Category Archives: German Royals

Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Anhalt: Leopold IV Friedrich, the first Duke of Anhalt inherited three duchies: the Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau from his grandfather, the Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen from a distant cousin, and the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg from another distant cousin. The three duchies were united as the Duchy of Anhalt on August 30, 1863.

Joachim Ernst was the last Duke of Anhalt. He came to the throne in September 1918 when he was 17-years-old. As he was underage, his father’s brother Prince Aribert of Anhalt served as Regent. With the German Empire crumbling at the end of World War I, Aribert abdicated on Joachim Ernst’s behalf on November 12, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Anhalt is in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

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Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt

Joachim Ernst, the last reigning Duke of Anhalt, reigned for just two months before the end of the German Empire. He was born Prince Joachim Ernst Wilhelm Karl Albrecht Leopold Friedrich Moritz Erdmann on January 11, 1901, at Ballenstedt Castle in Ballenstedt, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the son of Eduard, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg.

Joachim Ernst had five siblings:

  • Princess Friederike (born and died 1896) – died in infancy
  • Prince Leopold (1897-1898) – died in infancy
  • Princess Marie-Auguste (1898-1983) – married Prince Joachim of Prussia, had issue
  • Prince Eugen (1903-1980) – married Anastasia Jungmeier, had issue
  • Prince Wolfgang (19121936) – unmarried

Prince Aribert, Regent of Anhalt. source: Wikipedia

Joachim Ernst became Duke upon his father’s death in September 1918. As he was underage, his father’s brother, Prince Aribert of Anhalt, served as Regent. With the German Empire crumbling, Aribert abdicated on Joachim Ernst’s behalf on November 12, 1918.

Joachim Ernst with one of his wives

Joachim Ernst married twice. His first marriage was to actress Elisabeth Strickrodt at Ballenstedt Castle on March 3, 1927. The marriage was morganatic, and she was given the title Countess of Askanien. They divorced in 1929. His second marriage, on October 15, 1929, was to Edda-Charlotte von Stephani-Marwitz. They had five children:

  • Princess Alexandra (1930-1993) – married (1) Karl-Heinz Guttmann, divorced; (2) Max Riederer, divorced
  • Princess Anna Luise (1933-2003) – married Thomas Birch, divorced
  • Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt (1938-1963) – unmarried, died from injuries received in a car accident
  • Princess Edda (born 1940) – married Albert Darboven
  • Eduard, Prince of Anhalt (born 1941) – married Corinne Krönlein, had issue

Joachim Ernst spent his post-abdication life at Ballenstedt Castle, where he raised his family and became a trained agricultural and forestry farmer. Always at odds with the Nazis, he was arrested in 1944 and imprisoned at the Dachau Concentration Camp for three months. He was arrested again in September 1945 – this time by the Soviets – and was sent to the NKVD Special Camp No. 2 at the former Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

Memorial tomb at Ballenstedt Castle. photo: by Migebert – Own Work, CC-BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63354843

The former Duke of Anhalt died at the camp on February 18, 1947, and his remains were thrown into a mass grave. Sixty years later, on February 18, 2007, a memorial service was held on the grounds of Buchenwald, and an urn of earth was removed from the burial ground there. The Duke’s family had the urn buried with a memorial stone at the Röhrkopf Hunting Lodge in Ballenstedt. After the hunting lodge was sold in 2011, the stone and urn were moved to the edge of the courtyard at Ballenstedt Castle in Ballenstedt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany where they remain today.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Feodora was the elder half-sister of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. She was born Princess Anna Feodora Auguste Charlotte Wilhelmine of Leiningen on December 7, 1807, in Amorbach, Principality of Leiningen, now in Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen and Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Feodora had one older brother:

Feodora had an elder half-brother from her father’s first marriage to Countess Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg:

  • Prince Friedrich (1793 – 1800) – died in childhood

She also had a younger half-sister from her mother’s second marriage to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent:

Feodora’s father died in 1814 when she was just seven years old. Her mother remarried in 1818 and the following year the family moved to England where they took up residence in Kensington Palace in London. It was there in May 1819 that Feodora’s half-sister Victoria was born. Tragedy came again in January 1820 when her stepfather died. Because Victoria was directly in line for the British throne, the family remained in England. Feodora studied privately at home, under the direction of her governess Luise Lehzen who would later become governess, confidante, and companion to the young Victoria. Feodora, too, was a close companion to her sister, and the two would maintain a close relationship for the rest of Feodora’s life.

Stifled by her restricted life within Kensington Palace, Feodora was eager to find a husband and leave. She wrote of her drives with Victoria and Lehzen as the only time she was happy. Soon, she would find her opportunity to escape.

Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. source: Wikipedia

On February 18, 1828, Feodora married Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg at Kensington Palace, despite having only met him twice before the wedding. He was the son of Karl Ludwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth. They settled at Schloss Langenburg (link in German) and had six children:

Feodora’s daughter Adelheid married Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. Adelheid and Friedrich’s daughter Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein married Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia, son of Victoria’s eldest child Victoria, Princess Royal. And so, Feodora’s granddaughter married Quen Victoria’s grandson. Through this marriage, Feodora and her daughter Adelheid are ancestors of the Greek and Spanish royal families.

Feodora and Queen Victoria maintained a close relationship and wrote to each other religiously. Victoria and her mother visited Feodora and Feodora visited Victoria and their mother in England. Whenever she came, Victoria paid Feodora £300 for her expenses. Feodora came to England when Victoria needed her the most, in the summer of 1861 following the death of their mother and then in December 1861 following Prince Albert’s death.

Feodora’s husband was very politically active, serving as a member of the Württemberg Estates Assembly, President of the Estonian Committee, and later President of the First Chamber of the Württemberg Landtag, so the family also spent much time living in Stuttgart. Feodora maintained a very active social life both at home and in England, where she often visited her mother and sister. She was also very active in charitable causes in Langenburg, founding the Children’s Rescue Center in 1830 to help poor and orphaned children, and, at the time of her silver anniversary in 1853, founding the Poor Preservation Institute for Children and the Sick.

Villa Hohenlohe, painted by August Becker, 1877. source: Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 408974
https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/408974/the-villa-hohenlohe

After being widowed in 1860, Feodora moved to Baden-Baden, where, with some financial help from Queen Victoria, she purchased a cottage called Villa Friesenberg. In a letter to Victoria, she described the house as “a Swiss cottage and a garden on a hill, with good air and a lovely view”. Queen Victoria visited Feodora there in the spring of 1872. Following Feodora’s death several months later, Victoria took possession of the house and its contents. She visited again four years later, calling the house Villa Hohenlohe.

Following a serious illness, Princess Feodora died at Villa Hohenlohe on September 23, 1872. She is buried in the Main Cemetery in Baden-Baden. After getting a telegram informing her of Feodora’s death, Queen Victoria wrote in her journal: “Can I write it? My own darling, only sister, my dear excellent, noble Feodora is no more!… I stand so alone now, no near & dear one nearer my own age, or older, to whom I could look up to, left! All, all gone! How good & wise, beloved Feodora was, so devoted to me, so truly pious & religious. She is gone to that world she was so fit for & entered it, just sleeping away. What a blessed end! but what a loss to those who are left! She was my last near relative on an equality with me, the last link with my childhood & youth.”

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Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess Edward of Anhalt

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg, Credit – Wikipedia

Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg was the wife of the future Eduard, Duke of Anhalt. She was born in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, on August 11, 1873, the youngest child of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Auguste of Saxe-Meiningen.

Luise Charlotte had four older siblings:

Eduard, Duke of Anhalt. source: Wikipedia

On February 6, 1895, in Altenburg, Luise Charlotte married her second cousin, Prince Eduard of Anhalt, the future Duke of Anhalt. He was the son of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg.

They had six children:

  • Princess Friederike (born and died 1896) – died in infancy
  • Prince Leopold (1897-1898) – died in infancy
  • Princess Marie-Auguste (1898-1983) – married Prince Joachim of Prussia, had issue
  • Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt (1901-1947) – married (1) Elisabeth Strickrodt, no issue; (2) Edda-Charlotte von Stephani-Marwitz, had issue
  • Prince Eugen (1903-1980) – married Anastasia Jungmeier, had issue
  • Prince Wolfgang (1912-1936) – unmarried

Luise Charlotte and Eduard divorced on January 26, 1918, a few months before her husband became Duke of Anhalt. She spent her remaining years in Altenburg, Germany where she died on April 15, 1953. She is buried in the Ducal Cemetery in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf, Germany along with her brother, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Karl, Prince of Leiningen

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Karl, Prince of Leiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl, Prince of Leiningen was the half-brother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Prince Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Emich was born in Amorbach, Principality of Leiningen, now in Bavaria, Germany, on September 12, 1804. He was the first child of Emich Karl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen and Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He had one younger sister:

Karl had an elder half-brother from his father’s first marriage to Countess Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg:

  • Prince Friedrich (1793 – 1800) – died in childhood

He also had a younger half-sister from his mother’s second marriage to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent:

At the age of ten, Karl became Prince of Leiningen upon his father’s death in 1814. However, in 1806, the Principality of Leiningen had been mediatized – annexed to another state(s), while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign. The Principality of Leiningen ceased to exist and was divided between the Grand Duchy of Baden, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The family retained Amorbach Abbey in Amorbach, which remains the family seat of the Princes of Leiningen.

Karl was educated privately at home before attending a private school in Bern, Switzerland. During this time, in 1818, his mother married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George III of the United Kingdom, and became the Duchess of Kent. In 1819, the family moved to London where his younger sister, the future Queen Victoria, was born. His education continued at the University of Göttingen, where he studied law from 1821 to 1823.

Schloss Waldleiningen, photo by UrLunkwill – own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9423055

Beginning in 1823, Karl took over the oversight of his estates and began construction of a new residence, Waldleiningen Castle (link in German), near Mörschenhardt, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

On February 13, 1829, Karl married Countess Maria von Klebelsberg, the daughter of Count Maximilian von Klebelsberg and Maria Anna von Turba. The couple had two sons:

As the Prince of a mediatized house, Karl was a member of the First Chamber of the Estates Assembly of the Grand Duchy of Baden, the First Chamber of Estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and the Imperial Council of the Kingdom of Bavaria. In 1837, he was the first person created a Knight of the Order of the Garter by his half-sister Queen Victoria.

Karl, Prince of Leiningen, c1835. source: Wikipedia

In April 1842, Karl was one of the 21 founders, and chairman, of the Mainz Aristocracy Association, which organized and promoted the settlement of German emigrants in Texas. In 1843, he became President of the Imperial Council in Bavaria, serving until 1848. During this time, Karl became known for his various reforms and he developed a reputation as a liberal reformer. Following the March Revolution, the Frankfurt Parliament established the new, and short-lived, German Empire with Archduke Johann of Austria being named as Regent. Because of Karl’s accomplishments in the Bavarian government and his ties to the British royal family, he was named the first Prime Minister of the Provisional Central Power on August 5, 1848. His tenure, however, would be very brief. Three weeks later, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia signed the Treaty of Malmö, ending the First Schleswig War without consulting the Central Power. With no real power against Prussia, Karl resigned as Prime Minister on September 6, 1848.

Three years later, in May 1851, Karl resigned from his position as chairman of the Aristocratic Association and retired fully from public service. He suffered a severe apoplectic attack in 1855 which greatly affected his health. A second attack the following year proved fatal. Karl, Prince of Leiningen died at Waldleiningen Castle near Mörschenhardt, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, on November 13, 1856, with his sister Feodora by his bedside. He was buried in Amorbach Abbey in Amorbach, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany until 1866 when his remains were moved to Waldleiningen Castle.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Eduard, Duke of Anhalt

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Anhalt: Leopold IV Friedrich, the first Duke of Anhalt inherited three duchies: the Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau from his grandfather, the Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen from a distant cousin, and the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg from another distant cousin. The three duchies were united as the Duchy of Anhalt on August 30, 1863.

Joachim Ernst was the last Duke of Anhalt. He came to the throne in September 1918 when he was 17-years-old. As he was underage, his father’s brother Prince Aribert of Anhalt served as Regent. With the German Empire crumbling at the end of World War I, Aribert abdicated on Joachim Ernst’s behalf on November 12, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Anhalt is in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

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Eduard, Duke of Anhalt; Credit – Wikipedia

Eduard, Duke of Anhalt ruled for less than five months, just before World War I and the German Empire ended. Prince Eduard Georg Wilhelm was born in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on April 18, 1861, the third son and fourth child of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. He had five siblings:

Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg. source: Wikipedia

Eduard married Princess Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg on February 6, 1895, in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia. She was the daughter of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Auguste of Saxe-Meiningen. Eduard and Luise Charlotte were second cousins, through their mutual descent from Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. They had six children:

  • Princess Friederike (born and died 1896) – died in infancy
  • Prince Leopold (1897-1898) – died in infancy
  • Princess Marie-Auguste (1898-1983) – married Prince Joachim of Prussia, had issue
  • Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt (1901-1947) – married (1) Elisabeth Strickrodt, no issue (divorced); (2) Edda-Charlotte von Stephani-Marwitz, had issue
  • Prince Eugen (1903-1980) – married Anastasia Jungmeier, had issue
  • Prince Wolfgang (1912-1936) – unmarried

Eduard and Luise Charlotte were divorced on January 26, 1918, just a few months before he succeeded to the ducal throne.

Eduard became Duke of Anhalt upon the death of his older brother, Friedrich II, on April 21, 1918. Less than five months later, on September 13, 1918, Eduard died in Berchtesgaden, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. He was succeeded by his son Joachim. As Joachim was not yet of age, Eduard’s brother Aribert served as Regent.

Eduard, Duke of Anhalt was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum (link in German) in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1958, the remains of members of the House of Anhalt were removed from the Ducal Mausoleum secretly by night for political reasons (Dessau was then in Communist East Germany) and reburied in the Ziebigker Cemetery in Dessau in a common grave, marked only by a simple wooden cross. In 2019, Eduard’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche (link in German) in Dessau, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The Marienkirche was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Baden, Duchess of Anhalt

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Marie of Baden, Duchess of Anhalt; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie of Baden was the last Duchess of Anhalt, as the wife of Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt. She was born Princess Marie Luise Amelie Josephine of Baden on July 26, 1865, in Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Baden and Princess Marie of Leuchtenberg. Marie had one younger brother:

Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt. source: Wikipedia

On July 2, 1889, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Marie married Hereditary Prince Friedrich of Anhalt, the son of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. From all accounts, the marriage was a very happy one, but the couple had no children.

Marie quickly became involved in charity after her marriage, supporting organizations that promoted education and care for the underprivileged. In 1892, along with her mother-in-law, she helped found the Anhalt Deaconess Institution, which educated women in caring for the sick and the poor. She also made a large donation of books to the Melanchthon House in Bretten, a museum of the Protestant Reformation and research institution for Philipp Melanchthon, which was inaugurated in 1903.

The Marie Cross. source: www.kuenker.de

During World War I, Marie continued working to establish better medical and care facilities for wounded soldiers. In honor of her efforts, on January 10, 1918, Friedrich II established the Marien-Kreuz (Marie Cross). It was awarded to women of Anhalt for distinguished service during the war,  particularly for caring for wounded soldiers. The medal featured Friedrich and Marie’s initials intertwined, with the arms of Anhalt on the reverse.

When Marie’s husband died in April 1918, the throne of Anhalt passed to his younger brother, Eduard. Marie eventually returned to Baden-Baden, her birthplace, where she died on November 29, 1939, having survived her husband by over 21 years. The last Duchess of Anhalt, Marie was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum (link in German) in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1958, the remains of members of the House of Anhalt were removed from the Ducal Mausoleum secretly by night for political reasons (Dessau was then in Communist East Germany) and reburied in the Ziebigker Cemetery in Dessau in a common grave, marked only by a simple wooden cross. In 2019, Marie’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche (link in German) in Dessau, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The Marienkirche was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Anhalt: Leopold IV Friedrich, the first Duke of Anhalt inherited three duchies: the Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau from his grandfather, the Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen from a distant cousin, and the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg from another distant cousin. The three duchies were united as the Duchy of Anhalt on August 30, 1863.

Joachim Ernst was the last Duke of Anhalt. He came to the throne in September 1918 when he was 17-years-old. As he was underage, his father’s brother Prince Aribert of Anhalt served as Regent. With the German Empire crumbling at the end of World War I, Aribert abdicated on Joachim Ernst’s behalf on November 12, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Anhalt is in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

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Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt, was born in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on August 19, 1856. He was the son of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, and had five siblings:

Marie of Baden. source: Wikipedia

After studying together in Bonn, Geneva, and Munich, Friedrich and his elder brother Leopold both joined the German Army, where they served until 1883. When Leopold died in 1886, Friedrich became the Hereditary Prince and heir to the throne of Anhalt. Three years later, he married Princess Marie of Baden on July 2, 1889, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Marie was the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Baden and Princess Maria of Leuchtenberg. They had no children.

Friedrich became the reigning Duke of Anhalt upon his father’s death in January 1904. While a competent ruler, he focused much more on cultural pursuits. He established a Court Theatre which became very well-known throughout Europe and attracted some of the leading singers and musicians from around the world.

Ballenstedt Castle. photo: by Wolkenkratzer – Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27499588

Friedrich II died at Ballenstedt Castle in the Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany on April 21, 1918, and was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum (link in German) in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1958, the remains of members of the House of Anhalt were removed from the Ducal Mausoleum secretly by night for political reasons (Dessau was then in Communist East Germany) and reburied in the Ziebigker Cemetery in Dessau in a common grave, marked only by a simple wooden cross. In 2019, Friedrich’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche (link in German) in Dessau, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The Marienkirche was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Anhalt

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Anhalt; source: Wikipedia

Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg was the wife of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt. She was born Princess Antoinette Charlotte Marie Josephine Karoline Frida on April 17, 1838, in Bamberg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany, to Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and his first wife, Princess Amalie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Antoinette had three full siblings:

Antoinette also had two half-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz:

Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt. source: Wikipedia

In Altenburg on April 22, 1854, Antoinette married the future Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt. He was the son of Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Friederike of Prussia. The couple had six children:

Antoinette, Duchess of Anhalt. source: Wikipedia

At the age of 70, four years after the death of her husband, Antoinette, The Dowager Duchess of Anhalt died in Berchtesgaden, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on October 13, 1908, and was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum (link in German) in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1958, the remains of members of the House of Anhalt were removed from the Ducal Mausoleum secretly by night for political reasons (Dessau was then in Communist East Germany) and reburied in the Ziebigker Cemetery in Dessau in a common grave, marked only by a simple wooden cross. In 2019, Antoinette’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche (link in German) in Dessau, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The Marienkirche was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Anhalt: Leopold IV Friedrich, the first Duke of Anhalt inherited three duchies: the Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau from his grandfather, the Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen from a distant cousin, and the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg from another distant cousin. The three duchies were united as the Duchy of Anhalt on August 30, 1863.

Joachim Ernst was the last Duke of Anhalt. He came to the throne in September 1918 when he was 17-years-old. As he was underage, his father’s brother Prince Aribert of Anhalt served as Regent. With the German Empire crumbling at the end of World War I, Aribert abdicated on Joachim Ernst’s behalf on November 12, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Anhalt is in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

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Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt. source: Wikipedia

Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt was born in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, on April 29, 1831. Named Leopold Friedrich Franz Nikolaus, he was born a Prince of Anhalt-Dessau to the future Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Friederike of Prussia. Friedrich had three sisters:

After his initial education at home, Friedrich studied in Bonn and Geneva. In 1851, he became a First Lieutenant in the 1st Foot Guard Regiment in the Prussian Army, serving in Potsdam and then in Dessau.

Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. source: Wikipedia

On April 22, 1854, Friedrich married Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, the daughter of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Amalie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The couple had six children:

By the time of his marriage, Friedrich’s title was Prince of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen, as the duchies of Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen had been merged together in 1853. Ten years later, after his father also inherited the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg, the duchies were united as the Duchy of Anhalt.

Throughout this time, Friedrich continued with his military career. In 1864, he served on the staff of his brother-in-law, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, during the Second Schleswig War. He served during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-1871, taking part in the Siege of Toul and battles at Beaumont and Sedan. In January 1871, he was present at the Palace of Versailles for the proclamation of King Wilhelm I of Prussia as the German Emperor.

Four months later, Friedrich became the reigning Duke of Anhalt following his father’s death. Still influential within the Prussian military, he was promoted to General of Infantry in 1873 and then Chief of the No. 93 Infantry Regiment in 1876.

The Dessau Mausoleum. photo: by M_H.DE – Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11824559

The day after suffering a stroke, Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt died, aged 73, in Ballenstedt, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on January 24, 1904.  Friedrich was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum (link in German) in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1958, the remains of members of the House of Anhalt were removed from the Ducal Mausoleum secretly by night for political reasons (Dessau was then in Communist East Germany) and reburied in the Ziebigker Cemetery in Dessau in a common grave, marked only by a simple wooden cross. In 2019, Friedrich’s remains were moved a second time and reinterred in the Marienkirche (link in German) in Dessau, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The Marienkirche was destroyed during World War II and has since been rebuilt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friederike of Prussia, Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau

by Scott Mehl    © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Friederike of Prussia, Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Friederike Luise Wilhelmine Amalie of Prussia was the wife of the future Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt. She was born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on September 30, 1796 to Prince Ludwig Karl of Prussia and Duchess Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and had two older siblings:

  • Prince Friedrich of Prussia (1794-1863) – married Princess Luise of Anhalt-Bernburg, had issue
  • Prince Karl of Prussia (1795-1798) – died in childhood

Friederike’s father died when she was just three months old. His father King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia provided the family with an income and a residence at Schönhausen Palace outside of Berlin. Two years later, in December 1798, Friederike’s mother remarried to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels, with whom she was already expecting a child. From this marriage Friederike had six half-siblings:

  • Princess Caroline of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1799)
  • Prince Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels (1801–1868), married Countess Maria Anna Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, had nine children
  • Princess Sophie of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1803)
  • Princess Auguste Luise of Solms-Braunfels (1804–1865), married Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had four children
  • Prince Friedrich of Solms-Braunfels (1807–1867), married Baroness Louise of Landsberg-Velen, had one child
  • Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels (1812–1875), married (1) morganatically Louise Beyrich, had three children  (2) Princess Sophie of Loewenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had five children

The family moved once again, in 1815. Having been widowed the previous year, Friederike’s mother married a third time. This time, her husband was her first cousin, Prince Ernst August of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cumberland. The family lived in Hanover, and Friederike gained one more half-sibling:

Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt; Credit – Wikipedia

In Berlin on April 18, 1818, Friederike married Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau. The Prussian court had arranged the marriage, and they had been formally engaged since May 1816. In addition to two stillborn sons, Friederike and Leopold had four children:

Having become Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau at the time of her marriage, Friederike also became Duchess of Anhalt-Köthen in November 1847 when her husband inherited that duchy.

Friederike, the Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau and Duchess of Anhalt-Köthen, died in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany on January 1, 1850, and was buried in the Marienkirche (link in German) in Dessau. When the church was destroyed by bombing during World War II, the Duchess’s remains were moved to the Berenhorst crypt in the Historical Cemetery in Dessau.

Three years after her death, the Dessau and Köthen duchies were joined as one – the Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen, and in 1863, were merged with the last remaining Anhalt duchy – Anhalt-Bernburg – becoming the unified Duchy of Anhalt, with her husband becoming the first reigning Duke.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anhalt Resources at Unofficial Royalty