Principality of Lippe Fürstentum Lippe (German) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1789–1918 | |||||||||
 Flag  Coat of arms | |||||||||
.svg) The Principality of Lippe within theGerman Empire | |||||||||
 The Principality of Lippe in 1918 | |||||||||
| Status | State of theHoly Roman Empire (1789–1806) State of theConfederation of the Rhine (1806–1813) State of theGerman Confederation (1815–1866) State of theNorth German Confederation (1867–1871) Federated State of theGerman Empire (1871–1918) | ||||||||
| Capital | Detmold | ||||||||
| Common languages | West Low German | ||||||||
| Religion | Church of Lippe | ||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||
| Prince | |||||||||
• 1789–1802 | Leopold I(first) | ||||||||
• 1905–1918 | Leopold IV(last) | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Raised to Principality | 1789 | ||||||||
• German Revolution | 12 November 1918 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
| 1910 | 1,215 km2 (469 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1910 | 150,000+ | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Lippe (laterLippe-Detmold and then againLippe) was a state inGermany, ruled by theHouse of Lippe. It was located between theWeser river and the southeast part of theTeutoburg Forest. It originated as a state during theHoly Roman Empire, and was promoted to the status of principality in 1789. During this period the ruling house split into a number of branches, with the main line residing at Detmold. During theReformation, Lippe had converted toLutheranism in 1538 and then toCalvinism in 1604.
From the demise of the empire in 1806, the principality was independent, but it joined theNorth German Confederation in 1866 and became one of theStates of the German Empire in 1871. Over the course of the nineteenth century it gradually developed into a constitutional monarchy with moderate participation in government for the landed nobility. Its economy was overwhelmingly agrarian and among the weakest in the German Empire. After the last prince abdicated in 1918, it continued as aFree State of Germany until it was merged intoNorth Rhine-Westphalia in 1947.
The founder of what would become the County of Lippe (1528–1789), then the Principality of Lippe (1789–1918) wasBernhard I, who received a grant of territory fromLothair III in 1123. Bernhard I assumed the title ofEdler Herr zu Lippe ("Noble Lord at Lippe"). The history of the dynasty and its further acquisitions of land really began withBernard II. His territory was probably formed out of land he acquired on the destruction of theDuchy of Saxony following the demise ofHenry the Lion in 1180.Simon V was the first ruler of Lippe to style himself as a count (Graf) in 1528.[1]
Following the death ofSimon VI in 1613, the county was partitioned between his three sons; Lippe-Detmold went toSimon VII,Lippe-Brake toOtto andLippe-Alverdissen went toPhilip I. The County of Lippe-Brake was reunited with the main Detmold line in 1709. A son of Simon VII,Jobst Herman, founded another branch of the family, theLippe-Biesterfeld line;[1] theLippe-Weissenfeld branch later separated from the Lippe-Biesterfelds. Both Lippe-Biesterfeld and Lippe-Weissenfeld wereparagiums (non-sovereign estates of a cadet-branch) within the County of Lippe, and both branches, owning only modest manor houses in the county, acquired property in other states by marriage and moved out of the county in the late 18th century, the Biesterfeld branch to the Rhineland and the Weissenfeld branch to Saxony.
_in_Pehlen.jpg)
Leopold I (1767-1802) became the first Prince (Fürst) of Lippe in 1789.[1] Following the dissolution of theHoly Roman Empire in 1806 Lippe joined Napoleon'sConfederation of the Rhine in 1807. After theNapoleonic Wars Lippe became a member of theGerman Confederation in 1815, then joined theNorth German Confederation in 1866 and theGerman Empire in 1871. On 20 July 1895, PrinceWoldemar died childless. The title nominally passed to his brotherAlexander who was incapable of governing due to mental illness. Theregency initially passed toAdolf of Schaumburg-Lippe, in accordance with Woldemar's will.
Since the counts of Lippe-Biesterfled and Lippe-Weissenfeld also laid claim to the regency and the right to succeed Alexander, a succession dispute arose, which continued until 1905. The Schaumburg-Lippe claim was actively supported by EmperorWilhelm II (whosesister was married to Prince Adolf). A ruling in theReichsgericht inLeipzig in 1897 decided the matter in favour ofErnest, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld, who then assumed the regency. However, at the instruction of Wilhelm II, the military forces stationed in Lippe refused to address him as "illustrious" and denied the other honours that he was entitled to. In response, Ernest sent a letter round to the other sovereign princes of the German Empire in which he complained about the emperor's behaviour - an unprecedented action, which brought German public opinion strongly in favour of Ernest's position.[2]
After Ernest's death in 1904, his sonLeopold assumed the regency. When Prince Alexander died the following year, the Reichsgericht finally recognised the right of the House Lippe-Biesterfeld to the succession and Leopold took the throne as Prince Leopold IV.[1]
The Principality of Lippe came to an end on 12 November 1918 with the abdication of Leopold IV, becoming theFree State of Lippe.[3] In 1947, Lippe merged into the state ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia. The princely family still owns the estate andFürstliches Residenzschloss [de] inDetmold.[4]
An 1819/20 attempt to establish aconstitution failed and the first basic law was passed in 1836. It was liberalised in 1849, restored in 1853 and then steadily modernised in 1853, 1876, and 1912. The 1876 electoral law abolished anestates-based system and introduced thethree-class franchise, which did not offer a general, equal, or democratic possibility of participation to the citizens. Lippe increasingly developed into aconstitutional monarchy. In 1836, aLandtag [de] (parliament) was established, which gave moderatelegislative power to the landed nobility. The highest national authority was thecabinet, headed by theState Minister, which oversaw the top-level administrative and legal authorities. The top-level administrative authority wasGerman:Regierungsollegium (governing college). In 1868, the property of the princes and the property of the state were separated. The Princes retained a large personal estate, including palaces, land, forests, long-term leases,Bad Meinberg, and the salt deposits atUflen, which mostly came under state control after the abdication of Leopold IV in 1918.
As a state of the German Empire, Lippe was represented on theBundesrat (Federal Council). Lippe had a single representative, who was selected by the landed nobility. The Bundesrat was dominated byPrussia, which had 17 representatives, out of a total of 58, meaning that Lippe was practically irrelevant in the council. It was one of sixteen states with only one representative on the council.
From 1817, Lippe fell under theOberappellationsgericht [de] (upper appellate court) inWolfenbüttel, along with theDuchy of Brunswick, and the principalities ofSchaumburg-Lippe andWaldeck-Pyrmont.[5] When the Wolfenbüttel court was abolished, an "interim upper appellate court" was established, which had oversight of the courts in Lippe. In 1857, Lippe placed itself under theOberlandsgericht (supreme regional court) atCelle [de] in theKingdom of Hanover. After the Prussian annexation of Hannover in 1866, this was subordinated to the Prussian appellate system, but then became anOberlandsgericht once more in 1879. Its role as Lippe'sOberlandsgericht was regulated by a treaty of 4 January 1879. Most of Lippe fell within theDetmold court district [de], which contained theAmtsgerichte (district courts) of Blomberg, Detmold, Hohenhausen, Horn, Lage, Lemgo, Oerlinghausen, and Salzuflen. Theexclaves of Lipperode and Cappel came under the Prussian district court in Lippstadt.[6][7] Lippe belonged to Celle until 1944.
| Cities | 1871 Population |
|---|---|
| Barntrup | 1116 |
| Blomberg | 2203 |
| Detmold | 6469 |
| Horn | 1717 |
| Lage | 2514 |
| Lemgo | 4801 |
| Salzuflen | 2072 |
| Ämter | 1871 Population |
| Blomberg | 3608 |
| Brake [de] | 7981 |
| Detmold | 8513 |
| Hohenhausen [de] | 6482 |
| Horn | 5800 |
| Lage | 13406 |
| Lipperode [de] | 728 |
| Oerlinghausen | 8571 |
| Schieder | 3660 |
| Schötmar [de] | 10806 |
| Schwalenberg | 6225 |
| Sternberg-Barntrup | 9223 |
| Varenholz [de] | 5140 |
In 1879, the Principality was divided into five administrative subdivisions, calledÄmter (singularAmt):Blomberg,Brake [de],Detmold,Schötmar [de] and Lipperode-Cappel. The cities ofBarntrup,Blomberg,Detmold,Horn,Lage,Lemgo and Salzuflen, as well as the village ofSchwalenberg were outside of the Amt-system (Schwalenberg received the status of city in 1906).
In 1910, the system was reformed. Lippe was divided into five Verwaltungsämter, containing thirteen Ämter.
The eight cities remained outside the Amt-system.
On the whole, Lippe was always an agrarian state and, in economic terms, was one of the weakest states in the German Empire. Theloess floodplains of theWerre and theBega always enabled intensive agriculture. In the less fertile sandy soils of theSenne region, on the other hand, intensive agriculture was not possible. Instead, activity focussed onanimal husbandry and the breeding ofSenner horses atJagdschloss Lopshorn [de].[7]
Industry existed only on a limited scale and was mostly based on the direct extraction of the land's mineral and forest resources. This was partially a consequence of the power of the landed nobility and the unfriendly attitude of the monarchs towards economic undertakings at the beginning of theIndustrial Revolution. The monarchy's economic interventions focussed mainly on securing their own economic power, which rested more on the direct income from the princes' own estates, forests, salt mines and health baths, than on taxes on independent production and trade.[7]
The textile industry supportedflax farming andlinen production. The largest industrial concern was probablyHoffmann's Stärkefabriken. The Principality also had a significantsepiolite industry in Lemgo,salt evaporation ponds in Salzuflen (1878: 1,240,000 kg of salt) and a timber industry, which still exists today, with numeroussawmills processing material from Lippe's forests. As in neighbouring Prussia, thecigar industry also gained particular significance. Like the textile industry, it was partially organised in aproto-industrial fashion, through theputting-out system. There were also beer breweries (e.g.Strate [de] andFalkenkrug [de]),brickworks, a sugar factory in Lage, andoil mills. Thespa towns ofBad Meinberg undBad Salzuflen also gained economic significance.[7]
For industry, the construction of theLippe railway (1880) and theLippische branch line [de] (1895) was important, since they connected the region to theHamm–Minden railway.[7]
A Lippe battalion was formed on 5 May 1807, the 2nd battalion of the 5th infantry regiment of the Prince's Division of theConfederation of the Rhine. It also included acompany fromSchaumburg-Lippe. In 1867, Lippe concluded amilitary convention [de] withPrussia, becoming part of the catchment area for Prussia's 26th Infantry brigade of the13th Division (VII Corps). Following the integration of Lippe into thePrussian Army, the Prince's Division was dissolved on 27 May 1867. The Lippe soldiers were mainly employed in the55th (6th Westphalian) Infantry Regiment "Count Bülow von Dennewitz" [de]. The regiment's headquarters and its 3rd battalion were based in Detmold by 1918.
A white-blue-red uniform based on that of France was introduced for the Lippe soldiers in 1815. This uniform was also depicted on theNotgeld issued by the city of Detmold in the 1920s and bottles ofLipper Schützeschnapps were modelled on it, ensuring that it remained part of the popular imagination. By 1867, at the latest, Lippe soldiers had switched to using the Prussian uniform and could only be distinguished from other troops by the Lippecockade in the national colours (yellow-red-yellow).
In reality, Lippe no longer had a military of its own after 1867 and even before that was in no position to maintain an independent force the size of a regiment. The songLippe-Detmold, eine wunderschöne Stadt [de] ("Lippe-Detmold, a wonderful city") presents a caricature of this military weakness and became a kind of national song for Lippe. In the song, a Lippe soldier goes to war and is shot dead, forcing his general to abandon the campaign, because he had been the Lippe army's only soldier. The LippeNotgeld of the 1920s was inspired by the song. Despite this, Lippe retained a certain military significance as the site of theSennelager Training Area.
| Princes of Lippe | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Portrait | Born | Reign | Death | Consort | Notes |
| Leopold I |  | 2 December 1767 | 1789–1802 | 4 April 1802 | Pauline Christine of Anhalt-Bernburg 2 January 1796 | Count of Lippe-Detmold from 1782 |
| Regency ofPauline Christine of Anhalt-Bernburg (1802–1820) | ||||||
| Leopold II |  | 6 November 1796 | 1802–1851 | 1 January 1851 | Emilia Frederica of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen 23 April 1820 | Succeeded while underage and assumed full powers in 1820. |
| Leopold III | _zur_Lippe%2c_in_Uniform%2c_leicht_nach_links.jpg) | 1 September 1821 | 1851–1875 | 8 December 1875 | Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 17 April 1852 | Left no descendants. The principality fell to his brother. |
| Woldemar |  | 18 April 1824 | 1875–1895 | 20 March 1895 | Sophie of Baden 9 November 1858 | Left no descendants. The principality fell to his brother. |
| Regencies ofErnest, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1895–1904) andLeopold, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1904–1905) | ||||||
| Alexander |  | 16 January 1831 | 1895–1905 | 13 January 1905 | Unmarried | Incapable of exercising office due to mental illness. |
| Leopold IV |  | 30 May 1871 | 1905–1918 | 30 December 1949 | Bertha of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld 16 August 1901 Anna of Ysenburg and Büdingen 16 April 1922 | From theLippe-Biesterfeld line, regent of Lippe from 1904. In 1918, he abdicated following the dissolution of the monarchy. |
| Heads of government of Lippe | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Portrait | Birth–Death | Party affiliation | Took office | Left office | ||
| Karl Friedrich Funk von Senftenau [de] |  | 1748–1828 | N/A | 1810 | 1828 | ||
| Friedrich Wilhelm Helwing [de] |  | 1758–1833 | N/A | 1829 | 1832 | ||
| Wilhelm Arnold Eschenburg [de] |  | 1778–1861 | N/A | 1832 | 1848 | ||
| Friedrich Simon Leopold Petri [de] |  | 1775–1850 | N/A | 1848 | 1850 | ||
| Christian Theodor von Meien [de] |  | 1781–1857 | N/A | 1850 | 1853 | ||
| Laurenz Hannibal Fischer [de] |  | 1784–1868 | N/A | 1853 | 1855 | ||
| Alexander von Oheimb [de] | .jpg) | 1820–1903 | N/A | 1856 | 1868 | ||
| Carl Theodor Heldman [de] |  | 1801–1872 | N/A | 1868 | 1872 | ||
| Adalbert von Flottwell [de] | 1829–1909 | DkP | 1872 | 1875 | |||
| August Eschenburg [de] |  | 1823–1904 | N/A | 1876 | 1885 | ||
| Hugo Samuel von Richthofen [de] |  | 1842–1904 | N/A | 1885 | 1889 | ||
| Friedrich Otto Hermann von Wolffgramm [de] |  | 1836–1895 | N/A | 1889 | 1895 | ||
| Karl Friedrich von Oertzen [de] |  | 1844–1914 | N/A | 1895 | 1897 | ||
| Karl Miesitschek von Wischkau [de] | 1859–1937 | N/A | 1897 | 1899 | |||
| Max von Gevekot [de] |  | 1845–1916 | N/A | 1900 | 1912 | ||
| Karl Ludwig von Biedenweg [de] | 1864–1940 | N/A | 1913 | 1918 | |||
Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lippe".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 740–741.
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