by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

The Marienkirche (St Mary’s Church) in Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany was the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau dating back to the 15th century. The last to be initially buried there was the family of Leopold IV Friedrich, who became Duke of Anhalt in 1863. After the church was severely damaged by bombings in World War II, all of the remains in the crypt of the Marienkirche were moved to a crypt belonging to the Berenhorst family in the Historical Cemetery in Dessau. In 2019, the remains of several members of the Anhalt family were moved from the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau and reinterred in the reconstructed Marienkirche.

• Wikipedia: Marienkirche, Dessau (link in German)

The Ducal Mausoleum in Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany was the burial site of the Dukes of Anhalt until 1958. It was built between 1894 and 1898 at the center of a large park in Dessau. The Mausoleum held the tombs of Dukes Friedrich I, Friedrich II and Eduard, and their families. After World War II, Dessau was part of the German Democratic Republic in East Germany. In 1958, under orders from the Communist government, the remains were all removed from the tombs in the Mausoleum and buried in a mass grave in the Ziebigk cemetery in Dessau. No stones were erected, and the grave was marked only with a simple wooden cross. The mausoleum fell into disrepair for many years before the dome was restored in 1986. Some further restoration has taken place, but it is still in need of repairs. The large park surrounding the building is now the Dessau Zoo.

• Wikipedia: Ducal Mausoleum, Dessau (link in German)

Dukes of Anhalt

• Leopold IV Friedrich – reigned August 30, 1863 – May 22, 1871
• Friedrich I – reigned May 22, 1871 – January 24, 1904
• Friedrich II – reigned January 24, 1904 – April 21, 1918
• Eduard – reigned April 21, 1918 – September 13, 1918
• Joachim Ernst – reigned September 13, 1918 – November 12, 1918

Unofficial Royalty: Duchy of Anhalt Index

Leopold IV Friedrich
Duke of Anhalt
(reigned August 30, 1863 – May 22, 1871)

Unofficial Royalty: Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt
Leopold IV Friedrich was born in Dessau on October 1, 1794, and succeeded his grandfather as reigning Duke of Anhalt-Dessau in August 1817. The following year, he married Friederike of Prussia and had six children. He inherited the Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen in 1847, and the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg in 1863. The duchies were unified into the Duchy of Anhalt. The Duke died in Dessau on May 22, 1871, and was buried in the Marienkirche in Dessau. After the church was destroyed by bombings during World War II, his remains were moved to the Berenhorst crypt in the Historical Cemetery in Dessau.

Friederike of Prussia
Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau

Unofficial Royalty: Friederike of Prussia, Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau
Princess Friederike of Prussia was born in Berlin on September 30, 1796, to Prince Ludwig Karl of Prussia and Duchess Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (later the Queen Consort of Hanover). She married Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau in 1818 and had six children. The Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau died in Dessau on January 1, 1850, and was buried in the Marienkirche. After the church was destroyed by bombings during World War II, his remains were moved to the Berenhorst crypt in the Historical Cemetery in Dessau.

* * * * * * * * *
Children of Leopold IV Friedrich and Friederike

Princess Auguste
November 28, 1819 – December 11, 1822
Princess Auguste died just after her third birthday and was buried in the Marienkirche in Dessau. After World War II, her remains were moved to the Berenhorst crypt in the Historical Cemetery in Dessau.

Princess Agnes
June 24, 1824 – October 23, 1897
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau
Agnes married Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg on April 28, 1853, and had two children. Upon her death, she was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Altenburg Cemetery. In 1903, her remains were moved to the crypt of the newly built Duchess Agnes Memorial Church in Altenburg.

unnamed son
August 3, 1825 – August 3, 1825
Either stillborn or died at birth, he was buried in the Marienkirche, Dessau. After World War II, his remains were moved to the Berenhorst crypt in the Historical Cemetery, Dessau.

unnamed son
November 3, 1827 – November 3, 1827
Either stillborn or died at birth, he was buried in the Marienkirche, Dessau. After World War II, his remains were moved to the Berenhorst crypt in the Historical Cemetery, Dessau.

Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt (below)

Princess Marie Anna
September 14, 1837 – May 12, 1906
Wikipedia: Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau
Maria Anna married Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia on November 29, 1854, and had five children. She died in Friedrichroda in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and is buried in the Evangelical Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Berlin.

* * * * * * * * * *

Friedrich I
Duke of Anhalt
(reigned May 22, 1871 – January 24, 1904)

Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt
Friedrich I was born in Dessau on April 29, 1831. He married Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg on April 22, 1854, and had six children. Friedrich became Duke of Anhalt following his father’s death in 1871 and reigned for nearly 33 years. He died at Ballenstedt Castle on January 24, 1804, and was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum. In 1958, his remains were removed from the Mausoleum and buried in a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau.  Friedrich’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg
Duchess of Anhalt

Unofficial Royalty: Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg, Duchess of Anhalt
Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg was born in Bamberg on April 17, 1838. She married the future Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt, in April 1854 and had six children. Antoinette survived her husband by four years and died in Berchtesgaden on October 13, 1908. She was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum in Dessau until 1958 when the tombs were all removed and buried in a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Antoinette’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

* * * * * * * * *
Children of Friedrich I and Antoinette

Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt
July 18, 1855 – February 2, 1886
Wikipedia: Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt
Leopold married Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel on May 26, 1884, and had one daughter, Antoinette, born the following year. Leopold died suddenly in Cannes, France and was initially buried in the Castle Church in Dessau. In 1898, his remains were moved to The Ducal Mausoleum, and in 1958, were moved again to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Leopold’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt (below)

Princess Elisabeth
September 7, 1857 – July 20, 1933
Unofficial Royalty: Elisabeth of Anhalt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Elisabeth married Adolf Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on April 17, 1877. The couple had four children. She survived her husband by 19 years and died in Neustrelitz in 1933. She is buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow.

Eduard, Duke of Anhalt (below)

Prince Aribert
June 18, 1866 – December 24, 1933
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Aribert of Anhalt
Prince Aribert married Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, on July 6, 1891, in London. The marriage was formally annulled in December 1900 by Aribert’s father. He later served as Regent of Anhalt during the brief reign of his nephew, Joachim Ernst, in 1918. He died in Munich in 1933 and was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum in Dessau. In 1958, his remains were moved to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Aribert’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

Princess Alexandra
April 4, 1868 – August 26, 1958
Wikipedia: Princess Alexandra of Anhalt
On January 25, 1897, Princess Alexandra married Prince Sizzo of Schwarzburg, the heir to the principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. They had three children. Alexandra died and is buried, in Schwetzingen.

* * * * * * * * * *

Friedrich II
Duke of Anhalt
(reigned January 24, 1904 – April 21, 1918)

Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt
Friedrich II was born in Dessau on August 19, 1856. He married Princess Marie of Baden on July 2, 1889, but the couple had no children. He died on April 21, 1918, at Ballenstedt Castle and was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum. In 1958, his remains were moved to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Friedrich’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019. As he had no children, he was survived by his younger brother, Eduard.

Marie of Baden
Duchess of Anhalt

Unofficial Royalty: Marie of Baden, Duchess of Anhalt
Princess Marie of Baden was born in Baden-Baden on July 26, 1865. She married the future Friedrich II on July 2, 1889, but had no children. Marie survived her husband by over 21 years, before her death on November 29, 1839, in Baden-Baden. The last Duchess of Anhalt, Marie was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum in Dessau until 1958, when the remains were all moved to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau.

* * * * * * * * * *

Eduard
Duke of Anhalt
(reigned April 21, 1918 – September 13, 1918)

Unofficial Royalty: Eduard, Duke of Anhalt
Eduard was born in Dessau on April 18, 1861. He married Princess Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg and had six children. The couple divorced in January 1918, just 3 months before he succeeded his elder brother as reigning Duke of Anhalt. His reign lasted less than five months before his death on September 13, 1918. Eduard was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum in Dessau until 1958 when the remains there were all moved to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Eduard’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg
wife of Eduard, Duke of Anhalt

Unofficial Royalty: Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg, wife of Eduard, Duke of Anhalt
Luise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg was born on August 11, 1873, in Altenburg. She married the future Eduard, Duke of Anhalt in February 1895 and had six children. The couple divorced in January 1918, just a few months before he became the reigning Duke. She returned to Altenburg after her divorce and lived there for the rest of her life. She died in Altenburg on April 15, 1953, and is buried in the Ducal Cemetery in Trockernborn-Wolfersdorf alongside her brother, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.

* * * * * * * * *
Children of Eduard and Luise Charlotte

Princess Friederike
January 11, 1896 – November 18, 1896
Friederike died before her first birthday. She was initially buried in the Castle Church before being moved to The Ducal Mausoleum in 1898. In 1958, her remains were moved to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Friederike’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

Prince Leopold
February 10, 1897 – December 26, 1898
Leopold died before his second birthday and was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum. In 1958, his remains were moved to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Leopold’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

Princess Marie-Auguste
June 10, 1898 – May 22, 1983
Wikipedia: Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt
Marie-Auguste married Prince Joachim of Prussia, the youngest son of Kaiser Wilhelm II, on March 11, 1916. They had one son, before divorcing in 1920. In her later years, she adopted nearly 35 people in return for large sums of money. One, Hans Robert Lichtenberg, took the name Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt and is best known as the husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor. Princess Marie-Auguste died in Essen and is buried in the Southwest Cemetery there.

Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt (below)

Prince Eugen
April 17, 1903 – September 2, 1980
Prince Eugen married Anastasia Jungmeier and had one daughter. He is buried in the Vassin Cemetery in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland.

Prince Wolfgang
July 12, 1912 – April 10, 1936
Wolfgang died just before his 24th birthday and was buried in The Ducal Mausoleum. In 1958, his remains were moved to a mass grave in the Ziebigk Cemetery in Dessau. Wolfgang’s remains were reinterred at the Marienkirche in Dessau in 2019.

* * * * * * * * * *

Joachim Ernst
Duke of Anhalt
(reigned September 13, 1918 – November 12, 1918)

Unofficial Royalty: Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt
Joachim Ernst was the last reigning Duke of Anhalt. He was born at Ballenstedt Castle on January 11, 1901, and succeeded his father on September 13, 1918. As he was not yet of age, his uncle Aribert served as Regent. Joachim Ernst’s reign lasted only two months before abdicating on November 12, 1918, at the end of the German Empire. He later married twice – first to Elisabeth Strickrodt in 1927 (divorced in 1929); and second to Edda-Charlotte von Stephani-Marwitz. With his second wife, he had five children. He was arrested in 1944 by the Nazis and imprisoned at Dachau concentration camp for several months. The following year, he was arrested again by the Soviets and imprisoned at the former Buchenwald concentration camp. He died there on February 18, 1947, and his remains were thrown into a mass grave there. In 2007, his family had an urn of earth taken from the burial ground at Buchenwald and interred, along with a memorial stone, at Ballenstedt 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.