John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Encyclopedia
Harzgerode
Harzgerode is a town in the district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.-Geography:Its localities include:*Harzgerode*Alexisbad*Dankerode*Güntersberge*Königerode*Mägdesprung*Neudorf*Schielo*Silberhütte*Siptenfelde*Straßberg...
, 9 May 1567 – Dessau
Dessau
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:...
, 24 May 1618) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the unified principality of Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
. From 1603, he was ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality and later a duchy located in Germany. It was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. The capital of the state was Dessau. Anhalt-Dessau experienced a number of partitions throughout its existence with Anhalt-Köthen being...
.
John George was the eldest son of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt
Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt
Joachim Ernest of Anhalt , was a German prince of the House of Ascania, ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and from 1570 sole ruler of all the Anhalt lands....
, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Wolfgang I, Count of Barby-Mühlingen.
Life
After the death of his father in 1586, John George inherited the principality of Anhalt jointly with his younger brother Christian I and his five half-brothers according to the family law of the House of Ascania, which mandated no division of territories among the heirs. Because his half-brothers were still minors at the time of their accession, John George acted as regent.In 1603 an agreement was drawn up between John George and his surviving brothers to divide the territories of the principality of Anhalt among them. John George received Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality and later a duchy located in Germany. It was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. The capital of the state was Dessau. Anhalt-Dessau experienced a number of partitions throughout its existence with Anhalt-Köthen being...
, as well as the Seniorat; nonetheless, he maintained a regency over all of the newly-created principalities until 1606, when his brothers took over the government in their lands. As a ruler, he maintained Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
policies in his state and vigorously pursued the abolition of the traditional customs and liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
On 24 August 1617 at Schloss Hornstein (later Wilhelmsburg Castle) during the funeral of their sister Dorothea Maria
Dorothea Maria of Anhalt
Dorothea Maria of Anhalt , was by birth a member of the House of Ascania and princess of Anhalt...
, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar, John George and his younger brother Louis of Anhalt-Köthen
Louis I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen
Louis I of Anhalt-Köthen , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the unified principality of Anhalt. From 1603, he was ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen...
created the Fruitbearing Society
Fruitbearing Society
The Fruitbearing Society was a German literary society founded in 1617 in Weimar by German scholars and nobility to emulate the idea of the Accademia della Crusca in Florence and similar groups already thriving in Italy, to be followed in later years also in France and Britain...
. The Prince of Köthen was appointed its first leader.
John George was much appreciated by his subjects and considered learned abroad, particularly in the subjects of astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
and alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
. He possessed a remarkable library with over 3000 volumes.
Marriages and Issue
In HederslebenHedersleben
Hedersleben may refer to the following places in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany:*Hedersleben, Harz, in the Harz district*Hedersleben, Mansfeld-Südharz, in the Mansfeld-Südharz district...
on 22 February 1588 John George married Dorothea (b. 23 March 1561 - d. Dessau, 23 February 1594), daughter of John Albert VI, Count of Mansfeld-Arnstein. They had five children:
- Sophie Elisabeth (b. Dessau, 10 February 1589 - d. Liegnitz, 9 February 1622), married on 4 November 1614 to George Rudolph, Duke of LiegnitzGeorge Rudolf of LiegnitzGeorge Rudolf of Liegnitz was duke of Liegnitz-Wohlau from 1602 to 1653...
. - Anna Magdalena (b. Dessau, 29 March 1590 - d. EschwegeEschwegeEschwege , the district seat of the Werra-Meißner-Kreis, is a town in northeastern Hesse, Germany.- Location :The town lies on a broad plain tract of the river Werra at the foot of the Leuchtberg northwest of the Schlierbachswald and east of the Hoher Meißner...
, 24 October 1626), married on 14 June 1617 to Otto, Hereditary Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. - Anna Marie (b. Dessau, 4 May 1591 - d. Dessau, 7 July 1637).
- Joachim Ernest, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau, 18 July 1592 - d. Dessau, 28 May 1615).
- Christian (b. Dessau, 23 February 1594 - d. Dessau, 13 April 1594).
In Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
on 21 February 1595 John George married for a second time to Dorothea (b. Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
, 6 January 1581 - d. Sandersleben
Sandersleben
Sandersleben is a town and a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Wipper, approx. 17 km north of Eisleben...
, 18 September 1631), the only surviving child of John Casimir of Simmern
Johann Casimir of Simmern
John Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern was a German prince and a younger son of Elector Frederick III, Count Palatine of the Rhine. A firm Calvinist, he was a leader of mercenary troops in the religious wars of the time, including the Dutch Revolt...
, third son of Frederick III, Elector Palatine
Frederick III, Elector Palatine
Frederick III of Simmern, the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-Sponheim. He was a son of John II of Simmern and inherited the Palatinate from the childless Elector Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine in 1559...
. They had eleven children:
- John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-DessauJohn Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-DessauJohn Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau....
(b. Dessau, 7 September 1596 - d. Dessau, 15 September 1660). - Anna Elisabeth (b. Dessau, 5 April 1598 - d. TecklenburgTecklenburgTecklenburg is a town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:It is located at the foothills of the Teutoburg Forest, southwest of Osnabrück.-Division of the town:...
, 20 April 1660), married on 2 January 1617 to William Henry, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt. - Frederick Maurice (b. Dessau, 18 February 1600 - d. LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, 25 August 1610). - Eleonore DorotheaEleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-DessauEleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau , was a princess of Anhalt-Dessau by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weimar.- Life :...
(b. Dessau, 16 February 1602 - d. Weimar, 26 December 1664), married on 23 May 1625 to William, Duke of Saxe-WeimarWilhelm, Duke of Saxe-WeimarWilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar , was a duke of Saxe-Weimar.Wilhelm was the fifth son of Johann, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Dorothea Maria of Anhalt...
. - Sibylle ChristineSibylle Christine of Anhalt-DessauSibylle Christine of Anhalt-Dessau , was by birth a member of the House of Ascania and princess of Anhalt-Dessau...
(b. Dessau, 11 July 1603 - d. HanauHanauHanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
, 21 February 1686), married firstly on 26 December 1627 to Philip Maurice, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg, and secondly on 13 May 1647 to Frederick Casimir, Count of Hanau-LichtenbergFrederick Casimir, Count of Hanau-LichtenbergFrederick Casimir of Hanau was a member of the Hanau-Lichtenberg branch of the House of Hanau...
. - Henry Waldemar (b. Dessau, 7 November 1604 - d. Dessau, 25 September 1606).
- George AribertGeorge Aribert of Anhalt-DessauGeorge Aribert of Anhalt-Dessau , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau....
(b. Dessau, 3 June 1606 - d. WörlitzWörlitz' is a town and a former municipality in the district of Wittenberg, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Oranienbaum-Wörlitz. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, east of Dessau...
, 14 November 1643). - Kunigunde Juliane (b. Dessau, 17 February 1608 - d. RotenburgRotenburgRotenburg is the name of the following three towns in Germany:*Rotenburg an der Wümme, near Verden in Lower Saxony*Rotenburg an der Fulda, near Kassel in Hesse*Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in the Franconia region of Bavaria...
, 26 September 1683), married on 2 January 1642 to Hermann, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg. - Susanna MargareteSusanna Margarete of Anhalt-DessauSusanna Margarete of Anhalt-Dessau , was by birth a member of the House of Ascania and princess of Anhalt-Dessau...
(b. Dessau, 23 August 1610 - d. BabenhausenBabenhausenBabenhausen is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Gersprenz, 25 km southeast of Frankfurt, and 14 km west of Aschaffenburg. South of its general borders, the mountain range of the Odenwald is situated about 15 km away...
, 13 October 1663), married on 16 February 1651 to John Philip, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg. - Johanna Dorothea (b. Dessau, 24 March 1612 - d. Tecklenburg, 26 April 1695), married on 9 February 1636 to Maurice, Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg (nephew of his brother-in-law William Henry).
- Eva Katharine (b. Dessau, 11 September 1613 - d. Dessau, 15 December 1679).