Category Archives: Saxe-Altenburg Royals

Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Princess Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was the wife of Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Born on December 22, 1670, in Gotha, then in the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, Anna Sophie was the eldest of the eight children and the eldest of the six daughters of Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and his first wife Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels. Her paternal grandparents were Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg. Anna Sophie’s maternal grandparents were August, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, and Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Anna Sophie had seven younger siblings but only five survived childhood:

When Anna Sophie was ten-years-old, her mother Magdalena Sibylle died, aged 32, on January 7, 1681, just three months after giving birth to her last child. Later in 1681, Anna Sophie’s father Friedrich married a second time to Christine of Baden-Durlach, daughter of Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach and Christina Magdalena of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Friedrich’s second marriage to Christine of Baden-Durlach was childless.

Anna Sophie’s husband; Ludwig Friedrich, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 15, 1691, at Friedenstein Palace in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, the nearly 21-year-old Anna Sophie married 24-year-old Ludwig Friedrich of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, the son and heir of Albrecht Anton, Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, and his wife Countess Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingen. Emilie Juliane was the most productive of the German female hymn-writers, composing nearly 600 hymns. She was an early adherent of Pietism, a movement within Lutheranism that emphasized biblical doctrine, individual piety, and living a vigorous Christian life.

Anna Sophie’s daughter, also named Anna Sophie, who was the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld by marriage and great-great-grandmother of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig Friedrich and Anna Sophie had thirteen children. Via their daughter, Anna Sophie who married Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Ludwig Friedrich and Anna Sophie are the ancestors of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, and their uncle Leopold I, King of the Belgians. The royal families of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are their descendants.

  • Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1692 – 1744), married (1) Sophia Wilhelmina of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had one son and two daughters (2) Christina Sophia of East Frisia, no children
  • Amalie Magdalene of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Sophie Luise
  • Sophie Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (born and died 1693), died in infancy, twin of Amalie Magdalene
  • Sophie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1694 – 1776), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
  • Wilhelm Ludwig of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1696 – 1757), married morganatically Caroline Henriette Gebauer who was created Baroness of Brockenburg, had three sons and two daughters
  • Christine Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1697 – 1698), died in infancy
  • Albrecht Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1698 – 1720), unmarried
  • Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1699 – 1774), unmarried
  • Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1700 – 1780), married Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had four sons and four daughters
  • Sophia Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1737), unmarried, twin of Friederike Luise
  • Friederike Luise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1706 – 1787), unmarried, twin of Sophia Dorothea
  • Magdalena Sibylle of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1707 – 1795), a nun at Gandersheim Abbey
  • Ludwig Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1708 – 1790), married Sophie Henriette of Reuss-Untergreiz, had two daughters and two sons

View of Schwarzburg Castle, lithograph around 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1697, Albrecht Anton, Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Ludwig Friedrich’s father, was raised to a Prince and the County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was raised to a principality by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. However, Albrecht Anton chose not to accept his elevation due to his religious modesty which focused on the Pietism of his mother. He also wanted to avoid a confrontation with his neighbors, the dukes from the Ernestine lines of the House of Wettin, (whose duchy names began with “Saxe”) who had opposed his elevation. In 1710, the elevation to Prince was offered again and this time, Albrecht Anton accepted it. However, he did not publish notice of his elevation and continued to use the style Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. On December 15, 1710, Albrecht Anton died and his son Ludwig Friedrich succeeded him. Ludwig Friedrich published notice of the elevation to Prince in 1711 and began using the style Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt on April 15, 1711. The elevation strengthened the position of the House of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt against the House of Wettin.

Schlosskirche Schwarzburg, circa 1890; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 24, 1718, Ludwig Friedrich I, aged 50, died in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg (link in German), the castle church at Schwarzburg Castle (link in German), in Schwarzburg, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia. Anna Sophie survived her husband by ten years, dying on December 28, 1728, at the age of 58, and was buried with her husband at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg.

Stadtkirche St. Andreas; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early 1940s, the remains of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family buried at the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg were transferred to the Stadtkirche St. Andreas (link in German) in Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, before the demolition of the Schlosskirche Schwarzburg and Schwarzburg Castle. The German government took possession of Schwarzburg Castle and compensated the widow of the last reigning prince. They planned to convert the castle into Adolf Hitler’s Imperial Guest House. In June 1940, demolition began on Schwarzburg Castle, one of the most important Baroque castles in central Germany. In 1942, the construction was stopped and the Imperial Guest House was never finished. The ruins of the castle and the incomplete construction of the guest house were left for years. The only thing that remained of the castle church was the tower dome but it was destroyed in a fire caused by fireworks on New Year’s Eve 1980. There has been much reconstruction on the castle especially after Schwarzburg Castle was transferred to the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation in 1994.

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.

Works Cited

  • Anna Sophie von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Sophie_von_Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg (Accessed: 06 September 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020) Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ludwig-friedrich-i-prince-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/ (Accessed: 06 September 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-rudolstadt/> [Accessed 06 September 2023].
  • Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (2022) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_I,_Duke_of_Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (Accessed: 06 September 2023).
  • Princess Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Anna_Sophie_of_Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (Accessed: 06 September 2023).

Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe: In 1647, the County of Schaumburg-Lippe was formed through the division of the County of Schaumburg by treaties between the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and the Count of Lippe. In 1808, the County of Schaumberg-Lippe was raised to a Principality and Georg Wilhelm, Count of Schaumburg became the first Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.

At the end of World War I, Adolf II, the last Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, was forced to abdicate on November 15, 1918, and lived out his life in exile. In 1936, Adolf II and his wife were killed in an airplane crash in Mexico. Today, the land encompassing the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe is in the German state of Lower Saxony.

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Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schaumberg-Lippe, circa 1885; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie Anna of Saxe-Altenburg was the wife of Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. Born on March 14, 1864, in Altenburg, then in the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, Marie Anna was the eldest of the five children and the eldest of the four daughters of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen. Her paternal grandparents were Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Duchess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Marie Anna’s maternal grandparents were Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Princess Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel.

Maria Anna had four younger siblings:

Engagement photo of Georg and Marie Anna, 1882; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 16, 1882, in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, 18-year-old Maria Anna married 36-year-old Georg, then Hereditary Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. Georg was the son of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont and had a career in the Prussian Army. After their marriage, the couple resided in the newly furnished Stadthagen Castle (link in German), the residence of the Hereditary Prince in Stadthagen, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. Upon the death of his father on May 8, 1893, Maria Anna’s husband Georg became the reigning Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. As Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Maria Anna supported churches and schools.

Stadthagen Castle, Georg and Marie Anna’s home before Georg became Prince of Schaumberg-Lippe; Credit – Von Beckstet – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9726977

Maria Anna and Georg had nine children:

  • Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (1883–1936), married Ellen von Bischoff-Korthaus, no children, Adolf and his wife were killed in an airplane crash
  • Prince Moritz Georg of Schaumburg-Lippe (1884 – 1920), unmarried
  • Prince Peter of Schaumburg-Lippe (born and died 1886), died in infancy
  • Prince Wolrad of Schaumburg-Lippe  (1887 – 1962), married his second cousin Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, had three sons and one daughter
  • Prince Stephan of Schaumburg-Lippe  (1891 – 1965), married Duchess Ingeborg of Oldenburg, had one son and one daughter
  • Prince Heinrich of Schaumburg-Lippe  (1894 – 1952), married Countess Marie-Erika von Hardenberg, had one daughter
  • Princess Margareth of Schaumburg-Lippea (1896 – 1897), died in infancy
  • Prince Friedrich Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe (1906 – 1983), married (1) Countess Alexandra zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, had two daughters and one son (2) Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, no children (3) Helene Mayr, no children
  • Princess Elisabeth of Schaumburg-Lippe  (1908 – 1933), married (1) Benvenuto Hauptmann, no children, divorced (2) Baron Johann Herring von Frankensdorff, had one son and one daughter

In 1907, upon the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary, Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia presented Schaumburg Castle, the Schaumburg-Lippe ancestral home, in Rinteln, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, to Georg and Maria Anna. The castle had become the property of the Prussian royal family when the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe sided with the Austrians, the losers in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War. The gift was also meant to be in recognition of Georg’s support of Prussia in the dispute over the succession to the Principality of Lippe throne. (See Unofficial Royalty: Alexander, Prince of Lippe for an explanation of the dispute over the succession to the Principality of Lippe throne.)

The Bückeburg Mausoleum. photo: By Corradox – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7328133

Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe died on April 29, 1911, aged 64, at Bückeburg Castle (link in German) in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony. He was buried at the Bückeburg Mausoleum (link in German) in the park surrounding Bückeburg Castle. Georg’s son and successor Adolf II, the last reigning Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, had the mausoleum built following his father’s death to replace the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martini Church (link in German) in Stadthagen as the family burial site. Marie Anna survived her husband by seven years, dying in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, on May 3, 1918, at age 54. She was buried with her husband at the Bückeburg Mausoleum.

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.

Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020) Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-prince-of-schaumburg-lippe/ (Accessed: 31 August 2023).
  • Marie Anna von Sachsen-Altenburg (2022) Wikipedia (German). Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Anna_von_Sachsen-Altenburg (Accessed: 31 August 2023).
  • Moritz von Sachsen-Altenburg (2022) Wikipedia (German). Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moritz_von_Sachsen-Altenburg (Accessed: 31 August 2023).
  • Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Moritz_of_Saxe-Altenburg (Accessed: 31 August 2023).
  • Princess Marie Anne of Saxe-Altenburg (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Marie_Anne_of_Saxe-Altenburg (Accessed: 31 August 2023).

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg Moritz was the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, and the last Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg. Upon his death with no heir, the House of Saxe-Altenburg merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

photo: By Schlegel, Dresden – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36003998

Wilhelm Georg Moritz Ernst Albrecht Friedrich Karl Constantine Eduard Maximilian was born on May 13, 1900 in Potsdam, where his father – then 3rd in line to the ducal throne of Saxe-Altenburg – was serving with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards of the Prussian army. His father was the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and his mother was Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. Georg Moritz had three siblings:

  • Princess Charlotte (1899) – married Prince Sigismund of Prussia, had issue
  • Princess Elisabeth Karola (1903) – unmarried
  • Prince Friedrich Ernst (1905) – unmarried

He became Hereditary Prince in February 1908 when his father became the reigning Duke. The family left Potsdam and returned to Altenburg, taking up residence at Altenburg Castle. The young prince was educated privately at home for several years before being sent to the King Georg High School in Dresden in 1913. He also received military training with the 8th Thuringian Infantry Regiment.

In November 1918, his father was forced to abdicate when the German monarchy was dissolved. From an early age, Georg Moritz was interested in anthroposophy – “a philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) which maintains that, by virtue of a prescribed method of self-discipline, cognitional experience of the spiritual world can be achieved.” (source: dictionary.com).  From the early 1930s, he devoted much of his life to his interest, teaching and promoting anthroposophy at Hamborn Castle. He later rented a nearby farm where he lived for many years.

Although anthroposophy was banned by the Nazi regime, thanks to the intervention of Georg Moritz, research with disabled children was allowed to continue at Hamborn until 1941. The Gestapo put an end to the research and Georg Moritz was placed in custody for over nine months. He returned to Hamborn in 1946 after the war, living in a small apartment in the castle and promoting his research and studies. In addition, he served on the board of the local social charity for many years.

Upon his father’s death in 1955, Georg Moritz became Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg and pretender to the former ducal throne.

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg died from pneumonia on February 13, 1991 in Rendsburg, Germany. As he had never married, and his younger brother had died several years earlier with no heirs, this brought an end to the House of Saxe-Altenburg. It was merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, led by a distant cousin, Michael, the current pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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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.

Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Princess Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg was born on June 28, 1845, at her father’s palace on Karlsstrasse in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was the only daughter and the younger of the two children of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and his second wife Princess Luise Karoline Reuss of Greiz. Her paternal grandparents were Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (formerly Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen) and Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Marie Gasparine’s maternal grandparents were Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince of Reuss-Greiz and Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort. Her father’s sister, born Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, was the wife of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, which is why Bavaria focused so much in her family’s life.

Marie Gasparine had one older sibling:

Marie Gasparine had four half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Amalie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen who died in 1841 due to childbirth complications:

Marie Gasparine spent the early years of her life in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria where her father, Lieutenant General and Commander of the Cavalry Division of the 1st Army Corps in Munich, was stationed near his favorite sister Queen Therese of Bavaria. In 1852, Marie Gasparine’s father died when she was just seven-years-old. After her father’s death Marie Gasparine, her mother, her brother, and her two surviving half-siblings were moved to Nymphenburg Palace in Munich.

In 1854, Luise Karoline Reuss of Greiz, Marie Gasparine’s mother, married for a second time to Prince Heinrich IV Reuss of Köstritz, a nobleman from the Princely House of Reuss. Marie Gasparine’s family moved to the Paragiat, a settlement for younger sons of ruling or noble houses and their families, in the Principality of Reuss-Köstritz.

Marie Gasparine had four half-siblings from her mother’s second marriage:

Marie Gasparine in her teenage years; Credit – Wikipedia

After her confirmation in April 1860, fifteen-year-old Marie Gasparine was sent to the court of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, her older first cousin, in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. During her nine-year stay, Fraulein von Liederskron, her lady-in-waiting, was responsible for her upbringing and education.

Karl Günther of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, circa 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

In March 1868 at the royal court in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, Marie Gasparine met her future husband, then Hereditary Prince Karl Günther of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, and soon they became engaged. The wedding, scheduled for August 1868, had to be postponed because Marie Gasparine was seriously ill with diphtheria.

On June 12, 1869, at Altenburg Castle in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, Maria Gasparine and Karl Günther were finally married. Their impressive guest list included the Crown Prince of Prussia (the future German Emperor Friedrich III), Heinrich XXII, the reigning Prince of Reuss-Greiz, Marie Gasparine’s first cousin Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (born Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg and the wife of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia), Hereditary Prince Friedrich and Hereditary Princess Antoinette of Anhalt, (the future Duke and Duchess of Anhalt, Antoinette was Marie Gasparine’s sister) and Karl Günther’s brothers Prince Leopold and Prince Hugo of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Marie Gasparine as Hereditary Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen; Credit – Wikipedia

During the 1870 – 1871 Franco-Prussian War, Hereditary Princess Marie Gasparine showed great commitment to the wounded and the soldiers’ families. She founded an organization that collected funds for soldiers’ wives and children and mobilized women who produced bandages and who obtained other necessary items. However, the marriage of Marie Gasparine and Karl Günther remained childless and this would cause a succession crisis.

On July 17, 1880, 79-year-old Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen abdicated in favor of his son Karl Günther due to old age and illness. He survived nine more years, dying on September 15, 1889.

In addition to her duties as Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Marie Gasparine was interested in culture and history. She was particularly interested in Mon plaisir, the miniature doll town of Auguste Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1666–1751), wife of Anton Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Mon plaisir is a replica of a baroque town in miniature format, with 400 dolls, 2,670 individual items, in 82 miniature scenes. The scenes give an impression of everyday life in the 18th century. The doll collection had long been forgotten. Marie Gasparine restored the collection and made it important once again. The doll collection is still on display at the Schloss Museum in Arnstadt.

Karl Günther in 1898; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1906, Karl Günther suffered a debilitating hunting accident, never recovered, and spent the rest of his life bedridden. He died on March 28, 1909, aged 78, in a sanatorium in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony, and was buried in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church – link in German) in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. Because Karl Günther was childless and his unmarried brothers had died, the two Schwarzburg principalities were united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union and he was then styled Prince of Schwarzburg.

Marie Gasparine in her later years; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of her husband, a separate court was established for Marie Gasparine as Dowager Princess. She lived mostly at Schloss Sondershausen (link in German) and Schloss Gehren (link in German). After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, the November Revolution of 1918 led to the end of all the German monarchies. On November 23, 1918, Günther Victor abdicated the throne of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and on November 25, 1918, he abdicated in Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Günther Victor made an agreement with the new government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. At the same time, Marie Gasparine received the right to live in a wing of Schloss Sondershausen which she shared with the abdicated Günther Victor and his wife Anna Luise.

Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) with the princely burial chapel on the right; Credit – Von ErwinMeier – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53603995

Marie Gasparine survived her husband by 21 years. She died on July 5, 1930, aged 85, at Schloss Sondershausen, in Sondershausen, Thuringia, Germany, and was buried with her husband in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen.

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.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl Günther (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_G%C3%BCnther_(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Marie Von Sachsen-Altenburg (1845–1930). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_von_Sachsen-Altenburg_(1845%E2%80%931930)> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Charles Gonthier, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Gonthier,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Sondershausen> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Marie Gasparine Of Saxe-Altenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Marie_Gasparine_of_Saxe-Altenburg> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/german-royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen/> [Accessed 13 November 2020].

Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe was the wife of Ernst II, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. She was born Princess Friederike Adelheid Marie Luise Hilda Eugenie on September 22, 1875, at Ratibořice Castle in Bohemia, the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau. Adelheid had seven siblings:

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

On February 17, 1898, at Bückeburg, Adelheid married Prince Ernst of Saxe-Altenburg. He was the son of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Auguste of Saxe-Meiningen. Together they had four children:

In February 1908, Adelheid became the last Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg when her husband succeeded his father as Duke. Their reign, however, would be relatively short-lived. Her husband was forced to abdicate on November 13, 1918, when the German Empire was abolished. Following the abdication, Adelheid felt that she no longer had to endure her husband’s affairs and the shame it brought to her marriage. The couple separated and was divorced on January 17, 1920.

Mausoleum in the park of Schloss Bückeburg. photo: Von Corradox – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7328133

After remaining mostly out of the public eye for the rest of her life, Adelheid died in Ballenstedt, East Germany, on January 27, 1971, at the age of 95. She is buried in the Mausoleum Garden at Schloss Bückeburg, the traditional burial site of the Princely Family of Schaumburg-Lippe, in Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg: The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg was created in 1826 when Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. After Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died in 1825 without heirs, the Ernestine duchies were reorganized. Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld becoming the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Altenburg passed to Friedrich. In exchange, the two Dukes ceded Saalfeld and Hildburghausen, respectively, to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

As World War I ended, the last Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Ernst II, was one of the first German sovereigns to realize that major changes were coming and quickly arrived at an amicable settlement with his subjects. He abdicated on November 13, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg is located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg; source  Wikipedia

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Ernst II was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, succeeding his uncle, Ernst I, in 1908. Prince Ernst Bernhard Georg Johann Karl Friedrich Peter Albert was born in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, on August 31, 1871, the only son of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Auguste of Saxe-Meiningen. Ernst had four sisters:

Raised at the Prince’s Palace in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, Ernst was very close to his sisters. After receiving his initial education at home, he attended the Vitzthumsche Gymnasium in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony,  from 1884-1886, and then the Christians-Gymnasium in Eisenberg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia,  from 1886-1889. Over the next three years, he studied at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, the University of Jena, in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany, and the University of Heidelberg, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Ernst then attended the War School in Kassel, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Hesse, Germany, and received his officer’s commission in 1894. That year, he joined the 1st Foot Guards Regiment of the Prussian Army as a Lieutenant.

Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. source: Wikipedia

Ernst married Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe on February 27, 1898, in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau. Ernst and Adelheid had four children:

Ernst II with his wife and children, c1906. source: Wikipedia

Ernst became Duke following his uncle’s death on February 7, 1908. He was a popular ruler who made efforts to be close to his subjects. He would hold audiences for any and all who wanted to meet with him. He also pursued his interests in science and technology, opening an airfield in 1911, and owning one of the first cars in the duchy. During most of his reign, he continued with his military career. At the outbreak of World War I, he commanded a regiment that was part of the IV Army Corps on the Western Front. He was appointed General of the Infantry in 1914 and Commander of the 8th Division in 1915. He retired fully from military service in August 1916.

Ernst II abdicated on November 13, 1918, as the German Empire came to an end. Taking an apartment in Berlin, he spent some time studying at the University of Berlin, hearing lectures in physics, oceanography, and philosophy. Ernst and his wife separated, and their marriage formally ended in divorce on January 17, 1920. Later that year, he announced his engagement to an opera singer, Helena Thomas, but the marriage never took place.

Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft. photo: By Fovea112 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14542089

Although he retained ownership of Altenburg Castle, he left the castle in 1922 and moved to Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in Wolfersdorf, Germany one of the family’s privately owned estates. Literally translated as ‘The Castle of Happy Return’, the Schloss dated back to the 1500s and had been thoroughly restored and expanded in the 1850s and 1860s by Ernst’s great-uncle Joseph, the former Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.

Soon after taking residence, Ernst had a modern observatory constructed at the Schloss, to enjoy his love of astronomy. At that time, Ernst began using the title Baron of Rieseneck, as he was forbidden from using his ducal title. It wasn’t until 1934 that he was again permitted to use ‘Duke of Saxe-Altenburg’, but only as a surname. In the 1930s, he studied at the Astrophysical Institute at the University of Jena, further expanding his scientific knowledge. In 1934, he married his longtime companion, Maria Triebel (b. October 1893). As the marriage was morganatic, his new wife took the title Countess of Rieseneck. They had no children.

Ernst became a member of the Nazi Party in May 1937, and the following year received honorary citizenship from the City of Altenburg. He gifted Altenburg Castle to the city, in 1943. After World War II, he refused an offer to relocate to the British occupation zone, preferring to gain citizenship in the German Democratic Republic. also known as East Germany. The East German government expropriated his beloved Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in 1946, but Ernst was given the use of the residence for the remainder of his life.

At the age of 83, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg died at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft on March 22, 1955. He is buried in the Ducal Cemetery in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf alongside his second wife. He was the only former German ruler who was a citizen of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), and the last surviving sovereign from the German Empire. The Saxe-Altenburg line ended in 1991, following the death of Ernst’s son, Hereditary Prince Georg Moritz.

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Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau was the wife of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. She was born Friederike Amalie Agnes on June 24, 1824, in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the daughter of Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Friederike of Prussia. She had three siblings:

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. source: Wikipedia

On April 28, 1853, Agnes married Prince Ernst of Saxe-Altenburg, the son of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Duchess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They had two children:

A few months after their marriage, Ernst and Agnes became Duke and Duchess of Anhalt following the death of Ernst’s father, Georg. Agnes became very involved in charity work, particularly in the area of nursing and education.

Agnes and Ernst, c1870. source: Wikipedia

From all accounts, the marriage was a very happy one and the two were very devoted to each other. For their 25th anniversary in 1878, Ernst gave Agnes the Princess Cross – a newly created miniature of the Knight’s Cross First Class of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order. They also established the Ernst-Agnes Foundation. In 1893, Agnes wrote a book entitled ‘A Word to Israel’, which discussed anti-semitism and Christianity in Germany. The book was later translated and published in Italian.

The Duchess Agnes Memorial Church. photo: by User:WikiABG – self-photographed, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=875509

Agnes died at the family’s summer residence, Schloss Hummelshain in Hummelshain, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, on October 23, 1897, and was initially buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia. Several years later, her husband had the Duchess Agnes Memorial Church (link in German) built in Altenburg in her honor. Once completed, her remains were moved to the crypt there, along with those of their son Georg who had died in infancy.

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.

Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg: The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg was created in 1826 when Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. After Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died in 1825 without heirs, the Ernestine duchies were reorganized. Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld becoming the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Altenburg passed to Friedrich. In exchange, the two Dukes ceded Saalfeld and Hildburghausen, respectively, to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

As World War I ended, the last Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Ernst II, was one of the first German sovereigns to realize that major changes were coming and quickly arrived at an amicable settlement with his subjects. He abdicated on November 13, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg is located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Ernst I was the longest-reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, reigning from 1853 until 1908. He was born Prince Ernst Friedrich Paul Georg Nikolaus of Saxe-Hildburghausen on September 16, 1826, to the future Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Duchess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Just two months after his birth, his title changed to Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, when his grandfather, Friedrich, ceased to be Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and instead became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. Ernst had two younger brothers:

Ernst attended the University of Jena from 1840 until 1843 along with his brother, Moritz. He then continued his education in Lausanne. In 1845, he began his military training, serving with the Saxe-Altenburg forces and then with the Prussian Army. After completing his education at the University of Leipzig, he became a First Lieutenant in the 1st Foot Guards Regiment in Potsdam.

Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau. source: Wikipedia

Ernst married Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau on April 28, 1853, in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. She was the daughter of Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Friederike of Prussia. They had two children:

Ernst I succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Altenburg on August 3, 1853. Unlike his predecessors, he left much of the running of the duchy to his ministers, preferring to focus his attention on social issues, and his personal pursuits. However, he remained very active in cultivating the duchy’s relationship with Prussia and the other German states. He joined Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, although his forces were never involved in actual battles. For his efforts, he was given a guarantee of independence for Saxe-Altenburg, at a time when Prussia was annexing other territories, including the Kingdom of Hanover. Again joining the Prussians for the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Ernst joined the military staff of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He later joined the staff of the 4th Army Corps, participating in the siege of Paris and the battles on the Loire.

Jagdschloss Hummelshain. photo: by Michael Sander – Own Work (self photographed), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10112948

Meanwhile, at home, Ernst reorganized the government and helped to develop Altenburg into one of the major industrial cities in Germany. He oversaw the construction of a court theater in 1871 and was instrumental in establishing the Lindenau Museum several years later. An avid huntsman, he spent a lot of his time at the Jagdschloss Hummelshain – the family’s hunting lodge. After the lodge was destroyed by fire in 1872, Ernst oversaw the construction of a new, much more opulent lodge which was completed in 1885. In 1903, Ernst commissioned the construction of a memorial church in honor of his wife who had died six years earlier. The Duchess Agnes Memorial Church was completed in 1906, and Ernst had his wife’s tomb moved to the crypt there, along with that of their son Georg who had died in infancy.

The Duchess Agnes Memorial Church. photo: by User:WikiABG – Self photographed, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=875509

After a reign of nearly 55 years, Ernst I died in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, on February 7, 1908. He was buried in the crypt at the Duchess Agnes Memorial Church in Altenburg, alongside his wife and son. As he had no living male heir, he was succeeded by his nephew, Ernst II, the son of his brother Moritz.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg. source: Wikipedia

Marie Luise was the wife of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. Duchess Marie Luise Friederike Alexandrine Elisabeth Charlotte Catherine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born on March 31, 1803, at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwgislust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. She was the daughter of Friedrich Ludwig, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia.

Marie Luise had one older brother:

Marie Luise had three younger half-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Princess Caroline Louise of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach:

Prince Georg of Saxe-Hildburghausen, c1820. source: Wikipedia

On October 7, 1825, in Ludwigslust, Marie Luise married Prince Georg of Saxe-Hildburghausen. He was the son of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (later Duke of Saxe-Altenburg) and Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Marie Luise and her husband had three sons:

A year after their marriage, Georg became the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg. The Ernestine duchies had been reorganized, and Georg’s father ceded Hildburghausen to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and had instead been created Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. The family left Hildburghausen, and Marie and Georg settled at Christiansburg Castle in Eisenburg. They later moved to Altenburg where, on November 30, 1848, Georg’s brother Joseph abdicated the throne. George and Marie became the new reigning Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg.

Christiansburg Castle. photo: By Wolkenkratzer – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38730308

The new Duchess quickly threw herself into charity work. Through her Marie Foundation, she founded a woman’s association, several schools, and the Lutheran missionary society in Altenburg. After being widowed in August 1853, Marie Luise stayed in Altenburg and maintained a very close relationship with her son and his children.

On October 26, 1862, the 59-year-old Dowager Duchess died at the Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany. Her body was brought back to Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, and was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Altenburg cemetery. In 1974, her remains were removed from the mausoleum and reburied elsewhere in the cemetery.

Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg: The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg was created in 1826 when Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. After Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died in 1825 without heirs, the Ernestine duchies were reorganized. Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld becoming the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Altenburg passed to Friedrich. In exchange, the two Dukes ceded Saalfeld and Hildburghausen, respectively, to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

As World War I ended, the last Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Ernst II, was one of the first German sovereigns to realize that major changes were coming and quickly arrived at an amicable settlement with his subjects. He abdicated on November 13, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg is located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg reigned from 1848 until 1853. He was born Prince Georg Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Hildburghausen in Hildburghausen, Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany, on July 24, 1796, to Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (later Duke of Saxe-Altenburg) and Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Georg had 11 siblings:

As a younger son, it was not expected that Georg would one day succeed to the ducal throne. He began a military career early, serving in the Austrian forces in 1804. Ten years later, he was wounded in the Italian Campaign and forced to give up active service. Returning to Hildburghausen, he lived with his brother Joseph at the nearby Charlottenburg Palace. From 1816 until 1820, he studied at the University of Heidelberg and was then appointed as a personal adjutant to King Maximilian I of Bavaria. After two years, he once again returned to Hildburghausen and undertook a project to redesign a castle in nearby Hellingen. He also founded a youth army, and in 1824, founded the municipal savings bank in Hildburghausen.

Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. source: Wikipedia

On October 7, 1825, in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, Georg married Duchess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was the daughter of Friedrich Ludwig, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia. They had three sons:

The following year, his father became the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and moved to Altenburg. Georg and his family, however, remained in Hildburghausen for three more years. Eventually, in 1829, they moved to his father’s new duchy, taking up residence at Christiansburg Castle in nearby Eisenberg.

Christiansburg Castle. photo: by Wolkenkratzer – Own Work, CC-BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38730308

Georg became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg on November 30, 1848, succeeding his brother Joseph who was forced to abdicate. As Duke, he reformed the financial administration of the duchy and founded the George Foundation, which worked to promote and support artists and craftsmen. Georg came significant amounts of his own money to welfare efforts for the poor, earning him the nickname ‘Georg the Good’.

In declining health, Georg handed over much of his role to his son Ernst on May 28, 1853. Just over two months later, Duke Georg died at Jagdschloss Hummelshaim (link in German), now in the German state of Thuringia, on August 3, 1853. He was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, until 1974. At that time, all the remains in the mausoleum were removed and buried in an unmarked grave elsewhere in the cemetery.

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.

Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty