CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz

German prince (1919-2012)

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJun 10, 2026
Entity authorityQ5700174 ↗
Source-derived summary

Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss (26 October 1919 – 20 June 2012) was the head of the German formerly princely House of Reuss.

Early life

He was born on 26 October 1919 in Ernstbrunn, Austria, the son of Heinrich XXXIX, Prince Reuss of Köstritz and Countess Antonia of Castell-Castell.

His paternal grandparents were Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz and Princess Elisabeth Reuss of Köstritz. His maternal grandparents were Friedrich Karl, 1st Prince of Castell-Castell and Countess Gertrud zu Stolberg-Wernigerode.

Career

Heinrich IV became head of the princely family after the previous Prince Heinrich XLV went missing in 1945 and was declared dead in 1962. He lived with his family at Castle Ernstbrunn in Lower Austria. His son, Heinrich, also bought a piece of expropriated property in Eastern Germany.

Personal life

On 10 June 1954 the prince married Princess Marie Luise of Salm-Horstmar (1918–2015), daughter of Otto, 3rd Prince of Salm-Horstmar, and Countess Rosa of Solms-Baruth. Together, they had one son and three daughters. Heinrich IV died at Ernstbrunn on 20 June 2012.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz” as german prince (1919-2012). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Heinrich, Prince and Reuss.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1919, 2012, 1945, 1962—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1919-10-26. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Heinrich, Prince and Reuss providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz”, the useful work is to connect “german prince (1919-2012)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5700174. VIAF identifies the subject as 260392101. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1919, 2012, 1945 and 1962.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz primary sources, Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz archive and Heinrich research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.