Bernhard VII of Anhalt-Zerbst (17 March 1540 – 1 March 1570), was a German 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 ''Schlo ...

and ruler of the principality of

Anhalt-Zerbst Anhalt-Zerbst was a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts Potsdam-Mittelmark (Brandenburg) and Wittenberg, the city of Dessau and the districts of Köthen, Schönebeck and Jerichower ...

. He was born and died in Dessau, and was the third and youngest son of

John V, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst John V of Anhalt-Zerbst (Dessau, 4 September 1504 – Zerbst, 4 February 1551), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. From 1544, he assumed rule of the re-created principality of Anhalt-Ze ...

by his wife Margaret, daughter of

Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg Joachim I Nestor (21 February 1484 – 11 July 1535) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1499–1535), the fifth member of the House of Hohenzollern. His nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology. Biography Th ...

Life

Bernhard inherited Anhalt-Zerbst when his father died in 1551 along with his older brothers

Karl I Charles I or Karl I (german: Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria, hu, Károly Ferenc József Lajos Hubert György Ottó Mária; 17 August 18871 April 1922) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary (as Charles IV, ), King of Croatia, ...

and Joachim Ernest according to the stipulations of the family law of the

, which mandated no division of the territories of the principality. Upon the deaths without issue of his uncles George III of Anhalt-Plötzkau in 1553 and Joachim I of Anhalt-Dessau in 1561, Bernhard and Joachim Ernest inherited their lands, which were merged into Anhalt-Zerbst (Karl only inherited Plötzkau, because he died before Joachim I). In 1562 Anhalt-Köthen was also merged into Anhalt-Zerbst after the death without issue of its last prince, Wolfgang. Bernhard made his residence in Dessau.

Marriage and issue

In Dessau on 28 May 1565 Bernhard married Clara (b.

Gifhorn Gifhorn () is a town and capital of the district of Gifhorn in the east of Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 42,000 and is mainly influenced by the small distance to the more industrial and commercially important cities nearby, ...

, 1 January 1550 – d.

Franzburg Franzburg () is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 20 km southwest of Stralsund. Before the Protestant Reformation, later Franzburg was the site of Neuenkamp Abbey. Neuenkamp ...

, 26 January 1598), posthumous daughter of Francis, Duke of Gifhorn. They had only one son: #Franz George (b. 17 October 1567 – d. Zerbst, 7 September 1568). Bernhard died without surviving male heirs and was succeeded by his brother Joachim Ernest, who became sole ruler of all the Anhalt territories. , - , width="30%" align="center" rowspan="1", Preceded by
John V , width="40%" align="center" , Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
''with Karl I (until 1561) and Joachim Ernest''
1551–1570 , width="30%" align="center" rowspan="4" , Succeeded by
Joachim Ernest , - , width="30%" align="center" , Preceded by

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

, width="40%" align="center" , Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau
''with Karl I (until 1561) and Joachim Ernest''
1553–1570 , - , width="30%" align="center" , Preceded by
Joachim I , width="40%" align="center" , Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
''with Joachim Ernest''
1561–1570 , - , width="30%" align="center" , Preceded by
Wolfgang , width="40%" align="center" , Prince of Anhalt-Köthen
''with Joachim Ernest''
1562–1570 , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernhard Vii, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst Rulers of Anhalt House of Ascania 1540 births 1570 deaths