House of Wettin
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2012) |
House of Wettin | |
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Country | Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom |
Founded | 10th century |
Founder | Theodoric I |
Current head | Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach |
Titles | List
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Branches |
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The House of Wettin (
The family divided into two ruling branches in 1485 by the
Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various times, ascended the thrones of the United Kingdom, Portugal, Bulgaria, Poland, Saxony, Mexico and Belgium. Only the Belgian line retains their throne today.
Origins: Wettin of Saxony
The oldest member of the House of Wettin who is known for certain is
The prominence of the Wettins in the Slavic Saxon Eastern March (or Ostmark) caused
Ernestine and Albertine Wettins
The family split into two ruling branches in 1485 when the sons of
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Ernest, Elector of Saxony (1441–1486)
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Albert, Duke of Saxony (1443–1500)
Ernestines
The older Ernestine branch remained predominant until 1547 and played an important role in the beginnings of the
The Ernestine predominance ended in the
The Ernestine line was thereafter restricted to Thuringia and its dynastic unity swiftly crumbled, dividing into a number of smaller states, the Ernestine duchies. Nevertheless, with Ernst der Fromme, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (1601–1675), the house gave rise to an important early-modern ruler who was ahead of his time in supporting the education of his people and in improving administration. In the 18th century, Karl August, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, established what was to become known as Weimar Classicism at his court in Weimar, notably by bringing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe there.[2]
It was only in the 19th century that one of the many Ernestine branches, the
Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
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Frederick I Friedrich I |
6 January 1423 | 4 January 1428 | Nicknamed "the Warlike." After the Wittenberg line of the House of Ascania became extinct, the Electorate was given to Frederick, Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia, of the House of Wettin. | |
Frederick II Friedrich II |
4 January 1428 | 7 September 1464 | Nicknamed "the Gentle". Son of Frederick I. Ruled jointly in Saxony with his brothers, but was the sole holder of the Electorate. Father of Ernest and Albert, founders of the Ernestine (continuing below) and Albertine Saxon lines (see Albertine Dukes of Saxony). | |
Ernestine line | ||||
Ernest Ernst |
7 September 1464 | 26 August 1486 | Son of Frederick II, divided Saxony with his brother Albert, taking Wittenberg, northern Meissen, and southern Thuringia. Inherited Thuringia in 1482 and ruled it jointly with Albert until 1485. | |
Frederick III Friedrich III |
26 August 1486 | 5 May 1525 | Nicknamed der Weise (the Wise). Son of Ernest. Protector of Martin Luther, but a lifelong Catholic. | |
John Johann |
5 May 1525 | 16 August 1532 | Nicknamed der Beständige (the Steadfast). Brother of Frederick III. Legally established Lutheranism in his territories in 1527. | |
John Frederick I Johann Friedrich I |
16 August 1532 | 19 May 1547 | Nicknamed der Großzügige (the Magnanimous). Son of John the Steadfast. Deprived of his Electorate by Emperor Charles V for his role in the Schmalkaldic War. Died 1554. |
Residences of Ernestine branches
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Altenburg Castle
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Saalfeld Castle
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Eisenach Palace
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Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen
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Hildburghausen Castle
Albertines
The junior Albertine branch maintained most of the territorial integrity of Saxony, preserving it as a significant power in the region, and used small appanage fiefs for its cadet branches, few of which survived for significant lengths of time. The Ernestine Wettins, on the other hand, repeatedly subdivided their territory, creating an intricate patchwork of small duchies and counties in Thuringia.
The Albertine Wettins ruled as Electors (1547–1806) and
The role of current head of the Albertine "House of Saxony" is claimed by his great-grandson
Albertine Electors and Kings of Saxony
Image | Name (Life Dates) |
Relationship to predecessor | Title |
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Albert III, Duke of Saxony (1443–1500) |
Second son of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony | Margrave of Meissen and Duke of Saxony | |
George, Duke of Saxony (1471–1539) |
Son of the previous | Margrave of Meissen and Duke of Saxony | |
Henry IV, Duke of Saxony (1473–1541) |
Brother of the previous | Margrave of Meissen and Duke of Saxony | |
Maurice, Elector of Saxony (1521–1553) |
Son of the previous | Margrave of Meissen and Duke of Saxony, from 1547 Elector of Saxony. Second cousin of John Frederick, his Ernestine predecessor as Elector; grandson of Albert. Though a Lutheran, allied with Emperor Charles V against the Schmalkaldic League. Gained the Electorate for the Albertine line in 1547 after Charles V's victory at the Battle of Mühlberg .
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Augustus, Elector of Saxony (1526–1586) |
Brother of the previous | Elector of Saxony; recognized as Elector by the ousted John Frederick in 1554.
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Christian I, Elector of Saxony (1560–1591) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony | |
Christian II, Elector of Saxony (1583–1611) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony | |
John George I, Elector of Saxony (1585–1656) |
Brother of the previous | Elector of Saxony; ruled during the King of Sweden .
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John George II, Elector of Saxony (1613–1680) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony | |
John George III, Elector of Saxony (1647–1691) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony | |
John George IV, Elector of Saxony (1668–1694) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony | |
Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) |
Brother of the previous | Elector of Saxony (as Frederick Augustus I) and King of Poland (as Augustus II). The first Albertine ruler since Luther's time to become a Roman Catholic, in order to gain the Polish throne (with the Albertines remaining Catholics ever since). Took the Polish crown 1697, opposed by Stanisław Leszczyński 1704, forced to renounce the throne 1706, returned as monarch 1709 until his death. A patron of the arts and architecture, the most prominent of all Albertine Wettins amassed an impressive art collection and built lavish baroque palaces at and around Dresden and Warsaw. | |
Augustus III of Poland (1696–1763) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony (as Frederick Augustus II) and King of Poland (as Augustus III); converted to Catholicism 1712. King of Poland 1734–1763. Called ""the Fat" or (in Poland) "the Saxon". A weak ruler but an important art collector. | |
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony (1722–1763) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony | |
Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (1750–1827) |
Son of the previous | Elector of Saxony, 1806 King of Saxony. His Electorate ceased with the fall of the Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars .
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Anthony of Saxony (1755–1836) |
Brother of the previous | King of Saxony | |
Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (1797–1854) |
Nephew of the previous | King of Saxony | |
John, King of Saxony (1801–1873) |
Brother of the previous | King of Saxony | |
Albert, King of Saxony (1828–1902) |
Son of the previous | King of Saxony | |
George, King of Saxony (1832–1904) |
Brother of the previous | King of Saxony | |
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony (1865–1932) |
Son of the previous. | The last king of Saxony. Lost his throne in the German revolution of 1918.
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Residences of the Albertine branch
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Meissen (near Dresden)
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Moritzburg Castle (near Dresden)
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Pillnitz Palace (near Dresden)
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Weesenstein Castle (near Dresden)
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Freudenstein Castle at Freiberg
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Hubertusburg Castle (near Leipzig)
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
The senior (Ernestine) branch of the House of Wettin lost the electorship to the Albertine line in 1547, but retained its holdings in Thuringia, dividing the area into a number of smaller states. One of the resulting Ernestine houses, known as
From
Severe anti-German sentiment during World War I (1914-1918) led some influential members of the British public (especially radical Republicans such as H. G. Wells[5]) to question the loyalty of the royal family. Advisors to King George V searched for an acceptable surname for the British royal family, but Wettin was rejected as "unsuitably comic".[6][7][8] An Order in Council legally changed the name of the British royal family to "Windsor" (originally suggested by Lord Stamfordham) in 1917.
Residences of the family
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Veste Coburg, ancestral seat of the House of Saxe-Coburg
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Ehrenburg Palace, Coburg (summer residence)
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Friedenstein Castle, Gotha(winter residence)
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Reinhardsbrunn Castle, Gotha
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Rosenau Castle, Coburg
Branches and titles of the House of Wettin and its agnatic descent
Early Wettins
- Counts of Wettin
- Margraves of Landsberg
- Margraves of Meissen
- Margraves of Lusatia
- Landgraves of Thuringia
- Electors of Saxony and Arch-Marshals of the Holy Roman Empire
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Wartburg near Eisenach (1250–1406: residence of the Wettins)
Ernestines
- Electors of Saxony and Arch-Marshalsof the Holy Roman Empire (1464–1547)
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Wittenberg Castle, residence of Frederick III, "the Wise", built 1490–96
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Hartenfels Castle in Torgau, main residence of the Ernestine Electors since Frederick III, "the Wise", built 1533–40
Existing Ernestine branches
Branch of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, extant lines all shared last common ancestor in the person of William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. However there are only two members of this line left, Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Prince Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Both were born in 1946. Since Prince Michael has no sons, and Prince Wilhelm Ernst; whose only son Prince Georg-Constantin (13 April 1977 – 9 June 2018), a banker who was married but without issue, was killed in a horse riding accident on 9 June 2018 while riding with Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten. Therefore, the Grand Ducal House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach will most likely become extinct in the male line. These two represent the last non-morganatic descendants of William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
- Illegitimate line of Barons of Heygendorff, four males left
Branch of Saxe-Meiningen
- Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
- Morganatic lines from Ernst, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen
- Morganatic line from Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen
- Legitimate line from Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen of whom only Prince Frederick Konrad of Saxe-Meiningen (Born on 14 April 1952) is still alive today.
In the very likely event of the extinction of these two senior branches, the sole represantation of the Ernestine Wettins will pass to the descendants of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who are the present Saxe-Coburg-Gothas led by Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 21 March 1943), the House of Windsor, the Royal Family of Belgium and the Royal Family of Bulgaria. Francis and his nephew Ludwig Frederick Emil von Coburg are also ancestors to morganatic lines.
- Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, last common descent from Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, further divided into:
- Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, last common descent from Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, further divided into:
- Albert, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom, as in 1863 Edward VII and his son, the future George Vrenounced his succession rights to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the succession fell into the line of the Duke of Albany.
- Gloucester line Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
- Kentian Line, from Prince George, Duke of Kent
- Mainline (Albany) Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, from Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who until 1919 was the Duke of Albany
- House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, last common descent from Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- Morganatic descendants from Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1901–1985)
- Bulgarian royal family, all living members are descended from Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
- House of Belgium, all living members share common descent from Albert II of Belgium. However as absolute primogeniture is in effect in Belgium, if and on the ascencion of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabantto the throne, the ruling house of Belgium will no longer considered agnates to the House of Wettin
- Eppinghoven, illegitimate agnatic branch to the House of Belgium from Leopold I of Belgium and Arcadie Claret
- Morganatic line of Rohmann, from Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld marriage to a commoner, Therese Stroffeck
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Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
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Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen
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Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg
Extinct Ernestine branches
- Dukes of Saxe-Coburg
- Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
- Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg (first line of Altenburg)
- Dukes of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (second line of Altenburg)
- Dukes of Saxe-Hildburghausen, then Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg (third line of Altenburg)
- Dukes of Saxe-Weimar
- Dukes of Saxe-Eisenach
- Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach
- Dukes of Saxe-Jena
- Dukes of Saxe-Gotha
- Dukes of Saxe-Eisenberg
- Dukes of Saxe-Marksuhl
- Dukes of Saxe-Römhild
- Kings of Portugal and the Algarves (House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)
Albertines
- Margraves of Meissen
- Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (1498–1510)
- Electors of Saxony and Arch-Marshalsof the Holy Roman Empire (1547–1806)
- Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania (1697-1763)
- Duke of Courland and Semigallia(1758–1763)
- Duke of Teschen(1766-1822)
- Margrave of Meissen
- Duke of Warsaw (1807–1815)
Existing Albertine branch
- Saxe-Gessaphe (cognatic)
Extinct Albertine branches
- Dukes of Saxe-Zeitz
- Dukes of Saxe-Merseburg
- Dukes of Saxe-Weissenfels
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Merseburg Castle
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Neu-Augustusburg Castle, Weissenfels
Family tree of the House of Wettin
Coats of arms
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Counts of Wettin, Margraves of Landsberg
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Margraves ofMeissen
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Margraves ofLandgraves of Thuringia
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Elector of Saxony and Arch-Marshalof the Holy Roman Empire
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King of Saxony (standard arms)
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King of Saxony (other arms)
For an extensive treatment of the coats of arms, see: Coat of arms of Saxony
or in French: Armorial de la maison de Wettin
See also
- List of members of the House of Wettin
- Rulers of Saxony, a list containing many Wettins
- Wettin, Saxony-Anhalt, the city from which the Wettin dynasty originated
- Coinage of Saxony
- Free Saxony, monarchist political party
- Saxon Renaissance, regional type of architecture
References
- ^ Lexikon des Mittelalters, vol. IX, col. 50, Munich 1969–1999
- ^ a b c Kellner, Stefanie (February 2016). "Die freiheitliche Geisteshaltung der Ernestiner prägte Europa". Monumente (in German). pp. 9–16. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Carlota | archduchess of Austria | Britannica". 3 June 2023.
- ^ "Carlota | archduchess of Austria | Britannica". 3 June 2023.
- ^ Anne Edwards, Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor (2014), p. 300.
- ^ "We can hazard a guess that Wettin and Wipper, if given an English pronunciation, sounded quite as unsuitably comic in the ears of this sailor King in 1917 as they do to us today." Elizabeth Longford, The Royal House of Windsor (1984), p. 21.
- ^ "British courtiers thought it sounded 'unsuitably comic' and the cumbersome 'Saxe-Coburg-Gotha' was invariably used." Barry Jones, Dictionary of World Biography 4th ed. (2017), p. 892.
- ^ "Since the Saxe-Coburg family belonged to the House of Wettin in the District of Wipper, Wettin or Wipper might be more appropriate. Either one could have passed for an English name, but both were considered 'unsuitably comic.'" Anne Edwards, Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor (2014), p. 302.