The Ducal House of Anhalt
House of AskaniaSince 1863 the member of the Ducal Family bear the Title Prince/Princess of Anhalt with the style of Highness. The male members further bear the titles Duke of Saxony and Count zu Ascania.
The first known ancestor of the Family is the swabian Count Esico of Ballenstädt in the 11th Century Theprincipal sourcefor the genealogy of the early Ascanians isthe AnnaListaSaxo, which was written in the in the middle of the 12th Century. However,thedata are not supported by anycontemporaryevidence. AccordinglyEsicowas a maternalgrandsonof MargraveHodo(† 993)andinheritedafter thedeath of his uncleSiegfried(†1030)severalallodial estatesinSwabiaandSerimuntgau. The nameofEsico'sfather is unknown, untilin much later written genealogies thenameAdalbertwasadded becauseof the around the year 1080 murdered Count Adalbert was called a son of Esico. Count Adalbert had 2 sons Otto the riche and Siegfried. Otto was the father of Albrecht the Bear who was the first imporant representative of the Family. He was a contemporary andrivalof Heinrich the Lion(Guelph) andConrad theGreat (Wettin). On 1157 he founded the Mark Brandenburgand was thefirst Margrave of it. Albrechtdrove theGermanOstsiedlungforwarddecisively, through him the previous Nordmark which was lost in the GreatSlavic came as Brandenburgback tothe Holy Roman Empire.He established theposition of powerto his familyhomein the SaxonOstmark
Like it was ommon among many of the german noble Familes also Allbrecht the the Bear divided his his extensive territorial possessions among his sons, from which the four main lines of Ascania are descending:
- His eldest son, Otto I († 1184) was awarded the Mark of Brandenburg, whose descendants ruled it until 1320, and turned the country from an expansionist territorial Ostpolitik
- Hermann I († 1176) established the younger branch of the counts of Weimar-independent town, although it was of little importance, and in the late 15th Century went out.
- The youngest son Bernhard († 1212) was given the master land of the the Ascanians around Ballenstedt, Aschersleben and Anhalt who summarized later formed the Principality of Anhalt. In 1180 he was awarded as "Bernhard III." with the Gelnhäuser certificate of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa as Duke the Duchy of Saxony which had previisouly been occupied by the Guelphs. From the Old Saxon territory he received only its eastern territories to Wittenberg and Lauenburg.
After the death of Duke Bernhard III.in 1212 his territory was divived among his sons. His son Albrecht was given the Duchy of Saxony which was later split in the lines Saxe-Witteberg (extinct 1422) and Saxe-Lauenburg (extinct (1689) and Heinrich who was given the master territories around Ballenstedt etc.
So in 1212 it came to the Principality of Anhalt. FürstHeinrich I. ofAnhalthad chosen thisname forhis lineto distinguish it fromotherAscanianlines. The namegoes back to theAscanianfamily castle, BurgAnhalt near Harzgerodeand the name of Ascania refers totheirresidenceAscaniansat Aschersleben. The Principalitythus developedfrom theSchwabengauandGauSerimuntasowned by the familyof Ascaniaandwas partof the Holy RomanEmpire of the GermanNation. The sons of Fürst Heinrich partitioned the lands after his death in 1251:
- Bernhard received Bernburg and Ballenstädt (line extinct in 1468),
- Siegfried received Köthen, Zerbst, Koswigk and Dessau. In this line the lands where repeatedly divided or ruled jointly by brothers. but by chance always reunited.
- Heinrich II received Ascherleben, Wegeleben and Gernrode (extinct 1315, at which point the county of Ascherleben was given to the Bishops of Halberstedt). Together with it it went to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1648.
Early in the 16th century, however, owing to the death or abdication of several Princes, the family had become narrowed down to the two branches of Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau (Issued both from Anhalt-Dessau in 1471). Wolfgang, who became Fürst of Anhalt-Köthen in 1508, was a stalwart adherent of the Reformation, and after the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547 was placed under the ban and deprived of his lands by Emperor Karl V.. After the peace of Passau in 1552 he bought back his principality, but as he was childless he surrendered it in 1562 to his kinsmen the Princes of Anhalt-Dessau. Fürst Ernest I who died in 1516 left three sons, Johan V, Georg III, and Joachim I, who ruled their lands together for many years, and who, like Fürst Wolfgang, favoured the reformed doctrines, which thus became dominant in Anhalt. About 1546 the three brothers divided their Principality and founded the lines of Zerbst, Plötzkau and Dessau. This division, however, was only temporary, as the acquisition of Köthen, and a series of deaths among the Princes, enabled Joachim Ernest, a son of Johann II., to unite the whole of Anhalt under his rule in 1570.
In 1570 all the Family posessions where reunited in the person of Fürst Joachim Ernst. Fürst Joachim Ernst died in 1586 and left 7 sons. At first the eldest Fürst Johann Georg I. ruled for the others but in 1603 it was the brothers decided to divide the lands amiong. 2 brothers had already died and another August received a lump sum payment for his share. So the remaining four brothers founded 4 brances:- Johann Georg got Dessau and was the founder of the branch Anhalt-Dessau
- Christian got Bernburg and was the founder of branch Anhalt-Bernburg
- Ludwig got Köthen and was the founder of the branch Anhalt-Köthen
- Rudolf got Zerbst and was the founder of the branch Anhalt-Zerbs
Later also August asked for a piece of land and his brother gave him Plötzkau therefore Augst founded the branch of Anhalt-Plötzkau. The Principality was ravaged during the Thirty Years' War, and in the earlier part of this struggle Fürst Christian I of Anhalt-Bernburg took an important part. In 1635 an arrangement was made by the various Princes of Anhalt, which gave a certain authority to the eldest member of the family, who was thus able to represent the Principality as a whole. This proceeding was probably due to the necessity of maintaining an appearance of unity in view of the disturbed state of European politics.
In 1665 the line of Anhalt-Köthen beame extinct and the line of Anhalt-Plötzkau then got Köthen. In the same year an agreement was made between the remaning Princes that if any of the other lines would die out the lands should be divided equally among the remnaing branches.
The Principality from 1807 Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau
The founder of the new branch of Anhalt-Dessau was Fürst Johann Georg. In 1618 he was succeeded by his son Johann Casimir wo after his accession devoted himself almost exlusvely on hunting and his repsentatives duties at the Court of Dessau. After a hunting accident in 1662 he was confined to his bed for many years. In 1660 he died and his sons Johan Georg became the new Fürst. Fürst Johann Georg mantained the claims of his house on Aschersleben that was left to Brandenburg in 1648 and continued by also that his candidature to it was granted it, but this was of no practical significance. He entered military service in Brandenburg, the Great Elector in 1670 was promoted to Field Marshal and graduated in June 1672 from the alliance between Emperor Leopold I. in Vienna and Brandenburg. It undertook both to set up each 12,000 men under the command of the elector to maintain the Peace of Westphalia. 1674 gave him the Great Elector the governorship in the marks, but it was missing him at troops to prevent the invasion of Sweden. He then participated in the campaign of 1675 against Sweden in 1679 he took over the Brandenburg Regiment Fargell walk. In 1683 he became the emperor sent to Passau to provide assistance Brandenburg against the Turks in view, but not recommended by a war against France. In general, he has sought to strengthen the alliance between the Emperor and Brandenburg. When he died in 1693 his son and successor Fürst Leopld I. was not yet of age and so Johann Casimir's widow, Fürstin Henriette Catharina acted as Regent until 1695. In 1603 Fürst Leopold I. became colonel of a Prussian regiment in 1693, and in the same year inherited his own principality; for the remainder of his long life, he performed the duties of a sovereign prince and a Prussian officer simultaneously.
Leopold's career as a soldier in important commands began with the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1701. He had many improvements made in the Prussian army, notably the introduction of the iron ramrod about 1700, and he now took the field at the head of a Prussian corps on the Rhine, serving at the sieges of Kaiserswerth and Venlo in 1702. In the following year, having obtained the rank of lieutenant-general, Leopold took part in the siege of Bonnand fought as part of the Battle of Hochstadt, in which the Austrians and their Prussian allies were defeated by the French under Marshal Claude-Louis-Hector de Villars on 20 September 1703. In the campaign of 1704 the Prussian contingent served first under Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden-Baden, then Prince Eugene of Savoy, and fought at Blenheim. In 1705 Leopold was sent with a Prussian corps to join Prince Eugene in Italy, and on 6 August fought at the Battle of Cassano. In the Battle of Turin, he was the first to enter the hostile entrenchments (7 September 1706). He served in one more campaign in Italy, and then served under Eugene to join Marlborough in the Netherlands, being present in 1709 at the siege of Tournai and the Battle of Malplaquet. In 1710 Leopold succeeded to the command of the entire Prussian contingent at the French front, and in 1712, he was made a field marshal at the particular request of the prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, who had served with him as a volunteer. Shortly before this he had executed a coup de main on the castle of Mors, which had been held by the Dutch in defiance of the claims of the king of Prussia to its possession. The operation was effected with absolute precision and the castle was seized without a shot being fired. In the earlier part of the reign of King Friedrich Wilhelm I. the Fürst of Anhalt-Dessau was one of the most influential members of the Prussian governing circle. Although Prussia was hostile to Sweden, the Prussians were reluctant to participate in the Great Northern War. Only after the Russians destroyed most of the Swedish army did Prussia enter the war in 1715. Leopold accompanied the King to the front, commanded an army of 40,000 men, and defeated the much smaller force of Charles XII of Sweden in a hard-fought battle on the island of Rügen on 16 November in alliance with the Danish army of Stralsund. In peacetime, and especially after a court quarrel and duel with General Friedrich Wilhelm von Grumbkow in 1725, he devoted himself to the training of the Prussian army. Although the reputation gained by the Prussian army in the wars fought between 1675 to 1715 was a good one, it was still considered one of the minor military forces in Europe by 1740, when the War of the Austrian Succession broke out. Leopold's outstanding achievement just before this time was his training of the Prussian infantry. The "Old Dessauer" was one of the sternest disciplinarians in an age of stern discipline, and the technical training of the infantry under his hand made the Prussian infantry into a formidable fighting force whose effectiveness had not yet been demonstrated. With the death of Frederick William in 1740, Frederick the Great succeeded to the Prussian throne, and a few months later initiated the invasion and conquest of Silesia, the first action in the long Silesian Wars and the test of Leopold's lifelong efforts to improve the effectiveness of the Prussian army. The Fürst himself was not often employed in the king's own army, though his sons held high commands under Frederick. The King, indeed, found Leopold somewhat difficult to manage, and the prince spent most of the campaigning years up to 1745 in command of an army of observation on the Saxon frontier.
Early in that year his wife died. Leopold was now over seventy, but his last campaign was destined to be the most successful of his long career. A combined effort of the Austrians and Saxons to retrieve the disasters of the summer by a winter campaign towards Berlin itself led to a hurried concentration of the Prussians. Friedrich II. from Silesia checked the Austrian main army and hastened towards Dresden. But before he arrived, Leopold had decided the war by means of his overwhelming victory over Saxons at Kesselsdorf on 14 December 1745. It was his habit to pray before battle, for he was a devout Lutheran. On this last field his words were, "O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days. Or if Thou wilt not help me, do not help these scoundrels, but leave us to try it ourselves." Leopold's career ended with this great victory. He retired from active service, and the short remainder of his life was spent at Dessau.
In his Principaltiy he began from 1706 with the acquisitionof almost allAnhaltgoods that werepreviouslyowned bythe landed gentry. As a side effect, the lawtoapprove taxeson these goods went toLeopoldoverasruler.Here healso practicedmore or less strongpressure on theowners. He used his poweras astate andLehnsherraslegalways toshrinkbackevenbefore theuse of policeormilitary force.Not alwaystookthelanded gentryandpeasantprotestthis arbitraryway. ThusGröbzigercomplainedafter acquiring theruleof goodsandGröbzigWerderHauseninconnection withthe morganaticmarriageofhighly indebted Fürst KarlFriedrich of Anhalt-Bernburg before the ImperialCourt of Appeal inVienna, to a hearing, it never came.The plaintiffsgave- worn downbycountrymagnificentdelaying tactic-onandsold toLeopold.
In 1701 Fürst Leopold I. had married an apocethary's daughter Anna Louise Föhse. On 29.12.1701 Emperor Leopold I. created her an Reichsfürstin (Princess of the Empire) and also declared that her children should be Prince/Princess of Anhalt and have the same rights that other Pricnes of the Empire enjoy. On 12.03.1701 King Friedrich I. in Prussia gave his personal guarantee, promising to recognize the rights of the issue of this marriage. The agnates of all the branches of Anhalt also gave their agreement a few days later, on 21 March. As his oldest son Prince Wilhelm Gustav had already died 10 years before him he was in 1747 succeeded by his second son Fürst Leopold II. who also became successor of his father as Head of the Regiment Anhalt on foot. When he took pover the reign he fand over a high debt which he tried to mitigate by limitations in the Court. He began the construction of Dessau Castle by Georg Wenceslaus von Knobelsdorff but died already in 1751. As his successor the new Fürst Leopold III. was not yet of age his uncle, Prince Dietrich acted as Regent. Inthe traditionof his grandfatherandfather Fürst Leopold III. initially servedin the Prussian armyin the regiment Anhalt on foot at Halle.In 1752he becameregimental commander. After the outbreakof theSeven Years' Warhe followedhis uncleLeopoldMoritz. Under the impact ofthe battle of Kolinin 1757 he leftthe Prussian army. In 1758 he was declared of age with the approval of the Emperor and took over the GovernmentinAnhalt-Dessau. Later in theSeven Years War,Leopoldkepthis principalityneutral,buthad toendureas apunitive actionimposedbyPrussiaindemnitiesin the amountof 180,000dollars.Thishe paidfrom his personal fortune. In 1758 Fürst Leopold III. marriedhis cousinPrincessLuiseof Brandenburg-Schwedt at Carlottenburg. through mediation of the prussian King Friedrich II who apponited appointed himas a Knight of theBlack Eagle in 1769.In 1782, hetriedbythe League of Princesto build up a counterbalance to thePrussian hegemonybuild. In 1806 Napoleon I. triedto useits reputationbyinviting himto Paris. Leopold III. had tobe one of thelastGerman princesbyagreement dated 18April 1807to join theConfederation of the Rhine. In the same year he ewas raised to the rank of a Duke by french Emperor Napoleon I. The only son of Duke Lepold III. was Hereditary Prince Friedrich who received from the legacy of hismother the brandenburgian goodsStolzenberg,WormsandfieldZantochthat camesoto the Houseof Anhalt-Dessau. Herediary Princ Friedrich died already in 1814. From his marriage to Princess Amlie of Hesse-Homburg he had among others the following children:- Amalie, married to Fürst Günther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Leopold IV., who succeeded his grandfather as Duke
- Georg, married first to Princess Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and after her early death to Theese Emma von Erdmannsdorf, who was created Countess of Reina.One of his daughters Helene, was adopted by her uncle, prince Friedrich in order to alllow her to marry Fürst Friedrich Günther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadtm, the widower of her aunt Amalie
- Luise, married to Landgrave Gustasv of Hesse-Homburg
- Friedrich August, married to Princess Marie of Hesse, They had 3 daughters
- Adelheid Marie, she married Duke Adolphe of Nassau, who became in 1890 Grand Duke of Luxembourg
- Bathilidis, married to Prince Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe
- Wilhelm, who conducted a morganatic marriage with Emilie Klausnitzer, she was created Baroness of Stolzenberg
Duke Leopold III. died in 1817 after a riding accident and was succeeded by his grandson Leopold IV. By the stormsof1848, Duke Leopold IV. was obliged togive his land a constitution on 29 10.1848to givea constitution, which, however, alreadyatthe 04.11.1849has beencanceled andreplacedin October1859 bya new landscapeorder.After the extinctionof theline ofAnhalt-Köthen(1847)Leopoldtook overas seniorof theHouse of Anhalton 23.11.1847, theGovernmentof Anhalt-Köthen. On 1May 1853, the two remaining Duchies Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen where united to the Duchy of Anhalt. Withthe death of DukeCarlAlexanderofAnhalt-Bernburgon 19.08.1863, he also inheritedAnhalt-Bernburg
The Principality from 1806 Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg
In 1603 when the Principaltiy of Anhalt-Bernburg was recreated the new Fürst was Fürst Christian the second son of Fürst Johann Georg who had held all Anhalt-territories. As young man he had lived at the Court at Dresden where he became a friend of the Elector Christian which whom he shared his calivinist symphaties. When in 1592, the Strasbourg diocesedispute broke out he supportedBrandenburgagainstLorraine. In 1595 hewent asgovernor of theUpper Palatinatein the service ofElectorFriedrich IV. of the Palatinateand resided inAmberg. In 1605 he admitted publicly to be be a calvinist and founded in 1608 the Protestant Union under the leadership of Elector Friedrich V. of the Palatinate, an anti-Catholic, anti-imperial union, which should serve to stabilize the Reformation. When in 1610 the 18-year-old Friedrich V. became Elctor the Palatinate, Christian's influence grew at the Heidelberg court. As fatherly advisor of the young and inexperienced electors he was on his elevation as King of Bohemia ("Winter King") involved. Besides the possibility of creating a new central European power, there were also economic considerations, which is why he wanted his employer to get the crown. In theBattle of White Mountain(8 November1620) the bohemian army run byChristian I. lost against the armyof the Catholic League. Christianwas outlawedand fledinto exile inSwedenand from thereinto the danishFlensburg. The Uniondissolveditselfonthe 1621. His brother Fürst Ludwig of Anhalt-Köthen sentDiederichvon dem Werder to the Emperor in Viennain order toobtain the annulmentof theimperial ban, which was granted on 19.07.1624and Christian I. was allowedto return toBernburg Castle where he levied until 1630 when his son Christian became new Fürst. The war had been hard for theill-fatedFürst andhis country. During the first yearof his termconquered and plunderedthe infamous "Holk'schen horsemen" of the city.A plague epidemicwere1700 residentsof the small townto the victim.1636the castle Bernburg was sacked. In 1656 Fürst Christian II. died and followed byVictorAmadeusI. The new Fürst triedaftertheThirty Years' Warseverelydrawnaffectedlandto buildthrough reforms inpoliceand lawagain. With the other Fürsten of Anhalt he gave in 1666 Anhalt a renewedcountry, process andGesindeordnung. Victor Amadeusorderedthefinancenewandhe scoredafter the extinctionof theline ofAnhalt-Bernburg-Harzgerode 1709territorialgains.Despite the introductionof primogeniturein 1677, he left in 1709 the office Hoym, ZeizandBellebenwithoutsovereigntyto his younger son. - The junior line of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym was fonded by Fürst Victor Ameadeus younger son lebrecht who as a youngerson receivedthe OfficeLebrechtHoymasParagium, after he had already receivingthegoodsZeitz and Bellebenand, in addition, hewasresigned to asum of money. After acquiring thedominionsSchaumburgandHolzapfel this line was called called Anhallt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Withhis elder brother KarlFriedrich, whoinvoked thePrimogeniturordnungin the country, it always came backtoarguments thatevenresultedinmilitary conflictsandthe occupationHoyms. Thedispute was settledin 1709,but brokeagain and againagainandcontinuedeven after the deathof the two brothers. With Lebrechts greatr-grandson, Fürst Victor II. thie line became extinct in the male line in 1812.
In the main land Fürst Victor Amadeus was after his death in 1712 succeeded by his older son
Karl Friedrich. Fürst Karl Friedrich had after the death of his first wife he marriedin 1715 ina morganatic marriage, the maidWilhelmine CharlotteNüssler who had im already born a sonin 1712. After she hadgiven birthin 1717to anotherboy, she was raisedin 1719 tothe Countessof Ballenstedt. The twosons, who werenotentitled tothe succession, were legitimizedand giventhetitle Count ofBährnfeld. Fürst Karl Friedrich died already in 1721 and was succeeded by his oldest son Viktor II. Friedrich who showed a particular interestin miningand metallurgy, he often visited theminesin the Harz Mountains. From 1724he wasinsolepossession of theresinmines andsilver miningerlangimportance. The princeboughtmany goods. In 1752itwasbecause of theoppression of the peoplebythe royalhuntingin the countryto revolt. At his residenceBernburg he build in 1745, theGovernment Houseand in 1752 the church on the hill. He promoted theinfrastructureand triedunsuccessfullywith the planting ofmulberry treesforsericulture. Throughfinancial pressurefollowing the outbreakof the Seven YearsWar, the country fellintoconsiderable debt. After his deathin 1765 his oldest son Friedrich Albrecht took over the government who moved the residence from Bernburgto Ballenstedt. There Duke Friedrich Albrecht builta smallneoclassical1788Court Theatre. He was considered a"milder" father of his countryas his father and decreed thatwomen couldperformlegally bindingacts. In Bernburg, he allowed the establishmentof a deposit andlending house. On 22.12.1785he signedto join theleague of princes. DukeFriedrich Albrechtis the founderof the Anhaltmineral collection. He died on 09.04.1796 but it is not clear if he was killed in a hunting accident orcommittedsuicide. His successor was his oldest son Fürst Alexius. In 1797 the territory of Anhalt-Bernburg enlarged by one-third of the extinct Zerbst line, the offices Coswig and Mühlingen, in 1809 by the collection of German medals Upcoming office (Deutschordenkommende) Buro and in 1812 after the extinction of Anhalt-Bernburg-Hoym line by the Office Hoym and some in Prussia lying enclaves.. In 1806 Fürst Alexius got from Emperor Franz II. the right to call himself Duke. After the end ofthe Holy Roman Empire, he as his cousinsinDessau and Köthen joined the Rhine Confederation in 1807. A contingentof his troopsfoughtforNapoleonin Tyrol, Spain, Russia, andDanzigand near Kulm.On 01.12.1813he resigned fromtheConfederation of the Rhine, and sent his troops with thealliesin 1814 and 1815to Belgium and France. On 08.06.1815, he joined the German Confederation. Duke Alexius was responsible for the improvement of the education system, expanded and enlarged many churches and schools. He showed a particular interest for the expansion of the road network, especially in the newly acquired parts of the country. Mining and metallurgy, he turned also to a lot of attention. He had run several major construction projects, such as the later destroyed Saalebrücke in Bernburg (Saale), and 1826/27 today Bernburger Carl Maria von Weber Theatre. Next he founded in 1810 in the Alexisbad in the Selketal and later at the bath Bernrode near Gernrode lying on Prussian territory. Beringer Bath. He was religiously tolerant and enlightened, and reached in his country in 1820, the union of two Protestant denominations. In 1826 came his country in the German Customs Union. In 1828 he began the separations and basic relief, and in 1829 he established a general officer, widows and orphans fund. After his death in 1834 his son Duke Alexander Carl took over the reign. During his government Bernburg 1846 finally got over Köthen delayed access to the German railway network after the Duke had been six years earlier refused the connection. Because of his progressive mental illness Duke Alexander Carl retired in November 1855 to Hoym Castle . He spent the years until his death under medical care and in the company of his chamberlain, the painter Wilhelm von Kügelgen. His wife Friederike, nee Princess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg had been appointed as co-regent. Duke Alexander Carl died in 1863 without issue, so therefore the line of Anhalt-Bernburg died and the country was united to the Duchy of Anhalt government headquarters in Dessau The Principality from 1807 Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen
First Fürst of Anhalt-Köthen became after the divison of the Anhalt territories in 1603Ludwig the, youngest son of Fürst Joachim Ernst. Militarily and politically,Fürst Ludwig I. remainedcautious, but he vehementlysupportedagriculture, planted astill existingLustgartenand designed thenewly builtcastleandcourtyard in italian style. Withhis financial supportbeganin 1619Wolfgang RatkeKöthena bigschool project. Because of personal, butalsosectarianproblems that ledto the arrestWolfgangRatkes1619, Prince Ludwigoperatingthe projecton his own.Thisincluded, amongother things, aencyclopedicscaleSchulbuchprogammwith aspecially set upfor this purposeprinting. During The Thirty Years WarKingGustav Adolph of Swedentransferredto Fürst Ludwigthe governorshipof the pinsMagdeburg and Halberstadt. From thisoffice CountAxel Oxenstierna wanted to removehim again. When FürstLudwig I. died in 1760 he was succeeded by his only son Wilhelm Ludwig. As he only 12 years old his unlde, Fürst Augst of Anhalt-Plötzkau and after his death in 1653 his sons Lebrecht and Enmanuel reigned the Prinipality untuil he came of age in 1659. Fürst Ludwig Wilhelm died already in 1665 without leaving Issue he was succeeded by his cousin Prince Lebrecht of Anhalt-Plötzkau who reigned the Prinicioplaty together with his brother Emanuel. The brothersruledpeacefully, whereLeberechtwas regarded as especiallypious andcharitable, he build a hospital in Köthen with associatedgraveyard. Fürst Lebrcht died in 1669 and Fürst Emanuel in 1770 but when he died his young wife Anna Eleonore, née Countess zu Stolberg was pregnant and gave 6 months later birth to a son Emanuel Lebrecht. For the next 19 years Dowager Fürstin Anna Eleonore and directed the affairs of the country until her death. With his majority in 1692 Emanuel Lebrecht he took over the government. As a young man, Fürst Emanuel Lebrecht fell in love with Gisela Agnes of Rath who came from an old Lutheran Anhalt gentry family. His mother, Fürstin Anna Eleonore tried at first to prevent these not equal relationship and send Gisela Agnes to her sister in Hagen. Immediately after assuming the government Emanuel Lebrecht brought her and married her "quietly" on 30th September 1692. The secretly consummated morganatic marriage of the Reformed Lutheran Fürst with a woman from the lower nobility sparked vehement protests from the Reformed Church and the Princely House. Not until 1698 was the official recognition of all male descendants of the couple by the Princes of Anhalt, the imperial confirmation followed the in 1699. The entire princely, later ducal line of Anhalt-Köthen decends from this "not equal" love match. In 1694 Giesela Anges was raised by Emperor Leopold I. to the rank of Countess of the Empire as Countess of Nienburg 1699 Emanuel Lebrecht gave to her city, country and the castle Nienburg (Saale) as a personal possession for life. With the accession of her son, Fürst Leopold, in 1715 therefore she withdrew to Nienburg, from where she still took active until her death in 1740, the concerns of their Lutheran coreligionists against the Reformed Protestantism views of her sons. Emanuel Lebrecht's independent reign lasted only twelve years. At the age of 33, he died. As a special legacy he left in his will of 1702, the introduction of primogeniture in Anhalt-Köthen, which should evolve dispute between his two sons. The guardianship of his successor Leopold who was still a minor took over from 1704 to 1715, his widow Füstin Gisela Agnes. In 1715 Fürt Leopold came of age and took overthe governemnt of the Principality. . The first problems were waiting already for the young Fürst. Because of the since 1702 introduced Promogenitur in Anhalt-Köthen he had to resign his younger brother August Ludwig. He got the Castle and country Warmsdorf, an exclave located near Güsten, with all income and other concessions.On 17.11.1728, Fürst Leopold played violin for the last time and died two days later at the age of 34 years. Because of lack of a male heir his brother August Ludwig succeeded him. He soon faced seriousproblems. Two"unhappy runny" disputes withthewidowof Leopold, Charlotte Friederike, née Princess of Nassau, who hadsuedtheirWittumsgelder, andthedaughterof Leopoldfrom his first marriage, Gisela Agnes, who had demanded the inheritanceof her father, bestowed the Principalityhugenational debt. For CharlotteFriederike had, despiteremarriage, the Princely HouseandtheRentkammerpayuntil her death in1785a total of 200,000thalers. The net present valueof all appliedforGisela Agnesbenefits was335,000thalers.The debt servicefortheloans takenand their consequences, however,grewfaster than thestate budget, so thatthe mountain of debtin a few yearsgrewat three timestheannual incomeof the Principality. Bothlawsuitsare the reasons forthe high national debtofKöthenercountry, whomovedlike a red threadthroughthe history of thisprincipality,whoserepaymentissought, but neverreached. Fürst August Ludwig died in 1755 and was followed by his son Karl from his second marriage. At the beginning of Fürst Karl's reign the Prinicipality sufferedsignificantlyfrom the effectsof theSeven Years' War. At the endof the war, Karl tried the countryrevivethe vitalityofagriculture and animal husbandryand increasedresettlement throughtax relieftoagaineconomically. Karldistinguished itselfbyreligious toleranceandpromotion of schools. From1750 to 1751he stoodas a captainof the Guardson horsebackfirst inDanish serviceandwasfrom 18.11.1751hiredat the requestof his father, as a captainandcompany commanderinLeibkürassierregimentNo. 3of the Prussian Army. He participated in theWar of Bavarian Succession, where he brought itin 1779to Major General.1780washis elevation to theKnight of theBlack EagleOrder.After1787, he took partin the campaignin Holland, he was appointedin 1788to lieutenant general. Karl tookhis leavefromthe beginning of 1789the Prussianservice. In May1789, hewas thenImperial andRoyalField MarshalLieutenantandas suchtookpart in thewars against the Turks.There,the Fürst diedin1789inZemunnear Belgradeat a fever. His successor was his oldest son August who was a PrussianMajor-Generalandfrom 1803AustrianField MarshalLieutenant. In 1807 he was raised to the rank of a Duke by Napoleon I. and in the same year joined the Rhine Confederation as died the duchies of Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Bernburg. On 20.06.1811Duke August granted the Jewsin town and country grantedthe same rights asChristians thriough a ducal Decree. They must, however, accept not jewishsurnames. In 1793 he had married Princess Friederike of Nassau.-Usingen but the marriag was divorced in 1803. As there where no children from that Union he was at his death in 1812 succeeded by his nephew Ludwig who was still a minor. For Duke Ludwig, Duke Leopold III. acted as Regent but Ludwig died already in 1818. His successor was the cousin of his father, Duke Ferdinand . Because as a evidence since the Prussian victory almost entirely surrounded by Prussia saw this led to tariff disputes Ferdinand brought in 1821 for the first time in front of the Federal Assembly. Only in 1828 that could be settled by agreement between Prussia, Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau. Meanwhile, he was trying to expand Nienburg's (Saale) as Anhalt-Köthen's export port to avoid the Prussian customs on the waterway. On a trip to Paris in 1825 Ferdinand together with his second wife Julie converted to Catholicism. His non-winning success of to recatolize the country aswell as his attempts to give the Protestant church in the country a hierarchical character, aroused discontent of many hand. Ferdinand's interest in agriculture was mainly focused on the sheep, as wool was an important export-Anhalt Köthen. In Grimschleben at Nienburg built the court architect Gottfried Bandhauer an architecturally significant neoclassical sheepfold. Given the shortage of grazing land in Anhalt, Ferdinand in 1828, the sheep breeding colony "Askania Nova" in the southern Ukraine (Taurian steppes north of the Crimea), which still exists under that name as a protected area for plains animals on. After he died without Issue in 1830 he was succeed by his brother Heinrich. Thanks toHeinirch'sefforts, thefirst railroadreachedalreadyin 1840, Köthen becauseof the BernburgDukeCarlAlexanderhad refused totransfertheroute Magdeburg-LeipzigBernburg (Saale). With the deathof the childlessDuke in 1847 Anhalt-Köthen fell toAnhalt-Bernburgandin 1853 to Anhalt-Dessau. Adivisionwas rejected inview of theforeseeableextinction ofAnhalt-Bernburg lineandthenenteringthesuccessionofAnhalt-Dessau.
The Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst
When in 1603 the sons of Fürst Joachim Ernst dived the Anhaltterritories his 5th son Rudolf became Fürst of Anhalt-Zerbst with the offices Kernen, Lindau, Roßlau and Coswig. At Zerbsthe supportthe localhigh schoolFrancisceum, especiallythrough thefoundationof a library. Fürst Rudolf had some building projects in Zerbst and renovated the Residence Castle. In second marriage he was married to Coutness margarete of Oldenbrug, a daughter of Count Johan XVI.. Her brotherbequeathedJever1667, theruleofthe house ofAnhalt-Zerbst. When Fürst Rudolf died in in 1621 his only son and sucessor Johann VI. was only a few months old so he was under the guardianship of his uncle, Fürst August of Anhalt-Plötzkau. Theprevailingchaos of the ThirtyYears' Warbrought it aboutthat Johan was educatedZerbst,CoswigandWittenberg. Immediatelyafter the acquisitionof thebusiness of government he reformed the Priniciplaity in theLutheransense. To forcethe homage of theReformedstandsthe Emperorhad to intervene. He was ableto prevail overthe standshis rulenot only, but also through theuse of variousfiefssignificantlyenlargingits territory. After the Counts of Barby became extinct he acquired in 1659 Mühlingen, later also Walternienburg, Dornburg and Möckern. In 1667 Fürst Johann VI. died at the children smallpox. As his oldest son Karl Wilhelm was still a minor his mother, Fürstin Sophie Auguste, née Princess on Holstein-Gottorp together with Landgrave Ludwig VI. of Hesse-Darmstadt and Fürst Johann Georg II. of Anhalt-Dessau. Fürst Karl Wilhelmwas the founder ofthe ZerbstCastle(1681)andthe Lutheran Church ofSt. TrinityChurchin Zerbst, which were bothinauguratedthe 1696thThe construction of theTrinity Churchended along-running disputewiththe Reformed Churchin Zerbst,oftheNicolaichurchwas left. He also buid sholls in Coswig and Zerbst in 1691 and 1701. After his death in 1718 his son Johann August took over the reign who was seen asbenevolentandprudentruler.Inthe peaceof his reign, the country and especially theresidence ofZerbstdevelopedextraordinarily. As Fürst Johann Augst 2 marriages with Princess Friederike of Saxe.Gothha-Altenburg and after her early death with Princess Hedwig Friderike of Württemberg-Weiltingen remained childless he was succeeded by his cousin Johann Ludwig Ii. who was unmarried and was in turn in 1746 succeeded by his brother Christian August. Fürst Christian August had been a royal prussian field Marshall from 1729 Commandant of Stettin. In 1742 he moved to Zerbst. He is most known because his oldest daughter Princess Sophie Augste Freiderik was married in 1745 to the russian Grand Duke and Tsarewitch Peter Feodorovitch the nephew and Heir of Empress Elisabeth I. She later became famous as Empress Catharina II. Alexejevna (Catharina the great). In 1747 Fürst Christian August died and his son Friedrich August became new Fürst of Anhalt-Zerbst. Until he came of age in 1752 his mother, Fürstin Johann Eslisabeth, née Princess of Hosltein-Gottorp his mother was Regent. Despite the neutrality of Anhalt at the beginning of the Seven Years War, his mother Johanna Elisabeth hosted the French Marquis de Fraigne (1726 - ca.1791), who was accused of spying, and actually explore on behalf of Cardinal de Bernis, should be whether the Russia remained faithful in the alliance against Prussia. For Friedrich II. of Prussia, this was the reason to occipy Anhalt mmilitary on22.02.1758 Because of this political dispute with Prussia, it was no longer possible for the Fürst to reside in his dominions. From there he reigned from exile of his whereabouts on various councilors in Anhalt-Zerbst and Jever and therefore his term was overshadowed for his subjects of chaos, arbitrariness and despotism. He was very fond of the military system and was built in Jever five barracks, one of which is now used as a school building of St. Mary High School. He also served from 1753 until after 1762 owner of the Austrian cuirassiers Anhalt-Zerbst and recruited 1761 on an additional battalion of about 500 men and 30 riders for the service in the Austrian army. In 1764 Fürst Friedrich August, who had been widowed since 1759 married in second marriage Princess Friederike Auguste of Anhalt-Bernburg. After living in various spaces the couple arrived in February 1765 in Base where they they lived in the house on Mitzsche Petersgraben as well as the summer residence Weiher Castle Gundeldingen. Fürst Friedrich August was one of the the Princes who presented in the American Revolutionary War soldiers for the English side. He sold in 1778 to 1783 two regiments together with 1152 men of his country Jeveraner children as soldiers in England and thus improved its treasury. In his country, he granted religious tolerance in 1776. In 1780 he left Basel because of disputes with the Municipality towards Luxembourg. He died, his home long estranged, without male heirs on 03.03.1793 in Luxembourg. With his death line Anhalt-Zerbst died out and the country was divided between the other States Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau. The rule Jever, which had been under the suzerainty of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, was passed down for its status as Kunkel fief to Catharina II. of Russia and came under Russian rule.
The Duchy of Anhalt
After the death of Duke Alexander Karl of Anhalt-Bernburg in 19.08.1863 all Anhalt territories where held by Duke Leopold IV of Anhalt from the Anhalt-Dessau line. They where all united to the Duchy of Anhalt with residence at Dessau. Shortly after the prussian/austrian warin1866, it the Duchy joined the North German Confederation under Prussian leadership and in 1871the German Empire.
Duke Leopold IV. was married to Princess Friederike of Prussia, a granddaughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm II., and niece of King Fredrich Wilhelm III.
The had 5 children
- Auguste
- Agnes married to Duke Ernst I. of Saxe-Altenburg
- Friedrich I., who succeeded his father as Duke
- Maria Anna, married to Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
After Duke Leopold IV. died on 22.05.1871 his only son Friedrich I. became the new Duke and reigned until 1904. Duke Fredrich I. was married to Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. The couple had the following children
- Leopold, qgi was the Heir of his father but died already in 1886. He was married to Princess Elisabeth of Hesse
- Antoinette, who married Prince Friedrich zu Schaumburg-Lippe
- Friedrich II., who succeeded his father as Duke
- Elisabeth, married to Grand Duke Adolf Fredrich V. of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Eduard, who succeeded his childless brother Friedrich as Duke
- Aribert, he was married from 1891-1900 to Princess Marie Louise zu Schleswig-Holstein, a grandaughter of the british Queen Victoria. In 1918 he became Regent for his nephew Joachim Ernst
- Alexandra, married to Fürst Sizzo of Schwarzburg
After the death of Duke Friedrich I. on 22.01.1904 he was succeeded by his second but oldest surving son Friedrich. Duke Freidrich II. had became the heir after the early death of his older brother Leopold in 1886 and took his time to make himself familiar with the affairs of the State. In 1889 he married Princess Marie of Baden, a sister of the future Chancellor Prince Max of Baden. Duke Friedrich II. died on 21.04.1918. As his marriage was childless his successor was his younger brother Eduard who reigned only for a few months. Duke Eduard had married in 1895 Princess Luise of Saxe.Altenburg but the marriage was divorced in 1918.
Among their children:
- Marie Auguste (1898-1983) she married in 1916 Prince Joachim of Prussiam, the youngest son of Emperor Wilhelm II. Afterthe suicideof her husbandin 1920, she was married from 1926-1935 Baron Johannes-Michael of Loën. After her divore she took again her birthname. In 1980 she had become very poor and because of this she adopted Robert Lichtenberg theoperator of severalsaunaclubs, which ensured here livelihoodand calls shimself FrédéricPrinz von Anhalt. He is married to Hollywood actress Zsa Zsa Gabor and has himself adopted many persons for money.
- Duke Joachim Ernst, who succeeded his father as Duke
- Prince Eugen (1903--1980), he married Anastasia Jungmeier
- Anastasia Luise, married to Prince Maria Emanuel of Saxony, Margrave of Meißen, the late Head of the Royal House of Saxony
A>fter the death of Duke Eduard in 11.09.1918 his oldest son Joachim Ernst became Duke. As he not of age his uncle, Prince Aribert became Regent. Because of the courseof therevolutionary eventson 12.11.1918, Prince Aribert had to resign the Throne on behalfof the DukeJoachim Ernstandtheentire ducal familyAnhalt. After 1918 the Family remained in the posession of Ballenstedt Castle. Duke Joachim Ernst married in 1927 the commoner Elisabeth Stickrodt, but the marriage was already divorced 2 years later in 1929. On 15.10.1929 he made a second marriage to Edditha Stephani, adopted of Marwitz.
Together they had 5 children
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Princess Edda with her
husband Albert Darboven |
- Marie Anoinette, she was married 2 times. First to Karl-Heinz Guttmann, and after divorcing him to Max Reiderer, from whom she was divorced in 1976
- Anna Luise, she was married from 1966-1970 to Thomas Birch
- Friedrich, who succeeded his father as Head of the ducal House
- Edda, married to Albert Darboven
- Eduard, who became Head of the ducal House after the death of his brother Friedrich
Duke Joachim Ernstwasarrested in January 1944andmovedto Dachau. Although hehad become anti-Nazi already during his incarcerationinthe Dachau concentration camp, the former Duke wa arrested again after the endof the Nazi dictatorshipthis time by theSoviet occupation forces, who put him it inintheNKVDinternment campBuchenwald, theformer Nazi concentration campnear Weimar.Here he died,illfrom exhaustionas a result ofstorage conditions,at the ageof 46 yearson 18.02.1947.
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TH Prince Eudard and
Princess Corinna |
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The successor of Duke Joachim Ernst as Head of the ducal House was his oldest son Fredrich but he died on 09.10.1963 in a car wreck.
Since then his younger brother Eduard is the head of the ducal House. After living in the United States for several years Prince Eduard returned to Germany.in 1967. He became knownas asocietyjournalist and columnistforseveral Germanmagazines. In 1980 Prince Edaurd married Corinna Krönlein. As the couple has three daughters but no sons, eduard is the last male member of the House of Anhalt. Ashead of the house Prince Eduard changed the right of successionin favorof his daughters, but the amendmentof this Constitutionnowcausesat bestinheritanceconsequences in termsof the estate, but not ableto change thatgoing back to theSalicneedlelaws basedon themale lineprinciple.
- Julia Katharina, she is married to Marc Bernath. They have 1 son.
- Julia Eilika
- Julia Felicitas
Prince Andras of SaxeCoburg and Gotha celebrated his 70th birthday with a reception at Callenberg Castle where about 350 guests - family friends, current and former employees and representatives from the cultural, economic and political worlds attended. After the queue of long-wishers had finallyresolved, thevisibly movedbirthday boysteppedto the microphone:"I'm really, that so manyhave comeThatshows me thatI do not havein lifetoo muchwrong andgained quite a fewfriends.. "That his fatherhadusedfor his speechas a remindera tablet computer, tookPrinceHubertusof Saxe-CoburgandGotha, onceas a hook: "Thistechnology-savvy I amnot: I justlikeold-fashionedpaper!
