House of Solms

The House of Solms is a historic German noble family of the Hochadel (high nobility), whose members have historically held the ranks of Imperial Count and Imperial Prince. Since circa. 1100, the seat of the Edelherren of Solms was Solms Castle in the Burgsolms district of today's city Solms. The current House of Solms most likely descend, via the Counts of Luxembourg, from the powerful House of Ardenne and are thus among the oldest European noble families.

In the High and Late Middle Ages the house managed with difficulty to maintain their regional position against their powerful neighbours Nassau and Hesse. They later inherited extensive areas in the Wetterau. Despite fragmentation, they emerged from the territorial conflicts as a family of supra-regional importance. In 1806, the House of Solms was mediatised. Until the legal abolition of the nobility's prerogatives in 1919, its members were counted among the mediatised houses and were considered "equals" for dyanstic purposes to other reigning houses of Europe.