Count Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode was the only son of Count Henry Ernest of Stolberg-Wernigerode, whom he succeeded as ruler of the County of Wernigerode in 1778.
Background
As the son of Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode, Christian Frederick was a member of the noble Stolberg family. His mother was Henry Ernest"s second wife, Princess Anna of Anhalt-Köthen, daughter of Augustus Louis of Anhalt-Köthen by his second wife, Emilie (herself daughter of Erdmann II of Promnitz).
Career
During his studies in Halle from 1764 to 1767 he joined the Freemason lodge zu den drei Degen. In the summer of 1767 he obtained the fourth and later the fifth grade at the lodge in Leipzig. Count Christian Frederick was until 1796 dean of Halberstadt and provost of Walbeck.
He was made a Knight of the Order of Saint John in 1790 by Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia.
On 8 June 1765, his maternal great-uncle Count Johann Erdmann of Promnitz left him the Lordships of Pieszyce (German: Peterwaldau), Janowice Wielkie (German: Jannowitz) and Grodztwo (German: Kreppelhof) in Silesia. They founded the Silesian branch of the Stolberg-Wernigerode family.
They kept their possessions in Silesia until they were expelled in 1945. They had the following children:
Anne (1770–1819), married in 1797 Baron Alexander of Wylich
Louise (1771–1856), married in 1807 Maurice Haubold of Schönberg
Henry (1772–1854), married in 1799 Princess Jenny of Schönburg-Waldenburg
Marie (1774–1810), married in 1803 Prince Henry LIV Reuss of Lobenstein
Ferdinand (18 October 1775 – 20 May 1854), married on 25 May 1802 Countess Marie Agnes of Stolberg-Stolberg
Friederike (1776–1858), married in 1806 Henry Louis, Burgrave and Count of Dohna-Schlodien
Ernestine (1778–1781)
Constantine (25 September 1779 – 19 August 1817, Karlsbad), married on 30 September 1804 Baroness Ernestine von der Recke
Theodore (1783–1786)
Anton (1785–1854), married on 12 June 1809 Baroness Louise von der Recke.