by Johan
Dynasty: Wettin
Capital: Dresden
Last Ruler: King Frederick Augustus III (1865-1932) ruled 1904-1918
Official residences: Zwinger Palace, Pillnitz Castle (summer home), Dresden Castle
For much of the 18th century, the Wettin dynasty also reigned as Kings of Poland, and during the Napoleonic period as Duke of Warsaw. These Polish ventures sometimes put a severe strain on the Saxon treasury. Saxony wasn’t treated well at the Vienna Congress in 1815 with the loss of 57% of its territory and 42% of its population to Prussia. This reduced Saxony as a major European power. They were, however, able to keep the title of King they received in 1806 (along with the monarchs of Wurttemberg & and Bavaria).
The Wettin Dynasty, as one of the few German Catholic dynasties, continued to provide consorts to many of the other Catholic dynasties. For example, the last Emperor of Austria, Karl I, (son of Archduke Otto of Austria-Hungary) had a Saxon Princess for a mother. This interestingly came about after his uncle, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, refused the hand of her plain sister. Franz Ferdinand’s brother, Otto’s, marriage was arranged to placate the angry Saxon King.
The last Saxon King Frederick Augustus III (1865-1932) was married to a Habsburg Princess from the Tuscan branch. The marriage famously ended after she ran away pregnant from the marital home with the children’s tutor after her father-in-law wanted to have her interred in an asylum.
A famous quote attributed to him when he was standing in his uniform at a train station and a lady asked him to move her baggage: “Madam, I am not a porter; I only look like one.”
After his abdication, the King stayed mostly in Sibyllenort, his castle in Silesia. (Silesia was an area favored by a number of German Princelings who had vacation homes there. This area is now mostly in Poland following World War II). Sibyllenort was acquired from the last Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg who died in 1884. The castle was called the Windsor Castle of Silesia due to similar building style, but unfortunately, this massive 400 room castle was destroyed by retreating German soldiers. The family was also able to keep Schloss Moritzburg after World War I. Unfortunately, all property located in East Germany was lost to the family due to destruction or nationalization.
The late King’s 2nd son, Friedrich Christian (1893-1968) was at one stage in the early 1930s considered by the Polish when they were thinking about turning the state into a constitutional monarchy. This was due to the many Saxon Princes who served as Kings of Poland. The rise of the militant Nazi party in the 1930’s unfortunately shelved this idea. His older brother Friedrich renounced his claims in 1923 to become a Jesuit priest. He died in 1943 from a heart attack whilst swimming, but some rumours claim he was murdered by the Gestapo due to his links to help to save Jews.
The succession to the dynasty is now a subject of much debate. The former head of the house Maria Emanuel (1926-2012) who style himself Margrave Meissen, was childless. Fortunately, the family applies the semi-salic law. He had thought about the idea that his sister (who is married to a Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)’s son Johannes (1969-1987) succeed him. The Saxe-Coburg Gotha dynasty, as a junior line of the main Wettin line, would have ensured that the Saxon line stayed in the Wettin family. Unfortunately, this prince died in 1987, which necessitated that he appoint a new heir. He thus appointed his other sister’s non-noble son, Alexander de Afif (b 1954) as his heir. Alexander and his descendants are now titled Princes of Saxe-Gessaphe. Alexander enhanced his position by marrying Princess Gisela of Bavaria (b 1964). Their oldest son is Prince George (b 1988). However, upon Maria Emanuel’s death, his younger brother Albert claimed his position as Head of the House. Having no children, he appointed Prince Ruediger, the son of his cousin Prince Timo, as his heir. Following Albert’s death in October 2012, the dispute has continued between Prince Alexander and Prince Ruediger.