Death of Fürstin Ruth Erika zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg

Fürstin Ruth Erika zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg died on October 15, aged 87.

She was born June 25, 1922 at Schloss Buggenhagen, her family seat. Her parents were Hans Detlef von Buggenhagen and Ruth Baronin von Resenberg. When her only brother died in 1941, Ruth Erika devoted herself to running their family estate. However, after World War II, the territory of the estate was annexed into the territory of the newly created German Democratic Republic, and her family was forced to flee to West Germany.

After a brief courtship, she married Alfred-Ernst, the Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenber on September 9, 1950. Prince Alfred-Ernst was the son of Udo VI Fürst zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg and Margarethe Gräfin zu Castell-Castell. After Fürst Udo’s death in 1980, Prince Alfred-Ernst became Alfred-Ernst VII Fürst zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg. The couple had 5 children:

1) Ludwig Udo Hans Peter Alfred Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, born May 24, 1951. He married Verena von Stulpnagel-Dargitz in 1976. The marriage was childless and ended in divorce. In 1987, he married Elisabeth Pauline von Waldburg Gräfin zu Wolfegg und Waldsee, the daughter of Ludwig Karl von Waldburg Graf zu Wolfegg und Waldsee and Stephanie Pauline Prinzessin von Schönburg-Waldenburg. They are parents to 3 children: Sophie Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (born September 1, 1988), Amelie Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (born August 15, 1990) and Ludwig Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (born June 30, 1994).

2) Ameli Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, born February 20, 1953. She married Constantin von Brandenstein-Zeppelin in 1978.

3) Dorothee Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, born December 30, 1955. She married Christoph Schucking in 1984. They are parents to 3 sons and a daughter.

4) Udo Alexander Richard Albrecht Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, born June 17, 1957. He married Isabel von Bergen in 1984. They have two children – Viktoria Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (born 1990) and George Ludwig Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (born 1993).

5) Ruth Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, born December 30, 1959. She married Herbert Koppl in 1991. Princess Ruth became a doctor -“ a profession her mother had once hoped to devote herself to.

The Fürstin was a deeply religious woman: spent 18 years on the board of Evangelical Church and held positions in other Lutheran Boards, including the Deaconesses of Rankenstein.

She is survived by her husband, Alfred-Ernst VII Fürst zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg.

The funeral will take place on October 23, at the Evangelical church in Wertheim. The Fürstin will be buried in the family cemetery at Kreuzwertheim.

Filed under Germany
Tagged Biography, Death, House of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, Ruth Erika von Buggenhagen.