Businessman head of the Princely House of Sayn
Prince Bernhart was born in Marburg the son of Christian-Heinrich, Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein and Princess Dagmar of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (1919–2003). Prince Bernhart was married at Schwarzenau, Germany on 31 August 1996 to Countess Katharina von Podewils-Durniz, the daughter of diplomat Count Max von Podewils-Dürniz and his wife Baroness Elisabeth von Hirschberg.
She has a doctorate in Art History and in 2003 was appointed Sotheby"s representative in Hamburg. The couple have one child, Wenzel, Hereditary Prince (Erbprinz) of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (b 1997). Prince Bernhart is Chairman of the Board of the Fürst Wittgenstein'sche Waldbesitzergesellschaft Forestry company and also joint Managing Director of Verlag Dashoefer" publishers.
Four dynastic branches of the princely House of Sayn were extant at the beginning of the 20th century, each possessing its own secundogeniture.
In order of seniority of legitimate descent from their progenitor, Ludwig I, Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein (1532-1605), they were the:
Princes (Fürsten) zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, descended from Count Georg (1565-1631)
Princes (Fürsten) zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, descended from Count Christian Ludwig (1725-1797)
Counts zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, descended from Count Georg Ernst (1735-1792)
Princes (Fürsten) zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein, descended from Count Ludwig (1571-1634)
Some of these lines had junior branches, dynastic and non-dynastic, the latter including families whose right to the princely title was recognized by the Russian, Prussian and Bavarian monarchies, whereas other morganatic branches used lesser titles in Germany. He was the second son of the late head of the entire House of Sayn, Richard, 4th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1882-1925), whose eldest son, Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1907-1944) had inherited the senior line"s fortune and position.
