The Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, a German state since 1280, was a member state of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866. In 1854, Schaumburg-Lippe joined the Prussian Customs Union (Zollverein). In 1867, Schaumburg-Lippe joined Prussia in a military union. After the Prussian-Austrian War it became a member state of the North German Confederation in 1867. It became a member state of the German Empire in 1871. The principality was a hereditary constitutional monarchy whose constitution called for a parliament of one house called the Landtag. This consisted of 15 members with two appointed by the Prince, one elected by the clergy one by the professors, three by cities and seven in rural communities. The vote was universal direct, and secret. Schaumburg-Lippe sent one member to the Bundesrat and one deputy to the Reichstag.
Schaumburg-Lippe was the smallest of the independent states with a population of about 48,000 in 1914. The great bulk of the population was Lutherans. The capital was Bückeburg, and the tiny principality was made up of 340 km². The reigning prince Adolph was a bachelor who got married after the war and died with his wife in a plane crash.
(Kaiserliches Statistisches Amt 1914)
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ADOLF II Bernhard Moritz Ernst Waldemar Fst zu Schaumburg-Lippe, renounced the throne 16 Nov 1918 (Stadthagen 23 Feb 1883-k.in air crash Zompango, Mexico 26 Mar 1936); m.Berlin 10 Jan 1920 Ellen Bischoff-Korthaus (Munich 6 Nov 1894-k.with her husband 26 Mar 1936) |