The following is a list of rulers of Hohenlohe. The territory was, since the medieval period, ruled by one single family: the House of Hohenlohe.
History
The first known member of the family mentioned in the territory was Conrad, Lord of Weikersheim. This town was, then, where the family had the right of escorting travellers and goods and charging customs (), along the Tauber river on the trading route between Frankfurt and Augsburg until the 14th century. The sources of the Imperial Abbey of Lorch led Hansmartin Decker-Hauff to question if there was a close relationship between the Hohenlohe family and the House of Hohenstaufen, but, according to historian Klaus Graf, the link cannot be proved.Klaus Graf, Staufer-Überlieferungen aus Kloster Lorch (Traditions of the Hohenstaufen from Lorch Monastery), in: Sönke Lorenz et al. (Ed.): Von Schwaben bis Jerusalem. Facetten staufischer Geschichte. Sigmaringen (From Swabia to Jerusalem. Facets of Staufer history). Sigmaringen 1995, pp. 209–240. That didn't top the family, however, of later boasting this possible kinship with the Imperial family.
The name of the family, Hohenlohe was first mentioned in 1178, honouring the Hohlach Castle, near Simmershofen in Middle Franconia. The name was also adopted for the land the family ruled, because, while Weikersheim was a fiefdom of the Comburg monastery, Hohlach was then more valuable, as it was an imperial fiefdom, and as so, its owners were granted the status of imperial knight. Despite Hohlach having its advantages, such as securing the Rothenburg−Ochsenfurt road, it soon lost its importance, as the family's property was expanding directly from their ancestral town of Weikersheim. However, the lands, castles and estates the family held as a whole borrowed the name from the imperial fiefdom, Hohenlohe.
Mediatization
On 12 July 1806, the principalities became parts of the kingdoms of Bavaria and of Württemberg by the Act of the Confederation of the Rhine. Therefore, the region of Hohenlohe is presently located for the most part in the north eastern part of the State of Baden-Württemberg (forming the counties of Hohenlohe, Schwäbisch Hall and the southern part of Main-Tauber-Kreis), with smaller parts in the Bavarian administrative districts of Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia. The Hohenlohisch dialect is part of the East Franconian German dialect group and the population still values its traditional distinct identity.
Rulers
House of Hohenlohe
Partitions of Hohenlohe under Hohenlohe rule
+ Lordship of Hohenlohe(1192–1209)Lordship of Brauneck(1209–1390) Lordship of Weikersheim(1209–1450)Raised to:County of Weikersheim(1st creation)(1450–1545)Lordship ofUffenheim(1255–1412)Lordship of Haltenbergstetten(1268–1368) County of Waldenburg(1472–1679)(called Catholic branchsince 1667Karl Schumm: Hohenlohe, zu. In: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). volume 9, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1972, ISBN 3-428-00190-7 , p. 484)County of Langenburg(1st creation)(1568–1590)County of Weikersheim(2nd creation)(1568–1684)County of Neuenstein(1st creation)(1503–1606)(Protestant branch) County of Langenburg(2nd creation)(1610–1764)Raised to:Principality of Langenburg(1764–1806) County of Neuenstein(3rd creation)(1610–1698)County ofPfedelbach(1600–1728) County ofSchillingsfürst(1600–1744)Raised to:Principality of Schillingsfürst(1744–1806) County ofKirchberg(1699–1764)Raised to:Principality of Kirchberg(1764–1806) County of Ohringen(1641–1805)County ofBartenstein(1635–1744)Raised to:Principality of Bartenstein(1744–1806)County of Ingelfingen(1699–1764)Raised to:Principality of Ingelfingen(1764–1806) (mediatized to Württemberg in 1806)
Table of rulers