Monthly Archives: June 2018

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 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 anyone 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 ended. Taking an apartment in Berlin, he studied 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 Ernst 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.

Ernst had a modern observatory constructed at the Schloss to enjoy his love of astronomy.  Ernst began using the title Baron of Rieseneck, as he was forbidden from using his ducal title. It was not 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.

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

The Queen’s Official Birthday

by Scott Mehl

source: British Monarchy; photo by David Bailey

This weekend, Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her official birthday (although her actual date of birth is April 21st). The day is marked with the Trooping the Colour – also known as the Sovereign’s Birthday Parade. This tradition began in 1748, and has occurred nearly every year since 1820. The Queen herself will take the salute, continuing the tradition begun by her great-grandfather, King Edward VII. It was also Edward VII who moved his official birthday from November to June, to capitalize on the better weather. Since 1959, Her Majesty’s official birthday has been held on the second Saturday in June. Read more about Trooping the Colour here!

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The Sovereign also issues what is known as the Birthday Honours – a listing of those people being appointed to the various orders, or being awarded with various decorations and medals. Birthday Honours have been given annually since at least 1860, during the reign of Queen Victoria. This is one of two lists per year, the other being the New Year Honours.

This year, as we celebrate Her Majesty’s 92th birthday, our friends at Country & Stable have put together a fun page of facts and trivia about The Queen. Check it out and find out what The Queen was doing when she was your age!

What was the Queen doing at your age?

Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

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 areas of nursing and education.

Agnes and Ernst, c1870. source: Wikipedia

From all accounts, the marriage was very happy 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; Credit – Wikipedia

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 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.

Ernst’s wife, 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 much 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 that 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 with 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.

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