Maurice, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz
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Maurice, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz (28 March 1619 - 4 December 1681), was a duke of Saxe-Zeitz and member of the House of Wettin.
Born in Dresden, he was the seventh (sixth in order of birth) but fourth and youngest surviving son of Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony and his second wife Magdalene Sybille of Prussia.
[edit] Life
Together with his brothers, Maurice was educated in the Hofe (Electoral Official Residence) in Dresden. Among his teachers, the Field Marshall Kurt of Einsiedel took an outstanding role. From August 1642 until September 1645 Maurice, as well as his brother Christian took a Grand Tour by the Northern Germany and the Netherlands.
On 1645, shortly after his return to home, Maurice was selected by the Prince Ludwig I of Anhalt-Köthen as member to the Fruitbearing Society.
On 1650 he was appointed Bailiwick of Thuringia by the Teutonic Knights. He selected as chancellor and Konsistorialpraesidenten the notorious state scientist and theologian Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff. As Hofprediger was chosen the dramatist Johann Sebastian Mitternacht.
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. Maurice inherited the town of Zeitz, became his first duke.
In order to had an appropriate official residence, Maurice decided to renove the old Bishop Castle and build a baroque splendour new residence, called Schloss Moritzburg. The construction began in 1657 and was finished in 1678. The Duke died there.
[edit] Marriages and Issue
In Dresden on 19 November 1650, Maurice married firstly with Sophie Hedwig of Schleswig-Holstein-Glücksburg. They had two sons:
- Johann Philipp (b. Dresden, 12 November 1651 - d. Dresden, 24 March 1652).
- Maurice (b. Dresden, 26 September 1652 - d. Dresden, 10 May 1653).
In Weimar on 3 July 1656 -four years after the death of his first wife-, Maurice married secondly with Dorothea Marie of Saxe-Weimar, daughter of the Duke Wilhelm. They had ten children:
- Eleonore Magdalene (b. Weimar, 30 October 1658 - d. Dresden, 26 February 1661).
- Wilhelmine Eleonore (b. and d. Dresden?, September? 1659).
- Erdmuthe Dorothea (b. Naumburg, 13 November 1661 - d. Merseburg, 29 April 1720), married on 14 October 1679 to Duke Christian II of Saxe-Merseburg.
- Maurice Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz (b. Moritzburg, 12 March 1664 - d. Weida, 15 November 1718).
- Johann Georg (b. Moritzburg, 27 April 1665 - d. Moritzburg, 5 September 1666).
- Christian August (b. Moritzburg, 9 October 1666 - d. Regensburg, 23 August 1725), Cardinal, Archbishop of Gran and Primate of Hungary.
- Frederick Heinrich (b. Moritzburg, 21 July 1668 - d. Neustadt an der Orla, 18 December 1713), inherited Pegau and Neustadt.
- Marie Sophie (b. Moritzburg, 3 November 1670 - d. Moritzburg, 31 May 1671).
- Magdalene Sibylle (b. Moritzburg, 7 April 1672 - d. Moritzburg, 20 August 1672)
- Wilhelmine Sophie (b and d. Moritzburg?, 11 June? 1675).
In Wiesenburg on 14 June 1676 -one year after the death of his second wife-, Maurice married thirdly with Sophie Elisabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Wiesenburg. This union was childless.
| Preceded by Johann Georg I |
Duke of Saxe-Zeitz 1657 – 1681 |
Succeeded by Maurice Wilhelm |
