He was born at
Gedern Castle,
Hesse, the third and last child of Count Hermann zu Stolberg-Wernigerode (1802–1841, himself a son of
Henry of Stolberg-Wernigerode) and his wife Countess Emma zu Erbach-Fürstenau (great-granddaughter of
George Albert III, Count of Erbach-Fürstenau). The ancient noble
House of Stolberg had been quasi-sovereign rulers of their County of
Stolberg-Wernigerode until the
German Mediatisation, when they came under the jurisdiction of
Prussia in 1815. His elder brother Albert (Albrecht) died, when he was four years old, his father died shortly afterwards from grief over the loss. Having been schooled in
Duisburg, he read
law and administration science at the universities of
Göttingen and
Heidelberg. Between 1859 and 1861, he served as a cavalry
officer in the
Gardes du Corps regiment of the
Prussian Army. Stolberg had his
Wernigerode Castle residence rebuilt in a lavish
Gründerzeit style. In 1867 he was appointed as
Oberpräsident of the Prussian
Province of Hanover at the instigation of Minister-president
Otto von Bismarck. Stolberg endeavoured to integrate the annexed province into the Prussian state. Having served in the
North German Reichstag from 1867 to 1871, he became a member of the
Free Conservative Party and thereafter had a seat in both the
German Reichstag and the
Prussian House of Lords (as its president from 1872). In March 1876 he became German ambassador in
Austria-Hungary, again on Bismarck's proposal. In 1878, he was appointed German Vice-Chancellor under Chancellor Bismarck. Stolberg was instrumental in the development of the
Dual Alliance with Austria which was concluded in Autumn 1879. He also supported Bismarck's
Anti-Socialist Laws, however, over time had more and more differences with the Chancellor and finally resigned from office in 1881. Stolberg remained an active politician, serving as Prussian treasurer and Minister of the Royal House. In 1890 he was granted the hereditary title of Prince (
Fürst in German) by Emperor
Wilhelm II. Stolberg died at
Wernigerode Castle, aged 59. == Marriage and issue ==