Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels

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Prince Carl
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
Carl zu solms.jpg
Born (1812-07-27)27 July 1812
Neustrelitz
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Rheingrafenstein
Spouse <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Luise Auguste Stephanie Beyrich (m. 1834; div. 1841)
  • Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (m. 1845; d. 1875)
Issue <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Marie von Schönau de Solms (b. 1835)
  • Karl Louis von Schönau de Solms (1837-1918)
  • Melanie von Schönau de Solms (b. 1840)
  • Prince Ludwig (1847–1900)
  • Princess Eulalia (1851–1922)
  • Princess Marie (1852–1882)
  • Princess Sophie (1853–1869)
  • Prince Alexander (1855–1926)
Full name
Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Ludwig Georg Alfred Alexander
Father Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels
Mother Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Religion Lutheranism

Prince Carl (Karl) of Solms-Braunfels (27 July 1812 – 13 November 1875), was a German prince and military officer in both the Austrian army and in the cavalry of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. As Commissioner General of the Adelsverein, he spearheaded the establishment of colonies of German immigrants in Texas. Prince Solms named New Braunfels, Texas in honor of his homeland.

Early years and family life

Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Ludwig Georg Alfred Alexander of Solms-Braunfels was born in Neustrelitz. He was one of the thirteen children born to Princess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz during the course of three marriages, his father being her second husband, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels.[1]

Although he was the landless, younger son of a younger son of a minor German prince whose realm had been mediatized in 1806, his 1834 marriage to Luise Auguste Stephanie Beyrich was considered below his princely station and had to be conducted morganatically. In 1837 his mother became queen consort of Hanover and shortly before her death in 1841, his step-father, King Ernest Augustus I, a member of the British royal family, succeeded in pressuring him to make a monetary arrangement with his wife and children for a de facto royal annulment. Luise and the three children—Marie (born 1835, married Wilhelm Bähr), Karl Louis (1837-1918, married Wilhelmine Gantenhammer), and Melanie (born 1840, married Karl Heil)—were ennobled in the Grand Duchy of Hesse under the name von Schönau on 25 March 1841. The family was further ennobled in 1912 with the surname von Schönau de Solos.[2]

Prince Solms married Maria Josephine Sophie,[3] widow of Prince Franz of Salm-Salm and a princess of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, on 3 December 1845. The union produced five children:[1] Prince Ludwig (1847–1900), Princess Eulalia (1851–1922), Princess Marie (1852–1882), Princess Sophie (1853–1869) and Prince Alexander (1855–1926).

He was the well-educated and well-connected handsome prince of wealth and privilege who sought adventure and looked for new worlds to explore. In 1841, he became Captain in the cavalry in the Imperial Army of Austria.[4]

Texas

It was during his service with the cavalry that Carl read books about Texas and became interested in joining the Adelsverein, zealously campaigning for its success. Prince Solms was the motivating force, as the 1844 Commissioner General[5] of the Adelsverein, for the first colony of German emigrants to Texas. He arrived on Texas soil in July 1844, making an exploratory tour of Texas as advisor to the Adelsverein, who owned the rights to the Fisher-Miller Land Grant.[6] Subsequently, on behalf of the Adelsverein, Carl purchased an additional 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) on the Guadalupe River, where he established the colony of New Braunfels, Texas.[7] His vision cleared the path for John O. Meusebach to follow in 1845 as the organizer, negotiator and political force needed for community-building structure in the "New Germany".[8]

In anticipation of his marriage to Maria Josephine Sophie, Prince Solms formed plans to build "Sophie's Castle", laying the cornerstone in New Braunfels, Texas in 1845.[9] Sophie refused to leave Germany, and Carl never returned to Texas after his marriage to her on 3 December 1845.

Return to Germany and later years

After returning to Germany, he left the Austrian army and became a colonel in the cavalry of the Grand Duchy of Hesse[10] in 1846. He was able to rejoin the Austrian army in 1850, becoming a brigadier in 1859 with command of dragoons on Lake Constance. He took part in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War.[11] He retired as a Feldmarschallleutnants (Lieutenant General) in 1868 to his residence at the estate of Rheingrafenstein near Kreuznach on the Nahe River. Prince Solms died on 13 November 1875 and is interred in the city cemetery of Bad Kreuznach.

Timeline

Timeline of the Life of Prince Carl (Karl) of Solms-Braunfels
Year Event
1812
  • 27 July – Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Ludwig Georg Alfred Alexander[10] is born in Neustrelitz
1834
  • Marries Louise Auguste Stephanie Beyrich, later von Schönau,[12] mother to three of his children
1841
  • Separates from Louise to save his career
1842
1844
  • Commissioner General of the first colony that the society proposed to establish in Texas
  • 1 July – Arrives in Galveston, purchases land on Matagorda Bay to be called Carlshafen, or Indianola
1845
  • Secures title to 1,265 acres (5.12 km2) of the Veramendi grant, including the Comal Springs and River, for the Adelsverein[14]
  • 21 March – Founds New Braunfels[7]
  • 15 May – Returns to Germany
  • 3 December – Marries the widow Maria Josephine Sophie,[3] widow of Prince Franz of Salm-Salm and princess of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, mother to five of Carl's children
1846
  • Leaves the Austrian army – becomes a Colonel in the cavalry of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
1850
  • Rejoins the Austrian army
1859
  • Becomes a brigadier with command of dragoons on Lake Constance
1866
  • Takes part in Austria war against Prussia.
1868
  • Retires as a Feldmarschallleutnants (Lieutenant General) to Rheingrafenstein near Kreuznach on the Nahe River
1875
  • 13 November – dies[1] Is interred in the city cemetery of Bad Kreuznach

Ancestry

Family of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Count Wilhelm Moritz of Solms-Greifenstein and Braunfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Frederick William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Landgravine Magdalene Sophie of Hesse-Homburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Ferdinand Wilhelm Ernst, Prince of Solms-Braunfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. John Ernst, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Princess Magdalene Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. Countess Marie Polyxene of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. Friedrich Ernst, Count of Solms-Laubach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. Christian August, Count of Solms-Laubach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. Countess Friederike Charlotte of Stolberg-Gedern
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Countess Sophie Christine Wilhelmine of Solms-Laubach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22. Wolfgang Ernst I, Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen in Birstein
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11. Princess Elisabeth of Isenburg and Büdingen in Birstein
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23. Countess Friederike of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25. Princess Christiane Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26. Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 27. Countess Sophie Albertine of Erbach-Erbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Duchess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29. Countess Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Landgravine Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30. Count Christian Karl Reinhard of Leiningen-Dachsburg-Falkenburg-Heidesheim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15. Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 31. Countess Katharina Polyxena of Solms-Rödelheim
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Genealogisches Handbuch des in Bayern immatrikulierten Adels p. 743 Band XXII, Verlag Degener & Co, Neustadt an der Aisch 1998
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. International Napoleonic Wargaming Club
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Briscoe Center, UT Austin
  6. ↑ Biesele, Rudolph L: Fisher-Miller Land Grant from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 08 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Brister, Louis E.: Adelsverein from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 08 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Sophienburg Museum & Archives
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lich, Glen E and Moltmann, Gunter: Prince Karl of Solms-Braunfels from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 08 May 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. OnWar.com
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC.

External links

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