Ernst Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen
Encyclopedia
Ernst, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen was the head of the house of Saxe-Meiningen
from 1928 until his death.
the eldest son of the heir apparent to the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, Prince Georg
and his second wife Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. His father succeeded to the throne in 1866. Ernst pursued a career in the Army and retired as Colonel in the Prussian cavalry. He received an honorary doctorate in philosophy
from the University of Jena.
Ernst was married in Munich
on 20 September 1892 to Katharina Jensen, the daughter of poet Wilhelm Jensen
. This was a morganatic marriage and his wife was created Baroness of Saalfeld on their wedding day by Ernst's father Georg II. Though the marriage was unequal Ernst retained his succession rights to the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen.
When his older half brother the last reigning duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Bernhard III died on 16 January 1928 Ernst succeeded him as head of the ducal house. As his children were born of a morganatic marriage Ernst's nephew Georg succeeded him as head of the house following his death at Schloss Altenstein
.
Saxe-Meiningen
The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
from 1928 until his death.
Biography
He was born in MeiningenMeiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
the eldest son of the heir apparent to the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, Prince Georg
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
and his second wife Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. His father succeeded to the throne in 1866. Ernst pursued a career in the Army and retired as Colonel in the Prussian cavalry. He received an honorary doctorate in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from the University of Jena.
Ernst was married in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
on 20 September 1892 to Katharina Jensen, the daughter of poet Wilhelm Jensen
Wilhelm Jensen
Wilhelm Hermann Jensen was a German writer and poet.-Biography:Wilhelm Jensen was born at Heiligenhafen in Holstein , the natural son of Swenn Hans Jensen , the Mayor of the city of Kiel, later administrator of the German/Danish island of Sylt, who came of old patrician Frisian stock...
. This was a morganatic marriage and his wife was created Baroness of Saalfeld on their wedding day by Ernst's father Georg II. Though the marriage was unequal Ernst retained his succession rights to the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen.
When his older half brother the last reigning duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Bernhard III died on 16 January 1928 Ernst succeeded him as head of the ducal house. As his children were born of a morganatic marriage Ernst's nephew Georg succeeded him as head of the house following his death at Schloss Altenstein
Altenstein
Schloss Altenstein, in Germany, is a palace upon a rocky mountain in Saxe-Meiningen, on the south-western slope of the Thuringian Forest, not far from Eisenach. It was the summer residence of the Dukes of Meiningen, and is surrounded by a 160 hectares noble park, which contains, among other...
.
Children
Ernst and Katharina had six children, all of whom held the title Baron (Baroness) of Saalfeld:| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baron Georg Wilhelm | 11 June 1893 | 29 April 1916 | Killed in Action Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... , La Bassée La Bassée La Bassée is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-History:La Bassée was the birthplace of the painter and draftsman Louis-Léopold Boilly .-References:*... , France during World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
| Baronin Elisabeth Helene Adelheid Marie | 2 February 1896 | 4 June 1934 | married on 25 April 1917 to Dr. Johann Duken (12 Jan 1889 - about 1954). |
| Baron Ernst Friedrich Heinrich Paul | 4 July 1896 | 28 May 1915 | Killed in Action at Josefovo, near Kielmy Kelme Kelmė is a city in central Lithuania. It has a population of around 11,000 and is the administrative center of the Kelmė district municipality.-History:Prior to World War II, Kelmė was home to a famous Rabbinical College, the Kelm Talmud Torah.... , Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark... during World War I |
| Baron Ralf Erich | 28 March 1900 | 22 July 1947 | Married firstly on 11 October 1928 to Marie Seitz, had issue:
Married secondly on 16 August 1936 to Melanie of Bismarck, had issue:
|
| Baron Sven Hans Heinrich Bernhard | 18 September 1903 | 13 December 1998 | Married on 20 March 1936 (divorced 1952) Elisabeth Faust, had issue:
|
| Baron Heinrich (Enzio) | 17 July 1908 | 31 March 1941 | Married on 28 February 1936 to Rut Viererbe and had issue:
Killed in action flying over England in World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |