Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg (b. Dresden, 27 October 1615 - d. Merseburg, 18 October 1691), was a duke of Saxe-Merseburg and member of the House of Wettin.
He was the fifth (sixth in order of birth) but third surviving son of Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony and his second wife Magdalene Sybille of Prussia.
[edit] Life
On 1655 Christian was accepted in the Fruitbearing Society by the duke Wilhelm of Saxe-Weimar.
The Elector Johann Georg I, in his will (20 July 1652) ordered the division of the albertine territory, which was carried out on 22 April 1657 in Dresden. Christian inherited the town of Merseburg, became his first duke.
[edit] Marriage and Issue
In Dresden on 19 October 1650, Christian married with Christiane of Schleswig-Holstein-Glücksburg. They had eleven children:
- Magdalene Sophie (b.Dresden, 19 October 1651 - d. Merseburg, 29 March 1675).
- Johann Georg (b. Merseburg, 4 December 1652 - d. Merseburg, 3 January 1654).
- Christian II, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg (b. Merseburg, 19 November 1653 - d. Merseburg, 20 October 1694).
- August (b. Merseburg, 15 February 1655 - d. Zörbig, 27 March 1715), inherited Zörbig.
- Stillborn son (Merseburg, 1 February 1656).
- Philipp (b. Merseburg, 26 October 1657 - killed in action, Fleurus, 1 July 1690), inherited Lauchstädt.
- Christiane (b. Merseburg, 1 June 1659 - d. Eisenberg, 13 March 1679), married on 13 February 1677 to Duke Christian of Saxe-Eisenberg.
- Sophie Hedwig (b. Merseburg, 4 August 1660 - d. Saalfeld, 2 August 1686), married on 18 February 1680 to Duke Johann Ernst of Saxe-Saalfeld.
- Heinrich, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg (b. Merseburg, 2 September 1661 - d. Doberlug, 28 July 1738), inherited Spremberg; later (1731) also inherited Merseburg.
- Maurice (b. Merseburg, 29 October 1662 - d. Merseburg, 21 April 1664).
- Sibylle Maria (b. Merseburg, 28 October 1667 - d. Bernstadt, 9 October 1693), married on 27 October 1683 to Duke Christian Ulrich of Württemberg-Bernstadt.
| Preceded by Johann Georg I |
Duke of Saxe-Merseburg 1657 – 1691 |
Succeeded by Christian II |
