Mindaugas III

From Kaiserreich

Mindaugas III of Lithuania (born as Karl Gero Albrecht Joseph Wilhelm Anton Maria of Urach, Count of Württemberg, 3rd Duke of Urach on 19 August 1899) is the current King of Lithuania. He was crowned in 1928, after the death of his father King Mindaugas II.

Early life

Karl Gero was born in Lichtenstein, then part of the Kingdom of Württemberg, at his family's Lichtenstein Castle, being the second son of Duke Wilhelm of Urach and his first wife Duchess Amalie in Bavaria. In 1917 he graduated from the Karls-Gymnasium school in Stuttgart. After graduation he served in the Weltkrieg as a lieutenant, but he was heavily wounded in 1918 and spent the last years of war at home. After the war Karl Gero von Urach studied architecture, and later worked as an architect in Munich.

King of Lithuania

In 1928, on his father's death, Karl Gero became the third Duke (Herzog) of Urach and was crowned as King Mindaugas III of Lithuania, as his elder brother Wilhelm had married morganatically.

As his father and according to Wilhelm's agreement with the Council of Lithuania he has to live in Lithuania and speak its language.