Eduard, Duke of Anhalt
Encyclopedia
Eduard Georg Wilhelm, Duke of Anhalt (18 April 1861 – 13 September 1918) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and the penultimate ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt from April to September 1918.
, the capital of the Duchy, in 1861 as the third son of Duke Friedrich I of Anhalt (1831–1904) and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg (1838–1908). As Eduard's eldest brother, Leopold
, died without male offspring in 1886, and the next brother, Frederick
, had no issue, Eduard became heir apparent
and Hereditary Prince following the death of their father, Duke Friedrich I, in 1904.
under the regency
of Eduard's younger brother, Prince Aribert
.
on 6 February 1895. She was a daughter of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen
. They had six children before divorcing in 1918.
Early life
Eduard was born at DessauDessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
, the capital of the Duchy, in 1861 as the third son of Duke Friedrich I of Anhalt (1831–1904) and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg (1838–1908). As Eduard's eldest brother, Leopold
Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt
Leopold of Anhalt , was a German prince of the House of Ascania. From 1871 until his death he was heir to the duchy of Anhalt.-Early life:...
, died without male offspring in 1886, and the next brother, Frederick
Frederick II, Duke of Anhalt
Frederick II was the Duke of Anhalt from 1904 until 1918.-Early life:He was born in Dessau in 1856 as the second son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Anhalt-Dessau and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg....
, had no issue, Eduard became heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
and Hereditary Prince following the death of their father, Duke Friedrich I, in 1904.
Reign
Eduard succeeded his brother Duke Friedrich II of Anhalt on April 21, 1918, but his brief reign came to an end five months later with his own death on 13 September 1918. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Prince Joachim ErnstJoachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt
Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt was the last ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt.-Biography:He was born in Dessau the son of Duke Eduard of Anhalt and Princess Luise of Saxe-Altenburg , the daughter of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg.He succeeded his father as Duke of Anhalt on September 13, 1918, however...
under the regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Eduard's younger brother, Prince Aribert
Prince Aribert of Anhalt
Prince Aribert of Anhalt , was a Prince of the German Duchy of Anhalt.He was regent of Anhalt from September to November 1918 on behalf of his underage nephew Duke Joachim Ernst...
.
Marriage and children
Duke Eduard married Princess Luise of Saxe-Altenburg (1873–1953) at AltenburgAltenburg
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:...
on 6 February 1895. She was a daughter of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Augusta Louise Adelaide Caroline Ida of Saxe-Meiningen was the daughter of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his wife Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel. She was the mother of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.-Family and early life:Augusta was the only daughter of the Duke and...
. They had six children before divorcing in 1918.
- Princess Friederike of Anhalt (1896-1896)
- Prince Leopold of Anhalt (1897–1898)
- Princess Marie-Auguste of AnhaltPrincess Marie-Auguste of AnhaltPrincess Marie Auguste of Anhalt was the daughter of Eduard, Duke of Anhalt and his wife Princess Luise of Saxe-Altenburg.-Early life and family:...
(1898–1983) married Prince Joachim of PrussiaPrince Joachim of PrussiaPrince Joachim Franz Humbert of Prussia was the youngest son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, by his first wife, Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein.-Candidate for thrones:... - Prince Joachim Ernst of AnhaltJoachim Ernst, Duke of AnhaltJoachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt was the last ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt.-Biography:He was born in Dessau the son of Duke Eduard of Anhalt and Princess Luise of Saxe-Altenburg , the daughter of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg.He succeeded his father as Duke of Anhalt on September 13, 1918, however...
(1901–1947) - Prince Eugen of Anhalt (1903–1980) married Anastasia Jungmeier (1901–1970)
- Princess Anastasia of Anhalt (born 1940) married Maria Emanuel, Margrave of MeissenMaria Emanuel, Margrave of MeissenMaria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen is the head of the Royal House of Saxony.Born in Schloss Prüfening, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany as son of Hereditary Prince Frederick Christian of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen and Princess Elisabeth Helene of Thurn and Taxis.He and Princess Anastasia of Anhalt ...
- Princess Anastasia of Anhalt (born 1940) married Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen
- Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt (1912–1936)