Death of the Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg

The Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg died on October 15, 2009 at her home, Schloss Kreuzwertheim, at Kreuzwertheim-am-Main. She was 87 years old. The Princess, who was born Ruth-Erika von Buggenhagen, married Alfred-Ernst, the Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg in 1950. (In 1980, Alfred-Ernst succeeded his father as the 7th Prince.)
She was born on June 15, 1922 at Schloss Buggenhagen, the family seat. Ruth-Erika was the daughter of Hans-Detlef von Buggenhagen and Baroness Ruth von Rosenberg. Buggenhagen is located on the Baltic coast in East Pomerania in Mecklenburg.
Ruth grew up at Schloss Buggenhagen with her family. She had a happy childhood, and she looked forward to studying medicine. But when her only brother was killed in 1941, Ruth-Erika's plans for a career in medicine were shelved and she had to devote herself to agriculture, and running the estate. After the war, Mecklenburg became one of the states in the German Democratic Republic. Ruth-Erika and her family were expelled from their home, and forced to flee to West Germany.
Ruth-Erika and her family settled in Amorbach in 1947. It was in Amorbach, where she was introduced to her her future husband.
The Prince and Princess were the parents of five children: Hereditary Prince Ludwig (1951), Princess Ameli (1953), Princess Dorothea (1955); Prince Udo (1957) and Princess Ruth (1959), who followed her mother's dreams by becoming a medical doctor.
Despite raising a large family, the Princess was active in many local and social organizations. She served from 1972 through 1996 as a member of the CSU, sitting on the municipal council. In fact, she was the first woman to sit on the local council. She also spent 18 years on the board of Evangelical Church (Lutheran), and she also served on several other Lutheran boards, including the Deaconesses of Rankenstein.
The Princess' funeral will be on October 23 at 2 p.m. at the Evangelical church in Wertheim. She will be buried in the family cemetery at Kreuzwertheim.