The Prince of Castell-Rüdenhausen brings his bride home

The Prince and Princess of Castell-Rüdenhausen @Ulrike Bartsch  (all photos)

Bring your bride home and introducing her to the community is a tradition in the Princely House of Castell-Rüdenhausen that goes back to the 19th Century.

Everyone in the village of Rüdenhausen (nearly 900 residents) was invited to the Prince's party at his "stately castle with a park."

The Heimführung is the third and final part of the celebrations for the marriage of Prince Otto and Sophia Mautner von Markhof.  The couple were married in a civil ceremony at Rüdenhausen on December 29.

The couple were married in a religious ceremony on June 15 in Vienna, where the bride's family lives.

The Heimführung was held on August 3.  The entire town turned out as did the Prince and Princess's family and friends.

The families celebrated members of local clubs and the residents of the Rüdenhausen community on the castle grounds, where cake and other foods were on offer. 

The Princess and Princess of Leiningen with their younger son, Prince Hermann

The celebrations began at noon with a procession of the newlyweds and their families.  Mayor Gerhard Ackermann, who married the couple in December, welcomed the couple.  Afterward, the procession moved toward into the castle grounds where Otto's mother's family flag was lowered and replaced by the Mautner von Markhof family flag.

The Prince of Leiningen

The bride's parents Theodor Ritter Mautner von Markhof and Countess Marie Antoinette von und zu Clam-Martinic and Maria Dowager Princess of Castell-Rüdenhausen and her grandson, Prince August of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.  Her daughter Olga is married to Prince Dominik, the youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, is married to Countess Olga of Castell-Rüdenhausen,

Count Anton & Countess Anna and Princess Olga (siblings of Otto) with Olga's husband, Prince Dominik of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg with their two children, Prince August in Anton's arms and Prince Casimir in front of Olga.

The last Heimführung took place 36 years ago when Otto's father,  Johann-Friedrich brought his wife, Countess Maria von  Schönborn-Wiesentheid,  to Rüdenhausen.

Many of the women including the Princess of Castell-Rüdenhausen wore traditional dirndls.

Otto succeeded his father in 2014.

Thank you to Ulrike Bartsch who took the photos and is the copyright holder.

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/adels-event-ruedenhausen-feiert-heimfuehrung-mit-fuerstenpaar,RXzbYVK

https://www.mainpost.de/regional/kitzingen/Fuerst-Otto-heiratet-seine-Sophia;art773,10143192