August of Saxe-Weissenfels (3 December 1650 in Halle – 11 August 1674 in Halle), was a member of the Albertine branch of the

House of Wettin The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its ori ...

. He was a titular Duke of

Saxe-Weissenfels Saxe-Weissenfels (german: Sachsen-Weißenfels) was a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire from 1656/7 until 1746 with its residence at Weißenfels. Ruled by a cadet branch of the Albertine House of Wettin, the duchy passed to the Electorate of Saxony u ...

and a Provost of

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...

. He is sometimes called ''August the Younger'', to distinguish him from his father.

Background

August was the second son of the Duke

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

of Saxe-Weissenfels and his first wife Anna Maria, the daughter of Duke Adolf Frederick I of

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...

Life

In 1659, Prince August joined the

Fruitbearing Society The Fruitbearing Society (German Die Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft, lat. ''societas fructifera'') was a German literary society founded in 1617 in Weimar by German scholars and nobility. Its aim was to standardize vernacular German and promote it a ...

, which was led by his father. He used the nickname ("the Cautious"). When he was ten years old, he was elected, at the instigation of his father, who was also Archbishop of Magdeburg, as provost of the archdiocese of Magdeburg, by the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

. After August's death, this post went to his brother

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

. August died on 11 August 1674, at the age of 23. He was buried in the ducal crypt in the church of Neu-Augustenburg Castle.

Marriage and issue

On 25 August 1673 in Halle, he married Charlotte, the daughter of Landgrave

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

of Hesse-Eschwege from his marriage to

Countess Palatine Eleonora Catherine of Zweibrücken Eleonora Catherine of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken (17 May 1626 – 3 March 1692), was a cousin and foster sister of Queen Christina of Sweden and sister of King Charles X of Sweden. After her brother's accession to the throne (1654), she and he ...

, the daughter of

John Casimir, Count Palatine of Kleeburg John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg (20 April 1589, Zweibrücken – 18 June 1652, Stegeborg Castle) was the son of John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and his wife, Duchess Magdalene of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. He was marri ...

. After August's death, Charlotte married Count John Adolph of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, from whom she later divorces. Charlotte and August had one child, who died at birth on 24 April 1674 in Halle.

External links

Entry at ThePeerage.com

Johann Hübners... Three Hundred and Thirty Three Genealogical Tables, table 169
Dukes of Saxe-Weissenfels

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...

1650 births 1674 deaths 17th-century German people Albertine branch Sons of monarchs {{Germany-duke-stub