Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels
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Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels (b. Weissenfels, 4 September 1685 - d. Leipzig, 16 May 1746), was a duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Querfurt and member of the House of Wettin.
He was the youngest of the twenty children of Johann Adolf I, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels and Johanna Magdalene of Saxe-Altenburg. His mother died five months after his birth, on 22 January 1686.
[edit] Life
In the Polish Succession War, Johann Adolf led Saxon troops to Poland (October 1733). The Saxon army was mainly in South Poles, until the coronation of the Elector Frederick August II of Saxony as King of Poland. By 1736 the Saxonian troops under the command of Johann Adolf still remained in Poland, until they could finally defeat the rival candidate of the Polish throne, Stanisław Leszczyński. The same year, Johann Adolf inherited Saxe-Weissenfels after the death without children of his brother Christian.
During the Second Silesian War, Prussian troops had invaded the Saxon frontier, Saxony and Austria agreed to proceed together against Prussia. The Prussian troops should be cut off in the Silesian north by Saxon troops, while in the south Austrian troops would advance. Meanwhile, Johann Adolf planned his campaign (September 1745); however, he only can join with the other troops two weeks later. For this, he was withdrawed as commander-in-chief and replaced by the Count Frederick August Rutowski, an illegitimate half-brother of the King-Elector.
Nevertless, the Elector, removed his brother Rutowski as commander-in-chief in November, and repost Johann Adolf, who began his duties as commander since 1 December. Additionally, he had been appointed as Chief of the Saxon Government during the absence of the Elector and the Minister Heinrich of Brühl.
Already before Battle of Kesselsdorf (15 December 1745), in Dresden, Johann Adolf write a surrender document. In the afternoon he join with his troops to the battleground, but shortly after, with Rutowski, retired to Böhmen. Five months later, Johann Adolf suffered a heart attack and died, aged fifty-nine.
[edit] Marriages and Issue
In Eisenach on 9 May 1721, Johann Adolf married firstly with Johannette Antoinette Juliane of Saxe-Eisenach. They had a son:
In Altenburg on 27 November 1734 -and eight years after the death of his first wife-, Johann Adolf married secondly with Fredericka of Saxe-Gotha. They had five children:
- Karl Frederick Adolf (b. Weissenfels, 7 June 1736 - d. Weissenfels, 24 March 1737).
- Johann Adolf (b. Weissenfels, 27 June 1738 - d. Weissenfels, 21 October 1738).
- August Adolf (b. Weissenfels, 6 June 1739 - d. Weissenfels, 7 June 1740).
- Johann Georg Adolf (b. Weissenfels, 17 May 1740 - d. Weissenfels, 10 July 1740).
- Fredericka Adolfine (b. Weissenfels, 27 December 1741 - d. Langensalza, 4 July 1751).
He was the last member of the line of Saxe-Weissenfels-Querfurt. After his death without surviving male issue, his lands passed to the Electorate of Saxony.
| Preceded by Christian |
Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels 1736 – 1746 |
Succeeded by none; Weissenfels and Querfurt return to the Electorate of Saxony |
