John I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg (died 5 June 1291) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg

Anhalt-Bernburg

Anhalt-Bernburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and a duchy of the German Confederation ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Bernburg in present-day Saxony-Anhalt...

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He was the eldest son of Bernhard I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg

Bernhard I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg

Bernhard I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg....

, by his wife Princess Sophie, daughter of King Abel of Denmark

Abel of Denmark

Abel of Denmark was Duke of Schleswig from 1232 to 1252 and King of Denmark from 1250 until his death in 1252. He was the son of Valdemar II by his second wife, Infanta Berengária of Portugal, and brother to Eric IV and Christopher I....

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Life

After the death of his father in 1287, John succeeded him as ruler of the Anhalt-Bernburg, but he had to rule jointly with his third brother, Bernhard II

Bernhard II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg

Bernhard II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg....

. The second brother, Albert, became a priest and renounced all his rights. Of the two youngest brothers, Henry also was ordained as priest and renounced his rights, whereas Rudolf was possibly dead by the time of his father's death.

John died unmarried and childless after four years of rule. He was succeeded by his brother Bernhard II, who became sole ruler.