There are over ten different theories about the origin of the counts of Stolberg, but none has been commonly accepted. Stolbergs themselves claimed descent from the 6th century Italian noble, Otto Colonna. This claim was symbolized by the column device on the Stolberg arms. However, it is most likely that they are descended from the
counts of Hohnstein, when in 1222 Heinrich I of Hohnstein wrested the county from Ludwig III. The first representative of this family, Count Henry of Stolberg, appears in a 1210 document, having already been mentioned in 1200 as Count Henry of
Voigtstedt. Although Voigtstedt near
Artern was the initial seat of this comital family, it had moved to
Stolberg (Harz) no later than the beginning of the 13th century. The castle there remained in the hands of the family until they were dispossessed as part of the 1945 land reform in the
Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany created after the Second World War. In 1429 the counts of Stolberg succeeded in purchasing the County of
Wernigerode in the
Northern Harz as part of a
contract of inheritance and thereby extended their area of influence considerably. In 1645 the house was permanently divided into the Older Main Line (
Ältere Hauptlinie) of
Stolberg-Wernigerode and the Younger Main Line (
Jüngere Hauptlinie) of
Stolberg-Stolberg. At the beginning of the 18th century, the lines of
Stolberg-Gedern (to 1804) and
Stolberg-Schwarza (to 1748) branched off from Stolberg-Wernigerode. In 1706, Stolberg-Stolberg was divided into the two lines of
Stolberg-Stolberg and
Stolberg-Rossla. In 1742 representatives of the line of Stolberg-Gedern were elevated to the
Estate of Imperial Princes (
Reichsfürstenstand) by Emperor
Charles VII. In the 18th century, as a result of
mediatisation, the imperially immediate counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode were forced to subordinate themselves to the
Kingdom of Prussia and the counts of Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla likewise to the
Electorate of Saxony. On the dissolution of the
Holy Roman Empire's German nation in 1806 the Stolbergs lost their imperial comital status and, in 1815, finally became mediatized Prussian princes. However, the families retained certain privileges as to the Lutheran state churches of their mediatised
state countries and had heritable seats in the
Prussian House of Lords. The head of each
comital branch and his first-born son or heir presumptive in the Houses of Stolberg-Wernigerode, Stolberg-Stolberg and Stolberg-Roßla were granted permission on 22 October 1890 and 1893 respectively by
Emperor Wilhelm II to bear princely titles. In 1980 a branch of the line of Stolberg-Stolberg was incorporated into the
Dutch nobility as counts without, however, acknowledgement of their princely title. ==Former territories, estates and seats (selection)==