List of rulers of Saxony

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Coat of arms of Saxony
Coat of arms of Saxony
Coat of arms of Münster, Lower Saxony
Coat of arms of Münster, Lower Saxony

This article lists Dukes, Electors, and Kings ruling over territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918.

Contents

[edit] Dukes of Saxony

Main article: Duchy of Saxony

The original Duchy of Saxony comprised lands of the Saxon people in the north-western part of present-day Germany, the contemporarily German state of Lower Saxony and Westphalia, not corresponding to the modern German state of Saxony.

Early dukes

  • Hadugato (fl. c. 531)
  • Berthoald (fl. c. 627)
  • Theoderic (fl. c. 743–744)
  • Widukind (fl. c. 777–810)
  • Abo (fl. c. 785–811)

Hattonid dynasty

Ottonian or Liudolfing dynasty

Billung Dynasty

Supplinburg Dynasty

Welf Dynasty

Ascanian Dynasty

Welf Dynasty

With the final removal of the Welfs in 1180, the Duchy of Saxony was reduced in territory. Westphalia fell to the Archbishop of Cologne, while the Duchies of Brunswick and Lüneburg remained with the Welfs. The Ascanian Dukes had their base further east, near the Elbe, resulting in the name Saxony moving towards the east.

[edit] Ascanian Duchy of Saxony

  • Bernard III 1180-1212
  • Albert II 1212-1260
  • John I 1260-1285, jointly with
  • Albert III 1260-1298

On Albert II's death, his sons John and Albert at first ruled jointly. Some time after 1272 they divided their territory between them, creating the Duchies of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg.

Since the Duke of Saxony was considered one of the prince-electors electing a new Holy Roman Emperor, conflict arose between lines of Lauenburg and Wittenberg over the issue of who should cast Saxony's vote and in 1314 both lines found themselves on different sides in a double election. Eventually, the Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg succeeded in 1356 after the promulgation of the Golden Bull. To distinguish him from other rulers bearing the title Duke of Saxony, he was commonly called Elector of Saxony.

[edit] Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg

Main article: Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg
  • John I 1260-1285

John was succeeded by his three sons, who at first ruled jointly:

  • John II 1285–1321, joint rule until 1305
  • Albrecht III 1285–1308, joint rule until 1305
  • Erich I, 1285–1361, joint rule until 1305

In 1305 the brothers split their inheritance between them, creating the Bergedorf-Mölln and the Ratzeburg-Lauenburg lines.

Bergedorf-Mölln line

  • John II 1285–1321
  • Albrecht IV 1321–1343
  • John III 1343–1356
  • Albrecht V, 1356–1370
  • Erich III, 1370–1401

Ratzeburg-Lauenburg line

  • Albrecht III, 1285–1308, joint rule
  • Erich I, 1305–1361, joint rule until 1308
  • Erich II, 1361–1368
  • Erich IV, 1368–1412, inherited the possessions of the extinct Bergedorf-Mölln line
  • Erich V, 1412–1436, joint rule until 1414, claimed succession to the extinct Wittenberg line in 1422
  • John IV 1412-1414 joint rule

The Ascanian Dynasty continued at Lauenburg until 1689, but after the Lauenburg line had finally lost the Electorate to the Wittenberg line in 1356 and failed to obtain the succession in the Electorate after 1422, recognition of the Lauenburg line as Duke of Saxony waned.

[edit] Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg

  • Albert III 1260-1298
  • Rudolf I 1298-1356

[edit] Wettin Dukes of Saxony

[edit] Albertine Dukes of Saxony

The Albertines were a junior branch of the Wettin dynasty of Electors of Saxony, who ruled in Northern Thuringia and Southern Meissen until they replaced the senior "Ernestine" branch as Electors and rulers of most Saxon territory in 1547.

Dukes of Saxony
Wettin Dynasty, Albertine Line
Image Name Date Notes
Albert the Bold 1464-1500. Younger son of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. Divided the Saxon lands, including Thuringia and Meissen, with his brother Ernest in 1485.
George the Bearded 1500-1539 Son of Albert. Opposed Martin Luther.
Henry IV the Pious 1539-1541 Brother of George. Introduced Lutheranism to Albertine Saxony.
Maurice 1541-1553, Son of Henry IV. Became Elector 1547.

[edit] Ernestine Dukes of Saxony

Main article: Ernestine duchies

Following their displacement by the Albertines, the Ernestine branch of the Wettins continued to rule in southern Thuringia as "Dukes of Saxony", but their lands eventually split up into many different tiny "Ernestine duchies". Of these, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, and Saxe-Altenburg lasted until 1918. This article does not list the subsequent Ernestine dukes.

[edit] Electors of Saxony

Main article: Electorate of Saxony

The Golden Bull of 1356 confirmed the right to participate in the election of a Holy Roman Emperor to the Duke of Saxony in the Saxe-Wittenberg line.

Electors of Saxony
Ascanian Dynasty
Image Name Date Notes
Rudolf I of Saxe-Wittenberg 1356
Rudolf II of Saxe-Wittenberg 1356-1370 Son of preceding.
Wenceslaus 1370-1388 Brother of preceding.
Rudolf III 1388-1419 Son of preceding.
Albert IV 1419-1422 Brother of preceding.
Wettin Dynasty
Image Name Date Notes
Frederick I the Warlike 1423-1428 After the Wittenberg line of the Ascanians became extinct, the Electorate was given to Frederick, Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia, of the House of Wettin.
Frederick II the Gentle 1428-1464 Son of Frederick I. Ruled jointly in Saxony with his brothers, but was the sole holder of the Electorate. Father of Ernest and Albert, founders of the Ernestine and Albertine Saxon lines.
Ernestine Line
Ernest 1464-1486 Son of Frederick II, divided Saxony with his brother Albert, taking Wittenberg, northern Meissen, and southern Thuringia. Inherited Thuringia in 1482 and ruled it jointly with Albert until 1485.
Frederick III the Wise 1486-1525 Son of Ernest. Protector of Martin Luther, but a life-long Catholic.
John the Steadfast 1525-1532 Brother of Frederick III. Legally established Lutheranism in his territories in 1527.
John Frederick 1532-1547 Son of John the Steadfast. Called "the Magnanimous". Deprived of his Electorate by Emperor Charles V for his role in the Schmalkaldic War. Died 1554.
Albertine Line
Maurice 1547-1553 Second cousin of John Frederick, grandson of Albert. Though a Lutheran, allied with Emperor Charles V against the Schmalkaldic League. Gained the Electorate for the Albertine line in 1547 after Charles V's victory at the Battle of Mühlberg.
Augustus I 1553-1586 Brother of Maurice. Recognized as Elector by the ousted John Frederick in 1554.
Christian I 1586-1591 Son of Augustus I.
Christian II 1591-1611 Son of Christian I.
John George I 1611-1656 Brother of Christian II, ruled during the Thirty Years' War, during which he was at times allied with the Emperor and at times with the King of Sweden.
John George II 1656-1680 Son of John George I.
John George III 1680-1691 Son of John George II.
John George IV 1691-1694 Son of John George III.
Frederick Augustus I 1694-1733 Brother of John George IV. Converted to Catholicism 1697 in order to compete for the crown of Poland. Took the Polish crown 1697, opposed by Stanisław Leszczyński 1704, forced to renounce the throne 1706, returned as monarch 1709 until his death. Called "the Strong".
Frederick Augustus II 1733-1763 Son of Frederick Augustus I. Converted to Catholicism 1721. King of Poland 1734-1763. Called ""the Fat" or (in Poland) "the Saxon".
Frederick Christian October-December 1763 Son of Frederick Augustus II, raised Catholic.
Frederick Augustus III the Just 1763-1806 Son of Frederick Christian. His Electorate ceased with the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and he became King of Saxony.
v • d • e
Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor Members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire following the Golden Bull of 1356
Spiritual electors The seven members of the Electoral College
Secular electors
Electors added in
the 17th century
Dchy Bavaria (from 1623)     Dchy Hanover (from 1692)
Electors added in
the 19th century
1: 1803–06;     2: 1803–05;     3: 1805–06.

[edit] Kings of Saxony

Main article: Kingdom of Saxony

The Holy Roman Empire came to an end in 1806. The Elector of Saxony, allied to Napoleon I, anticipated its dissolution by becoming the ruler of an independent Kingdom of Saxony in 1806.

Kings of Saxony
Wettin Dynasty
Image Name Date Notes
Frederick Augustus I "the Just" 1806-1827 Duke of Warsaw 1807-1813
Anthony 1827-1836 Brother of Frederick Augustus I.
Frederick Augustus II 1836-1854 Nephew of Anthony.
John 1854-1873 Brother of Frederick Augustus II.
Albert "the Good" 1873-1902 Son of John.
George 1902-1904 Brother of Albert.
Frederick Augustus III 1904-1918 Son of George. Last king of Saxony. Lost his throne in the German revolutions of 1918.

[edit] Heads of the House of Wettin (since 1918)

Saxony became a republic with the demise of the German Empire in 1918. For later rulers, see List of Ministers-President of Saxony.


[edit] External links