Principality of Reuss-Greiz  The Principality of Reuss-Greiz (), called the Principality of the Reuss Elder Line () after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz and Upper-Greiz () were elevated to princely status in 1778 and thereafter bore the title of "Prince Reuss, Elder Line", or "Prince Reuss of Greiz". Similarly to the more numerous Reuss Junior Line, the male members of this house were all named "Heinrich", in honour of Emperor Heinrich VI, who had benefited the family. They were numbered sequentially by birth, rather than by reign, with the last series beginning with Heinrich I (born 1693) and ending with Heinrich XXIV (1878–1927). The principality of the Reuss Elder Line had an area of 317 km² and a population of 71,000 (1905). Its capital was Greiz. In 1919, in the aftermath of World War I, the territory of the Elder Line was merged with that of the Junior Line as the People's State of Reuss, which was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia in 1920. The Elder Line died out in 1927 with the death of the childless Heinrich XXIV, after which its claims were passed to the Junior Line. Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince 1918–1927 (1878–1927)  "To Reuss Junior Line on the death of Prince Heinrich XXIV"