Benedictine Monastery of Sainte Cecile at Solesmes
Second Marriage
After the death of his wife married Prince Charles in 1863 in Vienna Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein ( 1837-1899 ), daughter of the reigning Prince Alois II ( Liechtenstein ). With her he had eight children, of whom the son Aloys ( 1871-1952 ) became the head of the house Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg later.
All children of the second marriage of Prince Charles at a glance:
- Franziska Princess of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1864-1930);
- Princess Adelheid of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1865-1941), married to Adalbert, Graf von Schönborn;
- Agnes Princess of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1866 -? ) As sister Ines nun in the Benedictine monastery of Sainte Cecile at Solesmes;
- Joseph Prince zu Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1868-1870);
- Princess Maria Theresa of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1870-1935), married to Duke Miguel II of Braganza, the Portuguese pretender;
- Aloys Prinz zu Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1871-1952), married to Josephine Kinsky, Countess of Wchinitz and Tettau;
- Princess Anna of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1873-1936), married to Prince Felix zu Schwarzenberg;
- Johann Prinz zu Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1880-1956), married to Alexandra, Countess von Bernstorff.
Work of the Prince
Prince Charles was of great personal piety. In 1868 he became the chairman of the " Central Committee of the Catholic associations of Germany", an association which was to implement the decisions of the regularly scheduled German Catholics tags, as its president, he served in Dusseldorf in 1869. From 1872, the committee was called " Commissariat of German Catholics days " and Prince of Löwenstein was entitled " Commissioner of the General Meetings of German Catholics ." This office he held continuously for 30 years until 1898.
Power of his function as prince and nobleman belonged Lowenstein at the Bavarian Imperial Council, the First Chamber of the Baden States General, the First Chamber of the Württemberg Estates, as well as the First Chamber of the Estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. 1871 Prince Charles was a member of parliament and co-founder of the Center Party. He was the 1067th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece high
Bishop Peter Joseph Blum of Limburg had to leave during the Kulturkampf Germany and found a friendly reception at Prince Karl of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg on whose castle Haid in Bohemia. His successor, Bishop Dr. Charles Small, the royal family remained closely linked. Both bishops planned in Rudesheim am Rhein the sunken monastery of Holy Hildegard von Bingen revive. The prince, whose house was the question estates devolved by the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in 1803, was enthusiastic about the long term for this plan and spared for the re-establishment of the Convention no financial and personal sacrifices. His eldest daughter Benedicta ( from 1st marriage ), nun of the Abbey of St. Cecile at Solesmes / France, should be the first abbess, but died unexpectedly on July 2, 1896 at the age of only 36 years. In 1900, the foundation stone of the Abbey of St. Hildegard, 1904 related the first nuns the convent; Prince Karl of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg has donated it.
Also at the re-establishment of the Benedictine Khajuraho looked Lowenstein with vigor.
Dominican monk
Prince Charles was in September 1899 for the second time a widower. On a pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1902, he decided to renounce the world and enter as a simple lay monk in a monastery. This happened on July 20, 1907 in the Dominican monastery at Venlo / Netherlands. At the request of the Upper Lion's Arch was contrary to his initial decision to ordain a priest on December 8, 1909; consecrator acted as Cardinal Anton Fischer, Archbishop of Cologne. The prince called from now on Father Raymundus Maria OP, his worldly titles and offices he had passed to the son Aloys. 1920 replied to the priest to Cologne, where he died in the Dominican monastery Holy Cross on 8 November 1921. The burial took place in the family grave lay, which is located in the Franconian monastery Engelberg on the Main.
Others
The sister of Prince Charles, Princess Adelheid of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg (1831-1909), is the grandmother of the last Austrian Empress Zita.