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Monday, January 9, 2012

Adolf II - Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe


Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, was the last of the German sovereigns to abdicate following the collapse of the German Empire in November 1918.  He was born on February 23, 1883, in Stadthagen, the first son of Hereditary Prince Georg and his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg.   Adolf was ten years old when his grandfather, Adolf I, died and was succeeded by Georg,   He succeeded his father on April 29, 1911.

Adolf II reigned until November 15, 1918, when he abdicated, and Schaumburg-Lippe became the Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe.

On January 10, 1920, Adolf married Ellen-Elisabeth Bischoff-Korthaus.  The couple was married in Berlin. 

In March 1936, the Prince and Princess were on vacation in Mexico.  They were among the fourteen passengers of a Mexican airplane flying from Mexico City to the capital of Guatemala, when the plane crashed between two volcanos on March 26.

The plane was flying low and developed engine trouble, "when it was between the volcanoes it apparently developed engine trouble, for it circled as if the pilot intended to return to the landing field, " reported the New York Times.
"Suddenly the ship became enveloped in smoke and it crashed with great speed to the earth and burned completely."

Adolf's marriage was childless.  He was succeeded as head of the house by his brother, Wolrad.

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