Georg Albrecht of Saxe-Weissenfels, Count of Barby

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Georg Albrecht of Saxe-Weissenfels, Count of Barby (b. Dessau, 19 April 1695 - d. Barby, 12 June 1739), was a German prince member of the House of Wettin and count of Barby.

He was the sixth but second surviving son of Heinrich of Saxe-Weissenfels, Count of Barby and Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau.

[edit] Life

Before his own birth, two older brothers (both called Johann August) and a stillborn twin sons had died. The death of his older surviving brother, the Hereditary Prince Frederick Heinrich, during his Grand trip in the Hague (21 November 1711), make him the new heir of the County of Barby. He succeeded his father as count when he died, on 16 February 1728.

As Count of Barby, Georg Albrecht continue the administration in the same sense of his late father; however, he died after only 11 years of government. Because he died without issue, the Barby line of the Weissenfels Sekundogenitur became extinct and the County of Barby passed to the Electorate of Saxony.

He was buried in the new family Vault build by his father in Barby.

[edit] Marriage

In Forst, Niederlausitz on 18 February 1721, Georg Albrecht married with Auguste Luise of Württemberg-Bernstadt. Auguste's maternal grandmother was Justine Sophie of Barby-Mühlingen, a sister of the last Count. This make to Georg Albrecht more closed with the old House of Barby.

The marriage was extremely unhappy and they finally divorced in 1732 after eleven years of childless union. Auguste Luise returned to her Silesian homeland and died six months before Georg Albrecht. None of them remarried.