by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025
Literally, the Mountain Church of St. Mary, the Bergkirche St. Marien, also known as St. Mary’s Church, is in Schleiz, in the German state of Thuringia. Originally a Roman Catholic church, named for the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is now an Evangelical Lutheran church and has served as the burial church of the Princely House of Reuss-Schleiz, now known as Reuss-Gera, for over 400 years. Also buried in the church are nobles and members of wealthy Schleiz families.
In the 12th century, a church was built on a ridge, separated from Schleiz by the Wisenta River valley. It was probably a wayside chapel on the trade route from Naumburg to Regensburg. The first documented mention of the mountain church dates back to 1359, when the Teutonic Order took over the church and had it expanded into the Gothic St. Mary’s Church by 1382. Between 1484 and 1507, the tower and the chancel were completely rebuilt, and the stair tower and the pulpit were added. On June 8, 1533, after the introduction of the Protestant Reformation in Schleiz, the first Protestant service was held.
Between 1622 and 1638, Heinrich Posthumus Reuss, Lord of Gera, Lord of Lobenstein, and Lord of Ober-Kranichfeld, had the church rebuilt in the Baroque style. The Baroque interior was refurbished from 1896 to 1897 by Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera. He arranged for the demolition of the gallery for the newly built organ and the expansion of the organ choir. In addition to the renewal of the floor and the glass windows, many wood carvings were restored. During this time, all interiors were repainted and the slate roof was replaced. During World War I, the church bells were melted down for war purposes. In 1922, three new steel bells were installed. Another restoration and renovation took place between 1979 and 1983, which uncovered Gothic paintings in the choir vault.
The Princely Crypt was built in 1676. However, there were family burials in the church before 1676. Graves and tombs were located in the church chancel. Numerous graves were discovered in the nave during the renovation work between 1979 and 1983, but it has been impossible to determine who was buried there.
Coffin of Heinrich XLII, 1st Prince Reuss of Gera (1752 – 1818) before restoration; Credit – findagrave.com
In 2005, it was determined that the coffins in the crypt were damaged by moisture. Air analyses revealed a heavy load of various mold spores. Because entering the crypt posed a health risk, the crypt was closed to the public. Renovation began in March 2009, and twenty-four magnificent metal coffins were restored. On May 6, 2015, the renovated crypt was reopened and can be visited on public crypt tours.
Coffin of Heinrich XLII, 1st Prince Reuss of Gera (1752 – 1818) after restoration; Credit – findagrave.com
Burials
IMPORTANT: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz (Older Line), the numbering covered all male children, and the numbers increased until 100 was reached, and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera (Younger Line), the system was similar, but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197), who had benefited the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.
- Heinrich IV of Reuss (1510 – 1554)
- Katharina of Brunswick-Luneburg (1548 – 1565), wife of Heinrich VI of Reuss
- Heinrich V of Reuss (1533 – 1568), son of Heinrich IV of Reuss (1510 – 1554)
- Heinrich VI of Reuss (1536 – 1572), son of Heinrich IV of Reuss (1510 – 1554)
- Margarete of Salm (? – 1573), wife of Heinrich IV of Reuss (1510 – 1554)
- Judith of Oettingen-Oettingen (1544 – 1600), first wife of Heinrich II of Reuss
- Barbara of Erbach (1581 – 1605), daughter of Georg III, Count of Erbach-Breuberg
- Heinrich II of Reuss (1543 – 1608)
- Agnes of Mansfeld (1525 – 1608)
- Anna Magdalena of Schönburg-Glauchau (1582 – 1615), wife of Heinrich III of Reuss (1578 – 1616)
- Heinrich XVIII Rotkopf (Rehead) of Reuss (1563 – 1616)
- Heinrich III of Reuss (1578 – 1616)
- Maria of Mansfeld (1526 – 1619)
- Agnes Marie of Erbach (1573 – 1634), wife of Heinrich XVIII Rotkopf (Redhead) of Reuss
- Heinrich I of Reuss (1613 – 1635), son of Heinrich II of Reuss
- Heinrich IV of Reuss (1580 – 1636)
- Anna of Mansfeld (1563 – 1636), second wife of Heinrich II of Reuss
- Anna Maria of Reuss (1582 – 1636)
- Joachim Schlick of Passau and Weisskirchen (? – 1638)
- Heinrich II of Reuss (1575 – 1639), son of Heinrich I of Reuss
- Heinrich III of Reuss (1603 – 1640)
- Elisabeth of Ysenburg and Büdingen (1570 – 1645), wife of Joachim Schlick of Passau and Weisskirchen
- Elisabeth of Salm-Neufville (1602 – 1653), wife of Heinrich III of Reuss (1603 – 1640)
- Sophie Hedwig of Salm-Neufville (1608 – 1653)
- Johanna of Reuss-Plauen (1577 – 1656)
- Anna Magdalena of Burgk (1655 – 1657)
- Magdalena of Putbus (1590 – 1665), wife of Heinrich II of Reuss
- Heinrich IX of Reuss (1616 – 1666)
- Eva Christiane of Schönburg (? – 1666)
- Eva Maria of Reuss-Plauen (1666 – 1667)
- Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (born and died 1670), son of Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz from 1666 to 1673, Count of Reuss-Schleiz from 1673 to 1692
- Sophie Magdalena of Reuss-Schleiz (born and died 1671), daughter of Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz 1666-1673, Count of Reuss-Schleiz 1673-1692
- Susanne Marie of Reuss-Schleiz (1673 – 1675), daughter of
- Esther of Hardegg (1634 – 1676), first wife of Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz from 1666 to 1673, Count of Reuss-Schleiz from 1673 to 1692
- Maximiliane of Hardegg (1644 – 1676), second wife of Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz
- Heinrich XIX of Reuss (born and died 1678)
- Anna Katharina of Reuss (1615 – 1682), daughter of Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz from 1666 to 1673, Count of Reuss-Schleiz from 1673 to 1692
- Eva of Reuss-Schleiz (stillbirth 1683), daughter of Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz from 1666 to 1673, Count of Reuss-Schleiz from 1673 to 1692, her mother (below), died two weeks later
- Maria Anna Elisabeth of Sinzendorf (1659 – 1683), third wife of Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz from 1666 to 1673, Count of Reuss-Schleiz from 1673 to 1692, died two weeks after giving birth to a stillborn daughter
- Heinrich I, Lord of Reuss-Schleiz from 1666 to 1673, Count of Reuss-Schleiz from 1673 to 1692 (1639 – 1692)
- Heinrich II of Reuss-Greiz (1634 – 1697)
- Elisabeth Sibylla of Reuss (1655 – 1703), wife of Heinrich II of Reuss-Greiz
- Johanna Dorothea of Tättenbach and Geilsdorf (1675 – 1714), wife of Heinrich XI of Reuss-Schleiz (1669 – 1726)
- Heinrich XXII of Reuss-Schleiz (1722 – 1723), son of Heinrich I, Count of Reuss-Schleiz (1669 – 1726)
- Emilie Dorothea Henriette of Reuss-Schleiz (1723 – 1724), daughter of Heinrich I, Count of Reuss-Schleiz from 1726 to 1744
- Heinrich XI of Reuss-Schleiz (1669 – 1726), son of Heinrich I of Reuss-Schleiz (1639 -1692)
- Johanne Emilie Auguste of Reuss-Schleiz (1722 – 1729), daughter of Heinrich XI of Reuss-Schleiz (1669 – 1726)
- Juliane Dorothea Louise of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Virneburg (1694 – 1734), wife of Heinrich I, Count of Reuss-Schleiz 1726-1744
- Augusta Dorothea of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1678 – 1740), wife of Heinrich XI of Reuss-Schleiz (1669 – 1726)
- Heinrich XLVI of Reuss-Schleiz (1747 – 1748), son of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784)
- Caroline Bernhardine of Reuss (born and died 1749), daughter of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz
- Christiane Sophie Henriette of Reuss-Schleiz (1757 – 1758), daughter of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784)
- Christiane of Erbach-Schönberg (1721 – 1769). wife of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784)
- Konradine Elenore Isabella of Köstritz (1719 – 1770), first wife of Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz
- Heinrich LVII of Reuss-Schleiz (1774 – 1775), son of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784)
- Heinrich LVI of Reuss-Schleiz (1772 – 1781), son of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784)
- Heinrich LVIII of Reuss (1782 – 1783), son of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz
- Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784), son of Heinrich XI of Reuss-Schleiz (1669 – 1726)
- Christine Ferdinande Caroline of Reuss-Schleiz (1784 – 1785), daughter of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Heinrich LXV of Reuss-Schleiz (1788 – 1790), son of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Heinrich LXVIII of Reuss-Schleiz (1791 – 1792), son of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Heinrich LXXI of Reuss-Schleiz (1793 – 1794), son of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Heinrich XLII, 1st Prince Reuss of Gera (1752 – 1818), son of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784)
- Heinrich VIII of Reuss-Schleiz (1827 – 1818), son of Heinrich LXVII of Reuss-Schleiz (1789 – 1867)
- Ferdinande of Ysenburg-Philippseich (1740 – 1822), wife of Heinrich XII of Reuss-Schleiz (1716 – 1784)
- Heinrich XI of Reuss-Schleiz (1828 – 1830), son of Heinrich LXVII of Reuss-Schleiz (1789 – 1867)
- Marie Elisabeth Henriette Adelheid of Reuss-Schleiz (1824 – 1833), daughter of Heinrich LXVII of Reuss-Schleiz (1789 – 1867)
- Heinrich V of Reuss-Schleiz (1821 – 1834), son of Heinrich LXVII of Reuss-Schleiz (1789 – 1867)
- Heinrich XVI of Reuss-Schleiz (1835 – 1836), son of Heinrich LXVII of Reuss-Schleiz (1789 – 1867)
- Marie Caroline Adelheide of Reuss-Schleiz (1837 – 1840), daughter of Heinrich LXVII of Reuss-Schleiz (1789 – 1867)
- Karoline Henriette of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg (1761 – 1849), wife of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Heinrich LXII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Gera (1785 – 1854), son of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Christiane Philippine Luise of Reuss-Schleiz (1781 – 1866), daughter of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera (1789 – 1867), son of Heinrich XLII of Reuss-Schleiz (1752 – 1818)
- Sophie Adelheid Henriette von Reuss-Ebersdorf (1800 – 1880, link in German), wife of Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera
- Agnes Pauline von Württemberg, Princess Reuss of Gera (1835 – 1886), wife of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera
- Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera (1832 – 1913)
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Works Cited
- Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2011). Kirchengebäude in Schleiz, Saale-Orla-Kreis, Thüringen. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergkirche_St._Marien_(Schleiz)
- Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirchgemeinde Schleiz – Bergkirche. (2025). Evangelische-Kirche-Schleiz.de. https://www.evangelische-kirche-schleiz.de/Gemeinden/Bergkirche/
- Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirchgemeinde Schleiz – Fürstengruft. (2015). Evangelische-Kirche-Schleiz.de. https://www.evangelische-kirche-schleiz.de/Gemeinden/Fuerstengruft/index.php/
- Memorials in Bergkirche St. Marien in Schleiz – Find a Grave. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2334431/memorial-search?cemeteryName=Bergkirche+St.+Marien+in+Schleiz&page=1#sr-193159374
