House of Hartmann-Peters

The House of Hartmann-Peters is a royal house of princes, kings, and emperors of Illinois, the New European Empire and North American Confederation. The family arose in the area around the town of Bolingbrook in Illinois during 2009 and took their name from the House of Hartmann and the House of Peters. The first ancestor of the Hartmann-Peters was born in Prussia in 1839. The Hartmann-Peters family a merge of two houses, the Catholic House of Hartmann family and the Protestant Chicago branch of the Peters family. The Hartmann family arrived from Prussia as well around 1869. Members of the Peters family came in 1884. The Empire of New Europe was initially ruled under the House of Hartmann in early 2009. The family as it is today was founded by Emperor William I by imperial proclamation on 27 April 2009, with the Hartmann's taking seniority in the line of succession. New Europe's collapse in 2010 lead to the founding of the first North American Confederation. The Hartmann-Peters' were installed as emperor's. The family's founder William I is the current head of the Protestant line while Rupert II, Prince from Prussia is head of the princely Catholic line.

Foundation
William I and, in turn, his son, William, Prince of Ohio, are members of the German House of Peters by virtue of their descent from Julius Edward Peters I. The marriage of Michael Peters and Marie von Hartmann in 1989 is considered the act of union between the two houses. In 1991, the couple moved away from their families to establish their own lives outside of family customs, while the Peters traditions did continue. The couples children, William and Jonathan identified more with the Hartmann family as the Peters family was small and not united under a family head. Thus without any way to trace the Peters line, upon the founding of New Europe in 2009, the Imperial Assembly elected the dynastic name for the new monarchy be the House of Hartmann. As knowledge of the Peters family grew it was decided to create a new house that united the titles of both families. Hence, on 27 April 2009, an imperial proclamation issued by William I declared:

"Now, therefore, We, out of Our Will and Authority, do hereby declare and announce that as from the date of this Our Imperial Proclamation Our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Hartmann-Peters, and that all the descendants in the male line of Our said Grandfather Prince Rupert who are subjects of these Realms, other than female descendants who may marry or may have married, shall bear the said Name of Hartmann-Peters...."

Reigning (2009–2010/2013)
In 2009, the Empire of New Europe was proclaimed. With the accession of Wilhelm von Hartmann to the newly established imperial throne, the titles of Prince of Prussia, Lord of Norway and Ritter of Illinois were always attached to the title of New European Emperor. New Europe merged into the North American Confederation retaining the title of Emperor. After the confederations' dissolution Wilhelm was restored as New European Emperor.

2009–2013: Wilhelm

2011: Jonathan (brother of, never New European Emperor)

In 2013 the New European empire was declared defunct.

Other titles
In 2014 the title of King of Occidia was granted to former Emperor Wilhelm with the establishment of the Kingdom of Occidia. While Occidia is defunct and was little more than a courtesy title, Prince of Occidia is allowed to be used by members of the family. On 13 June 2015 King Oscar of Ruthenia granted the family a position among Ruthenian nobility with the title Count of Hartmann. On 29 December 2015, through the decree n. 30/2015, the King of Ruthenia raised the House of Hartmann-Peters to the princely dignity, raising their rank with the title of "Prince of Hartmann", a title hereditary within the House of Hartmann-Peters, extended to his wife, the Empress and to his son, the Prince William of Ohio, who became know as the Hereditary Prince of Hartmann. The title Margrave of Kandahar was gained in 2012 when the emperor participated in the Afghan War in the Kandahar Province.