John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

John II
Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena
Reign	1602–1605
Predecessor	Frederick Wilhelm I
Successor	Johann Ernst I in Saxe-Weimar Albrecht in Saxe-Eisenach Ernst I in Saxe-Gotha
Ruler of Saxe-Altenburg
Predecessor	Frederick Wilhelm I Johann Philipp Frederick Johann Wilhelm Frederick Wilhelm II jointly from 1603 as Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg
Spouse	Dorothea Maria of Anhalt
Issue
John Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Albert IV, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha Prince Bernhard
Full name
Johann Maria Wilhelm
House	House of Wettin
Father	John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
Mother	Dorothea Susanne of Simmern
Born	22 May 1570(1570-05-22) Weimar
Died	18 July 1605(1605-07-18) (aged 35) Weimar

John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (Johann Maria Wilhelm) (Weimar, 22 May 1570 – Weimar, 18 July 1605), was a Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Ancestry 3 Family 4 References

Biography

He was the second son of John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Dorothea Susanne of Simmern.

His father died in 1573, when John was only three years old. Since at the time his older brother Frederick William I was also under age, the duchy of Saxe-Weimar (originally awarded to John) was governed by a regency. In 1586 his older brother reached adulthood and took full control of the duchy, including Weimar. However, he died in 1602 and the full duchy was inherited by John, because his nephews (the sons of his deceased brother) were under age.

John was more interested in natural sciences and art than politics, and therefore only against his will took over the regency of the duchy on behalf of his nephews. But when they demanded their own inheritance in 1603, he resisted their demands. Finally, John and his nephews made a treaty dividing the duchy: Altenburg was taken by the sons of Frederick William I, and Weimar-Jena was retained by John.

This line of Saxe-Altenburg became extinct in 1672, and all the inheritance passed to the line of Saxe-Weimar, John's descendants.

Ancestry

16. Ernest, Elector of Saxony

8. John, Elector of Saxony

17. Elisabeth of Bavaria-Munich

4. John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony

18. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow

9. Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

19. Sophie of Pomerania-Wolgast

2. John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

20. John II, Duke of Cleves

10. John III, Duke of Cleves

21. Matilda of Hesse

5. Sybille of Cleves

22. William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg

11. Maria of Jülich-Berg

23. Sibylle of Brandenburg

1. John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

24. John I of Pfalz-Simmern

12. John II of Pfalz-Simmern

25. Joanna of Nassau-Saarbrücken

6. Frederick III, Elector Palatine

26. Christopher I, Margrave of Baden-Baden

13. Beatrice of Baden

27. Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen

3. Dorothea Susanne of Simmern

28. Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

14. Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

29. Sophia of Poland

7. Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

30. Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria

15. Susanna of Bavaria

31. Kunigunde of Austria

Family

In Altenburg on 7 January 1593, John married Dorothea Maria of Anhalt (b. 2 July 1574 d. 18 July 1617).^[1] They had twelve children:

1. John Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Altenburg, 21 February 1594 - d. Sankt Martin, Hungary, 6 December 1626).
2. Christian William (b. and d. Altenburg, 6 April 1595).
3. Frederick (b. Altenburg, 1 March 1596 - killed in battle, Fleurus, Belgium, 19 August 1622).
4. John (b. Weimar, 31 March 1597 - d. Weimar, 6 October 1604).
5. William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Altenburg, 11 April 1598 - d. Weimar, 17 May 1662).
6. stillborn son (Altenburg, 11 April 1598), twin of William.
7. Albert IV, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (b. Altenburg, 27 July 1599 - d. Eisenach, 20 December 1644).
8. John Frederick (b. Altenburg, 19 September 1600 - d. Weimar, 17 October 1628).
9. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (b. Altenburg, 25 December 1601 - d. Schloß Friedenstein, Gotha, 26 March 1675).
10. Frederick William (b. Weimar, 7 February 1603 - d. Georgenthal, 16 August 1619).
11. Bernhard (b. Weimar, 6 August 1604 - d. Neuenburg, 18 July 1639), Count of Franken (1633).
12. Joanna (b. posthumously, Weimar, 14 April 1606 - d. Weimar, 3 July 1609).

References

Preceded by Frederick Wilhelm I	Duke of Saxe-Weimar 1602–1605	Succeeded by Johann Ernst I of Saxe-Weimar Albrecht of Saxe-Eisenach Ernst I of Saxe-Gotha
		Succeeded by Johann Philipp Frederick Johann Wilhelm Frederick Wilhelm II jointly from 1603 as Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg

Persondata
Name	John 02 Of Saxe-Weimar, Duke
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	22 May 1570
Place of birth	Weimar
Date of death	18 July 1605
Place of death	Weimar