Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
| Prince John August | |
|---|---|
| Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg | |
 | |
| Spouse | Luise Reuss of Schleiz |
| Issue |
Augusta, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Louise, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| House | House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg |
| Father | Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg |
| Mother | Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst |
| Born |
17 February 1704 Gotha |
| Died |
8 May 1767 (aged 63) Stadtroda |
Johann August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (b. Gotha, 17 February 1704 – d. Stadtroda, 8 May 1767), was a German prince, member of the House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.
He was the fifth but second surviving son of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst.
Life
In 1725 he entered in the Imperial army and fought in Italy and Hungary. In the Battle of Grocka he was wounded and then spent some time in Altenburg to recover. Later he reasumed his military duties and fought in the War of the Austrian Succession in Silesia, Bohemia, Bavaria and the Rhine. He eventually became Imperial Field Marshal and received his own dragoon regiment.
He lived with his family in Stadtroda, where shortly before his death received a visit of King Frederick the Great of Prussia. He was awarded with the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
Marriage and Issue
In Stadtroda on 6 January 1752, Johann August married Luise Reuss of Schleiz (b. Staffelstein, 3 July 1726 - d. Stadtroda, 28 May 1773), widow of his younger brother, Christian Wilhelm. They had four children:
- Augusta Louise Fredericka (b. Stadtroda, 30 November 1752 – d. Rudolstadt, 28 May 1805), married on 28 November 1780 to Frederick Charles, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.
- stillborn son (Stadtroda, 11 November 1753).
- stillborn son (Stadtroda, 27 December 1754).
- Louise (b. Stadtroda, 9 March 1756 – d. Ludwigslust, 1 January 1808), married on 1 June 1775 to Frederick Francis I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Grand Duke since 1815). She was a direct ancestress of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later Prince Consort of the United Kingdom, and, through him, a direct ancestress of the present British Royal Family.
References
- August Beck: Johann August, Prinz von Sachsen-Gotha. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). vol. 14, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, p. 376.
- Johann Samuel Ersch (Hrsg): Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste, 2. Sektion, Leipzig, 1842, p. 240 online [retrieved 25 September 2014].