Siegfried I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Encyclopedia
Siegfried I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (b. ca. 1230 - d. Köthen, 25 March 1298), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst
Anhalt-Zerbst
Anhalt-Zerbst was a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is bounded by the districts Potsdam-Mittelmark and Wittenberg, the city of Dessau and the districts of Köthen, Schönebeck and Jerichower Land.- History :...

.

He was the youngest son of Henry I, Count of Anhalt
Henry I, Count of Anhalt
Henry I, Count of Anhalt was a German prince of the House of Ascania and Count of Anhalt.He was the oldest son of Bernhard III, Duke of Saxony and Count of Anhalt, by his wife Brigitte a daughter of Canute V of Denmark....

 (who was raised to the rank of prince in 1218), by his wife Irmgard, daughter of Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia.

Life

After the death of his father in 1252, in accordance with the family law of the House of Ascania, the sons of the late Prince divided his lands. Siegfried received Zerbst
Zerbst
Zerbst is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until the administrative reform of 2007, Zerbst was the capital of the Anhalt-Zerbst district. Since the 1 January 2010 local government reform, Zerbst has about 24,000 inhabitants.It is not clear when was it founded;...

. His style Count of Köthen-Dessau (used from 1253) derived from the territories he received as his inheritance.

In 1247, after the death of Henry Raspe, the last Landgrave of Thuringia from the Ludowinger Dinasty and the resulting War of the Thuringen Succession, the young Siegfried occupied the Palatine County (German: Pfalzgrafschaft), by right of his mother Irmgard. Later he renounced the county in favor of the House of Wettin in exchange for a monetary compensation.

In 1290 Siegfried renounced his rule to become a preaching monk (German: Predigermönch). As a result, his eldest son Albert
Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....

 became the new ruler of Zerbst, although the former prince retained his rank until his death.

Marriage and issue

In 17 October 1259, Siegfried married Katharina (Karin), daughter of Birger Magnusson, later known as Birger jarl
Birger jarl
, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have...

, Regent of Sweden, by his wife Princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden
Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden
Ingeborg Eriksdotter , was a Swedish Princess and Duchess, daughter of king Eric X of Sweden, eldest sibling of king Eric XI of Sweden, wife of Birger Jarl and mother of king Valdemar I of Sweden.- Biography :...

, sister of King Eric XI of Sweden
Eric XI of Sweden
Eric "XI" of Sweden, or Eric the Lisp and Lame Swedish: Erik Eriksson läspe och halte; Old Norse: Eiríkr Eiríksson was king of Sweden in 1222–1229 and 1234–1250.-Background:...

. At the time of the wedding, the bride's older brother was King Waldemar of Sweden by right of their mother. They had ten children:
  1. Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
    Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
    Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....

     (d. 17 August 1316).
  2. Henry (d. 13 December 1340 / 28 March 1341 ?), Provost of Halberstadt
    Halberstadt
    Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....

    .
  3. Siegfried (d. 25 February 1317), a canon in Magdeburg
    Magdeburg
    Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....

    .
  4. Hermann (d. aft. 24 June 1328), a Teutonic knight, Comtur at 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:...

     in 1327.
  5. Agnes (d. aft. 17 August 1316), Abbess of Coswig
    Coswig
    Coswig can refer to two towns in Germany, both on the river Elbe:*Coswig, Saxony, in the district of Meißen, Saxony*Coswig, Anhalt, in the district of Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt...

    .
  6. Hedwig (d. aft. 24 February 1319), Abbess of Coswig.
  7. Elisabeth (d. aft. 17 August 1316), a nun in Coswig.
  8. Judith (d. aft. 17 August 1316), a nun in Coswig.
  9. Konstanze (d. aft. 17 August 1316), a nun in Coswig.
  10. Sophie (d. aft. 9 January 1290), married Ludwig of Hakeborn.
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