Albertine branch

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The Albertine branch is a German princely family of the House of Wettin. The name derives from the progenitor of the line, Albert III, Duke of Saxony. The Albertine branch ruled from 1485 to 1918 as dukes, electors and kings in Saxony.

Contents

History of the Albertine Branch

Albert III, Duke of Saxony, the first Albertine Dresden Fuerstenzug Albert der Beherzte.jpg
Albert III, Duke of Saxony, the first Albertine

Ernest and Albrecht of Saxony, the two sons of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, initially ruled their paternal inheritance for a long time, with Ernst as the eldest being the elector. In 1485, the two brothers divided their countries (Treaty of Leipzig). Albrecht and his descendants received their own territory with Dresden as the center, which they ruled from now on as the dukes of Saxony.

While Frederick III, Elector of Saxony supported the Reformation, George, Duke of Saxony tried to prevent it in his area. It was not until his brother Henry IV, Duke of Saxony, who succeeded Georg as duke, that the Reformation was also introduced in Saxony.

Acquisition of the dignity

Although Maurice, Elector of Saxony was also a Protestant, in 1546 he sided with Emperor Charles V against the Protestant princes of the Schmalkaldic League under the leadership of his cousin John Frederick I. After the defeat of the Protestants in the Schmalkaldic War, in 1547 he received the electoral dignity and large parts of the Ernestine lands as a reward for his services. Since then, the Albertine branch have been the leading line of the House of Wettin.

The common minting agreed between the Ernestines and Albertine branch in the main division of Leipzig in 1485 was finally abandoned. The new Albertine Elector Moritz only coins in his own name (Saxon coin separation). [1]

Family tree of the Albertine branch

House of Wettin
Margaret of Austria Frederick II
Sidonie of Poděbrady Albert III Ernestine
Catherine of Mecklenburg Henry IV George, Duke of Saxony Barbara Jagiellon
Anne of Denmark Augustus, Elector of Saxony Maurice, Elector of Saxony
Sophie of Brandenburg Christian I, Elector of Saxony
Duchess Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia John George I Christian II
Margravine Magdalene Sibylle of Brandenburg-Bayreuth John George II Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels
(Founder of the Weißenfels branch, died out in 1746)
Christian I
(Founder of the Merseburg branch, died out in 1738)
Maurice
(Founder of the Zeitz branch, died out in 1718)
Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark John George III
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Augustus II the Strong
(born as August II, King of Poland)
John George IV Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach
Maria Josepha of Austria Augustus III of Poland
(born as August III, King of Poland)
Duchess Maria Antonia of Bavaria Frederick Christian
Princess Carolina of Parma Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Saxony
(renounces the throne in 1830)
Frederick Augustus I of Saxony
(since 1806 as Friedrich August I. King of Saxony)
Anthony of Saxony
Amalie Auguste of Bavaria John of Saxony Frederick Augustus II of Saxony
Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal George, King of Saxony Albert of Saxony
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony Archduchess Louise of Austria
Georg, Crown Prince of Saxony Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony Margarete Carola WilhelmineMaria Alix LuitpoldaAnna Pia Monika

Literature

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References

  1. Paul Arnold: Kurfürst August (1553–1586) und das sächsische Münzwesen. In Numismatische Hefte. Nr. 20, Dresden 1986, P. 13. (German)