Ernst August II Konstantin, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (2 June 1737 – 28 May 1758), was a duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

Early life

He was the second (fifth in order of birth) but eldest and only surviving son of Ernst August I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar by his second marriage to

Margravine Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Princess Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (''Sophie Charlotte Albertine''; 27 July 1713 – 2 March 1747), was a German noblewoman member of the House of Hohenzollern and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. Born in Wefe ...

, eldest daughter of Georg Friedrich Karl, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.

Life

Ernst August II Konstantin's father, a splendor-loving ruler with a passion for hunting, had moved his court to Eisenach. The duke neglected his son and heir, so that Ernst August II Konstantin spent his early years under the supervision of the Hofmarschall of

Schloss Belvedere The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district o ...

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...

Löber Duke Ernest Augustus II Constantine on horseback

Ernst August I died in 1748, when Ernst August II Konstantin was eleven years old. Since he was still a minor, the dukes Frederick III of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Franz Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld assumed the regency of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach on Ernst August II Konstantin's behalf. The young duke came to live with Duke Frederick in

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

, who made sure that Ernst August II Konstantin received an appropriate education. In 1755 Ernst August II Konstantin assumed the reins of government. He appointed his former tutor, the

Imperial Count Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

(''Reichsgräf'') Heinrich von Bünau, as his new chancellor. Because the young duke had been a sickly child, he was encouraged to marry quickly in order to ensure an heir for the duchy.

Marriage

In Brunswick on 16 March 1756, Ernst August II Konstantin married

Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

. They had two sons: # Karl August, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Grand Duke from 21 April 1815 (b. Weimar, 3 September 1757 – d. Graditz, 14 June 1828). # Frederick Ferdinand Constantine (b. posthumously, Weimar, 8 September 1758 – d. Wiebelskirchen, 6 September 1793) who died unmarried. When Ernst August II Konstantin died, the hereditary prince Karl August was still an infant. Ernst August Konstantin's widow, the duchess Anna Amalia, presided as regent over an excellent tutelary government which propelled Weimar into the classical period.

Ancestry

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ernest Augustus 02 of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Duke 1737 births 1758 deaths Nobility from Weimar Dukes of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Dukes of Saxe-Weimar Dukes of Saxe-Eisenach Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)