Anhalt-Bernburg

Principality (Duchy) of Anhalt-Bernburg
Fürstentum (Herzogtum) Anhalt-Bernburg  (German)
State of the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806)
←   ← 1252–1468 1603–1863 →   →
19th century flag of Anhalt duchies 19th century arms of Anhalt duchies
Anhalt territories in 1853, Anhalt-Bernburg in green
Capital		Bernburg
Government		Principality
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Partitioned from Anhalt	1252
•	Inherited by Anhalt-Dessau	1468
•	Repartitioned from Anhalt	1603
•	Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym partitioned away	1718–1812
•	Raised to duchy	1803
•	Anhalt re-united	1863
Today part of		Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Bernburg Castle

Anhalt-Bernburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and a duchy of the German Confederation ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Bernburg in present-day Saxony-Anhalt. It emerged as a subdivision from the Principality of Anhalt from 1252 to 1468 and again from 1603 until the re-unification in 1863.

It was created in 1252, when the Principality of Anhalt was partitioned among the sons of Henry I into Anhalt-Aschersleben, Anhalt-Bernburg and Anhalt-Zerbst. Bernburg was allotted to Henry's second son Bernhard I. When the line of Anhalt-Aschersleben became extinct in 1315, Prince Bernhard II of Anhalt-Bernburg claimed their territory, he could however not prevail against his cousin Albert, Bishop of Halberstadt. After the ruling family became extinct upon the death of Prince Bernhard VI in 1468, Anhalt-Bernburg was inherited by Prince George I of Anhalt-Dessau. With Anhalt-Dessau it was inherited by Prince Joachim Ernest of Anhalt-Zerbst in 1561, who unified all Anhalt lands under his rule in 1570.

Re-united Anhalt was again divided in 1603 among Prince Joachim Ernest's sons into the lines of Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Plötzkau, Anhalt-Bernburg and Anhalt-Zerbst. His second son Prince Christian I took his residence at Bernburg. Christian's younger son Frederick established the separate Principality of Anhalt-Harzgerode in 1635, which existed until 1709. Prince Victor Amadeus of Anhalt-Bernburg inherited Anhalt-Plötzkau in 1665. Upon his death in 1718 his lands were further divided and the Principality of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym was created for his second son Lebrecht, which was reunited with Anhalt-Bernburg in 1812.

In 1803 Prince Alexius Frederick Christian of Anhalt-Bernburg was elevated to the rank of a duke by Emperor Francis II of Habsburg. His son Duke Alexander Karl however died without issue in 1863, whereafter Anhalt-Bernburg was inherited by Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau, re-uniting all Anhalt lands under his rule.^[1]

Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg, 1252–1468

• 1252–1287 Bernhard I
• 1287–1291 John I, son, co-regent with his brother
  • 1287–1323 Bernhard II
• 1323–1348 Bernhard III, son of Bernhard II
• 1348–1354 Bernhard IV, son
• 1354–1374 Henry IV, brother
• 1374–1404 Otto III, brother
• 1404–1420 Bernhard V, son of Henry IV, co-regent with his cousin
  • 1404–1415 Otto IV, son of Otto III
• 1420–1468 Bernhard VI, brother of Otto IV, left no male heirs

To Anhalt-Dessau

Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg, 1603–1807

• 1603–1630 Christian I, second son of Prince Joachim Ernest of Anhalt
• 1630–1656 Christian II, son
• 1656–1718 Victor Amadeus, son
• 1718–1721 Karl Frederick, son
• 1721–1765 Victor Frederick, son
• 1765–1796 Frederick Albert, son
• 1796–1803 Alexius Frederick Christian, son

Raised to duchy

Dukes of Anhalt-Bernburg, 1803–1863

• 1803–1834 Alexius Frederick Christian
• 1834–1863 Alexander Karl, son, died without issue

To re-united Anhalt

Notes

References

• Hertslet, Edward (1875), The map of Europe by treaty; showing the various political and territorial changes which have taken place since the general peace of 1814, London: Butterworths 

Upper Saxon Circle (1512–1806) of the Holy Roman Empire Electorates Brandenburg Saxony Ecclesiastical Cammin Secular Principality of Anhalt Bernburg Köthen Zerbst Barby Hatzfeld-Gleichen Pomerania Further Hither Querfurt Reuss Elder Junior Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Coburg Saxe-Eisenach Saxe-Gotha Saxe-Weimar Schwarzburg Rudolstadt Sondershausen Prelates Gernrode Quedlinburg Abbey Walkenried Abbey Counts / Lords Hohnstein Lohra / Klettenberg Mansfeld Schönburg (Saale) Stolberg Stolberg Wernigerode Rossla Circles est. 1500: Bavarian, Swabian, Upper Rhenish, Lower Rhenish–Westphalian, Franconian, (Lower) Saxon Circles est. 1512: Austrian, Burgundian, Upper Saxon, Electoral Rhenish     ·     Unencircled territories

States of the Confederation of the Rhine (1806–13) Rank elevated by Napoleon Kingdoms Bavaria Saxony Württemberg Grand Duchies Baden Hesse Duchies Nassau States created Kingdoms Westphalia Grand Duchies Berg Frankfurt1 Würzburg Principalities Aschaffenburg2 Leyen Regensburg2 Pre-existing states Saxon duchies Coburg-Saalfeld Gotha-Altenburg Hildburghausen Meiningen Weimar3 Eisenach3 Weimar-Eisenach4 Other duchies Anhalt (Bernburg Dessau Köthen) Arenberg Mecklenburg-Schwerin Mecklenburg-Strelitz Oldenburg Principalities Hohenzollern Hechingen Sigmaringen Isenburg Liechtenstein Lippe-Detmold Reuss Ebersdorf Greiz Lobenstein Schleiz Salm5 Schaumburg-Lippe Schwarzburg Rudolstadt Sondershausen Waldeck 1 from 1810 2 until 1810 3 until 1809 4 from 1809 5 until 1811

States of the German Confederation (1815–66) Empires Austria1 Kingdoms Prussia1 Bavaria Saxony Hanover Württemberg Electorates Hesse Grand Duchies Baden Hesse Luxembourg Mecklenburg-Schwerin Mecklenburg-Strelitz Oldenburg Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Duchies Anhalt Bernburg2 Dessau2 Köthen3 Brunswick Holstein Limburg4 Nassau Saxe-Lauenburg Saxony Altenburg5 Coburg-Saalfeld6 Coburg-Gotha5 Gotha-Altenburg6 Hildburghausen6 Meiningen Principalities Hesse-Homburg Hohenzollern Hechingen7 Sigmaringen7 Liechtenstein Lippe Reuss Elder Junior Schaumburg-Lippe Schwarzburg Rudolstadt Sondershausen Waldeck and Pyrmont City-states Bremen Frankfurt Hamburg Lübeck Unrecognized 1 w/o areas listed under other territories 2 Merged with Anhalt from 1863 3 until 1847 4 from 1839 5 from 1826 6 until 1826 7 until 1850 8 1849–60 9 as of 1849 10 until 1837 11 until 1829 12 until 1848/57 13 until 1848 14 as of 1848 15 as of 1829 16 as of 1864