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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Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia
Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg was born Hereditary Prince Joseph Georg Friedrich Ernst Karl of Saxe-Hildburghausen in Hildburghausen, Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany, on August 27, 1789. He was the second, but eldest surviving, son of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (later Duke of Saxe-Altenburg) and Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. His godparents included Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, King George III of Great Britain, and King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. Joseph had 11 siblings:
- Prince Joseph (born and died 1786) – died in infancy
- Princess Katharina Charlotte (1787-1847) – married Prince Paul of Württemberg, had issue
- Princess Caroline (born and died 1788) – died at birth
- Princess Friederike (born and died 1791) – died in infancy
- Princess Therese (1792-1854) – married King Ludwig I of Bavaria, had issue
- Princess Luise (1794-1825) – married Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau, had issue
- Prince Franz Friedrich (1795-1800) – died in childhood
- Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1796-1853) – married Princess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had issue
- Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (1801-1870) – unmarried
- Prince Maximilian Karl (born and died 1803) – died in infancy
- Prince Eduard Karl (1804-1852) – married (1) Princess Amalie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, had issue; (2) Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz, had issue
After his initial education at home, he studied at the University of Erlangen. Beginning in 1814, he served in the Prussian Army, serving alongside his brother Georg during the Wars of Liberation. He retired from active service in 1816 but maintained several honorary positions.
Amalie of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia
Joseph married Duchess Amalie of Württemberg on April 24, 1817, in Kirchheim unter Teck, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. She was the daughter of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. Together, they had six daughters:
- Princess Marie (1818-1907) – married King Georg V of Hanover, had issue
- Princess Pauline (1819-1825) – died in childhood
- Princess Therese (1823-1915) – unmarried
- Princess Elisabeth (1826-1896) – married Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, had issue
- Princess Alexandra (1830-1911) – married Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich of Russia, had issue
- Princess Luise (1832-1833) – died in infancy
As Hereditary Prince, Joseph had basically ruled alongside his father for the last few years of his father’s reign. In 1833, acting on his father’s behalf, he reinstated the Saxe-Ernestine Ducal Order along with the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. He became Duke upon his father’s death on September 29, 1834. His reign saw the construction of several prominent buildings in Altenburg and the construction of a Ducal Mausoleum in the Altenburg cemetery. He also continued with the restoration of Altenburg Castle, a project begun by his father upon arriving in Altenburg in 1826.
As a ruler, Joseph was very conservative and against any sort of reform. With unrest spreading through Europe in 1848, Joseph quickly brought in troops to squash the growing demands for a free state in Altenburg. Despite his attempts, the people refused to back him and Joseph was forced to abdicate on November 30, 1848, just two days after the death of his wife. As he had no male heirs, he was succeeded by his younger brother, Georg.
Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft, c1864. source: Wikipedia
Joseph moved to Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft, his castle in Wolfersdorf, where he spent the next fifteen years restoring and expanding the estate. He lived for nearly 20 years after his abdication, dying in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, on November 25, 1868, and was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery. Per his wishes, his heart was buried at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft. In 1974, all of the remains in the mausoleum were removed and buried in an unmarked grave elsewhere in the cemetery.
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