Frederick Albert, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg

Frederick Albert
Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Reign 18 May 1765–9 April 1796
Predecessor Victor Frederick
Successor Alexius Frederick Christian
Spouse Princess Louise Albertine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön
Issue
Alexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg
Pauline, Princess of Lippe-Detmold
Full name
Frederick Albert
German: Friedrich Albrecht
House House of Ascania
Father Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Mother Albertine of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Born 15 August 1735(1735-08-15)
Bernburg, Anhalt, Holy Roman Empire
Died 9 April 1796(1796-04-09) (aged 60)
Ballenstedt, Anhalt, Holy Roman Empire

Frederick Albert of Anhalt-Bernburg (15 August 1735 – 9 April 1796), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and Reigning prince of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg from 1765 to 1796.[1]

Life

Frederick Albert was born in Bernburg on 15 August 1735 as the only son of Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, by his second wife Sophie Albertine Fredericka, daughter of Albert Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt.[2]

Frederick Albert succeeded his father as ruler of Anhalt-Bernburg when he died in 1765 and immediately changed his main residence from Bernburg to Ballenstedt.[3]

On 22 December 1785 he confirmed the entrance of his state into the Fürstenbund.

In 1788 a classical theater was built under his orders. He was considered as "Father of the Country" by the citizens of his principality, primarily for his good works: one of his reforms was to give women legal influence over their inheritance. Frederick Albert was also the founder of the Anhaltische Mineraliensammlung.

He died at Ballenstedt on 9 April 1796. It is unclear whether he died as a result of a hunting accident, or if he committed suicide.

Marriage and issue

In Augustenburg on 4 June 1763 Frederick Albert married Louise Albertine (b. Plön, 21 July 1748 - d. Ballenstedt, 2 March 1769), daughter of Frederick Carl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön and a princess of Denmark by birth as a descendant in the male line of King Christian III. They had two children:

  1. Alexius Frederick Christian, Prince and from 1807 Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg (b. Ballenstedt, 12 June 1767 - d. Ballenstedt, 24 March 1834).
  2. Pauline Christine Wilhelmine (b. Ballenstedt, 23 February 1769 - d. Detmold, 29 December 1820), married on 2 January 1796 to Leopold I, Prince of Lippe-Detmold.

Frederick Albert also had an illegitimate daughter:

  1. Auguste von Gröna (d. 8 April 1841), married to Hans August von Rissing (d. 8 April 1841).

References

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.
  1. ^ A political index to the histories of Great Britain and Ireland; or, A complete register of the hereditary honours, public offices, and persons in office By Robert Beatson Published by , 1806 Original from Oxford University Digitized Jul 3, 2006 Text here
  2. ^ Dates by GEDbrowser
  3. ^ The Blood Royal of Britain: Being a Roll of the Living Descendants of Edward IV and Henry VII, Kings of England, and James III, King of Scotland By Melville Henry Massue Ruvigny Et Raineval, Marquis of Ruvigny & Raineval Published by Genealogical Pub Co, 1994
Preceded by
Victor Frederick		 Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
1765–1796		 Succeeded by
Alexius Frederick Christian