, house = Ascania , father =

Alexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg , house = House of Ascania , father = Frederick Albert, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg , mother = Louise Albertine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön , birth_date = , birth_place = Ballenstedt, Anhalt, Holy Roman Empir ...

, mother = Marie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel , birth_date = , birth_place =

Ballenstedt Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Geography It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipal area comprises the vil ...

, Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg,

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

, death_date = , death_place =

Hoym Hoym () is a town and former municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 15 July 2009, it is part of the town Seeland. Hoym is located on the river Selke, between the towns Aschersleben and Quedlinb ...

, Anhalt-Bernburg,

German Confederation The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...

, burial_date = , burial_place = , religion = Alexander Charles, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg (2 March 1805 – 19 August 1863) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

prince of the

House of Ascania The House of Ascania (german: Askanier) was a dynasty of German rulers. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession, Anhalt. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, known as ''Schloss ...

. From 1834 until 1863 he was the last

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

of the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg.

Life

Early life

Alexander Charles was born at Ballenstedt on 2 March 1805 as the second (but eldest and only surviving) son of

, by his first wife Maria Fredericka, daughter of

William I, Elector of Hesse William I, Elector of Hesse (german: link=no, Wilhelm I., Kurfürst von Hessen; 3 June 1743 – 27 February 1821) was the eldest surviving son of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Princess Mary of Great Britain, the d ...

Succession

After the death of his father in 1834, Alexander Karl succeeded him in Anhalt-Bernburg.

Marriage

Princess Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Gottorp Gottorf Castle (german: Schloss Gottorf, da, Gottorp Slot, Low German: ''Gottorp'') is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is one of the most important secular buildings in Schleswig-Holstein, and ha ...

on 30 October 1834 Alexander Karl married

Princess Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg '' , reign = , reign-type = Tenure , title = Duchess of Anhalt-Bernburg , house = Glücksburg , spouse = Alexander Karl, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg , issue = , image =Princess Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.jpg , ima ...

, daughter of Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and his wife

Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (; 28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867) was the consort of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and the matriarch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksbu ...

; she was also a sister of the later King

Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein- ...

. The union was childless.

Reign

By November 1855 the Duke was confined to Schloss Hoym due to a progressive mental illness (some sources state that he had

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...

). There, Alexander Karl spend the rest of his life under medical care in the company of his chamberlain, the painter

Wilhelm von Kügelgen Wilhelm Georg Alexander von Kügelgen (20 November 1802, in St.Petersburg – 25 May 1867, in Ballenstedt) was a German portrait and history painter, writer, and chamberlain at the Court of Anhalt-Bernburg. He is best known for his posthumo ...

. Due to his incapacity, his wife Friederike acted as regent.

Death

Alexander Charles died at

on 19 August 1863. As the marriage produced no issue, with him, the line of Anhalt-Bernburg became extinct. The Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg was inherited by his kinsman Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen who merged the duchy with his own to form a united

Duchy of Anhalt The Duchy of Anhalt (german: Herzogtum Anhalt) was a historical German duchy. The duchy was located between the Harz Mountains in the west and the river Elbe and beyond to the Fläming Heath in the east. The territory was once ruled by the House ...

Ancestry

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anhalt-Bernburg, Alexander Karl, Duke Of 1805 births 1863 deaths People from Ballenstedt Rulers of Anhalt House of Ascania Princes in Germany Burials at Schlosskirche St. Aegidien (Bernburg)