Sayn-Wittgenstein

County of Sayn-Wittgenstein
Grafschaft Sayn-Wittgenstein
State of the Holy Roman Empire
1384–1607
Sayn and Wittgenstein ca. 1450
Capital		Wittgenstein Castle
Government		Principality
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Count of Sayn-Homburg     marries heiress to     Wittgenstein	1345
•	Counties merged	1384
•	Partitioned to S-W-Sayn,     S-W-Berleburg and     S-W-Wittgenstein	1607 1607
•	Mediatised to Berg	1808
Preceded by Succeeded by Sayn-Homburg County of Wittgenstein Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein
Today part of		Germany

Sayn-Wittgenstein was a county of medieval Germany, located in the Sauerland of eastern North Rhine-Westphalia.

Sayn-Wittgenstein was created when Count Salentin of Sayn-Homburg, a member of the House of Sponheim, married the heiress Countess Adelaide of Wittgenstein in 1345. The united counties then became known as Sayn-Wittgenstein, although it only officially became known as such during the reign of Salentin's successor Count John. The territory of Sayn-Wittgenstein was often divided between northern (centered on Berleburg) and southern (centered on Bad Laasphe) divisions, although the border between the two often shifted. Sayn-Wittgenstein was partitioned in 1607 into: Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (in the originally territories of Sayn), and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein. The area of both former counties is known today as "Wittgenstein", and is part of the district Siegen-Wittgenstein in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Four dynastic branches of the princely House of Sayn were extant at the beginning of the 20th century, each possessing its own secundogeniture. In order of seniority of legitimate descent from their progenitor, Ludwig I, Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein (1532-1605), they were the:

Some of these lines had junior branches, dynastic and non-dynastic, the latter including families whose right to the princely title was recognized by the Russian, Prussian, Bavarian or Austrian monarchies, whereas other morganatic branches used lesser titles accorded by German sovereigns (e.g. Baron von Kleydorff, Hesse, 1868; Count von Hachenburg, Prussia, 1883; Baron von Freusburg, Lippe, 1916; Baron von Altenburg, ?, 1909). The last male of the comital line was Ottokar, Count zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1911-1995).