Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Encyclopedia
Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was a duchy ruled by the Ernestine
branch of the House of Wettin in today's Thuringia
, Germany
.
It was nominally created in 1672 when Frederick William III, the last duke of Saxe-Altenburg
, died and Ernest I
, Duke of Saxe-Gotha
(who had married Frederick William's cousin, Elisabeth Sophie), inherited the major part of his possessions. It was common for the Ernestine duchies
to merge and split; Ernest's combined duchy was divided again after his death in 1675, and the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg proper came into existence in 1680 with the completion of this division and the accession of his eldest son, Frederick
to the subdivision centered around the towns of Gotha
and Altenburg
.
Frederick's residence remained at the Friedenstein Palace in Gotha. He decisively secured his family's possessions with the implementation of the primogeniture
in 1685. Nevertheless when the last dukes Emil August and his brother Frederick IV
had both died without male heirs, the house of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg became extinct in 1825 and quarrels arose between the three remaining Ernestine lines about the succession.
As a result of an arbitration issued by King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony
in 1826, the Ernestine duchies were rearranged and Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was again split:
After the abolition of German monarchies in the course of the German Revolution of 1918–1919, all former duchies became part of the newly created state of Thuringia
in 1920.
Divided between the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
and Saxe-Hildburghausen
Ernestine duchies
The Ernestine duchies, also called the Saxon duchies , were a changing number of small states largely located in the present German state of Thuringia, governed by dukes of the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin.-Overview:The...
branch of the House of Wettin in today's Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
It was nominally created in 1672 when Frederick William III, the last duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...
, died and Ernest I
Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha
-Family and children:In Altenburg on 24 October 1636, Ernst married his cousin Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg. As a result of this marriage Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Altenburg were unified, when the last duke of the line died childless in 1672. Ernst and Elisabeth Sophie had eighteen children:#...
, Duke of Saxe-Gotha
Saxe-Gotha
Saxe-Gotha was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine of the Wettin dynasty in the former Landgraviate of Thuringia. The ducal residence was erected at Gotha....
(who had married Frederick William's cousin, Elisabeth Sophie), inherited the major part of his possessions. It was common for the Ernestine duchies
Ernestine duchies
The Ernestine duchies, also called the Saxon duchies , were a changing number of small states largely located in the present German state of Thuringia, governed by dukes of the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin.-Overview:The...
to merge and split; Ernest's combined duchy was divided again after his death in 1675, and the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg proper came into existence in 1680 with the completion of this division and the accession of his eldest son, Frederick
Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He was the fourth but eldest surviving son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg.When Ernst inherited the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg , he made Frederick the regent of that duchy...
to the subdivision centered around the towns of Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
and Altenburg
Altenburg
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:...
.
Frederick's residence remained at the Friedenstein Palace in Gotha. He decisively secured his family's possessions with the implementation of the primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
in 1685. Nevertheless when the last dukes Emil August and his brother Frederick IV
Frederick IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Frederick IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , was the last duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg....
had both died without male heirs, the house of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg became extinct in 1825 and quarrels arose between the three remaining Ernestine lines about the succession.
As a result of an arbitration issued by King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony
Frederick Augustus I of Saxony
Frederick Augustus I was King of Saxony from the House of Wettin. He was also Elector Frederick Augustus III of Saxony and Duke Frederick Augustus I of Warsaw...
in 1826, the Ernestine duchies were rearranged and Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was again split:
- Saxe-Gotha passed to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-SaalfeldSaxe-Coburg-SaalfeldThe Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in the 17th century, the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield line lasted until the reshuffle of Ernestine territories that occurred following the extinction of the Saxe-Gotha line in...
, which had to cede Saxe-SaalfeldSaxe-SaalfeldThe Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in 1680 for Johann Ernst, seventh son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha. It remained under this name until 1699, when Albert, Duke of Saxe-Coburg died without sons...
to Saxe-MeiningenSaxe-MeiningenThe Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
. The territories constituted the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and GothaSaxe-Coburg and GothaSaxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918...
. - Saxe-Altenburg was given to the Duke of Saxe-HildburghausenSaxe-HildburghausenSaxe-Hildburghausen was an Ernestine duchy in what is now southern Thuringia, Germany. Its territory was similar to that of the modern Hildburghausen district.-History:...
, who in turn passed his own domain to Saxe-Meiningen and again assumed the title of a Duke of Saxe-AltenburgSaxe-AltenburgSaxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...
.
After the abolition of German monarchies in the course of the German Revolution of 1918–1919, all former duchies became part of the newly created state of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
in 1920.
Dukes of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
- Ernest IErnest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Family and children:In Altenburg on 24 October 1636, Ernst married his cousin Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg. As a result of this marriage Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Altenburg were unified, when the last duke of the line died childless in 1672. Ernst and Elisabeth Sophie had eighteen children:#...
the Pious (1640–1675), inherited Saxe-Altenburg in 1675 - Frederick IFrederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-AltenburgFrederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He was the fourth but eldest surviving son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg.When Ernst inherited the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg , he made Frederick the regent of that duchy...
(1675–1691), son of previous; first to bear the title Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg - Frederick IIFrederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-AltenburgFrederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.He was the fifth child and first son of Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels....
(1691–1732), son - Frederick IIIFrederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-AltenburgFrederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.-Biography:He was the eldest son of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst....
(1732–1772), son - Ernest II (1772–1804), son
- Emil August (1804–1822), son
- Frederick IVFrederick IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-AltenburgFrederick IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , was the last duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg....
(1822–1825), brother, line extinct.
- Frederick IV
Divided between the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
The Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty. Established in the 17th century, the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield line lasted until the reshuffle of Ernestine territories that occurred following the extinction of the Saxe-Gotha line in...
and Saxe-Hildburghausen
Saxe-Hildburghausen
Saxe-Hildburghausen was an Ernestine duchy in what is now southern Thuringia, Germany. Its territory was similar to that of the modern Hildburghausen district.-History:...
See also
- Ernestine duchiesErnestine duchiesThe Ernestine duchies, also called the Saxon duchies , were a changing number of small states largely located in the present German state of Thuringia, governed by dukes of the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin.-Overview:The...