Ernst II, Duke Of Saxe-Altenburg
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, image = Ernstii.jpg , image_size = , caption = The Duke in 1915 , succession =
Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg (german: Sachsen-Altenburg, links=no) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilomete ...
, reign = 7 February 1908 – , coronation = , predecessor = Ernst I , successor = , spouse =
, issue = , house = Wettin , father =
Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg , image = Prinz Moritz von Sachsen-Altenburg.jpg , image_size = , caption = , spouse = , issue = Marie Anne, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna of Russia Princess Margarethe Ernst II, ...
, mother =
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen , house = Saxe-Meiningen , father = Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , mother = Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel , birth_date = , birth_place = Meiningen, Saxe-Meiningen , death_date = , death_place = Al ...
, birth_date = , birth_place = Altenburg,
Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg (german: Sachsen-Altenburg, links=no) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilomete ...
, death_date = , death_place = Fröhliche Wiederkunft Castle, Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf,
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
, burial_place = , religion =
Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
Ernst II (31 August 1871 in Altenburg – 22 March 1955 in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf) was the last reigning duke of
Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg (german: Sachsen-Altenburg, links=no) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilomete ...
and a German general active during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.


Early life

He was the fourth child and only son of Prince Moritz, the youngest son of
Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Georg Karl Frederick (24 July 1796 in Hildburghausen – 3 August 1853 in Hummelshain) was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg. Family He was the fourth but second surviving son of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (of Saxe-Altenburg from 1826) and Duch ...
and
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen , house = Saxe-Meiningen , father = Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , mother = Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel , birth_date = , birth_place = Meiningen, Saxe-Meiningen , death_date = , death_place = Al ...
. The death of his father, on the 13 May 1907, made him first in the line of succession to the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. He inherited the dukedom when his uncle and namesake, Ernst I, died without any surviving male issue.


First marriage

In 1898 in
Bückeburg Bückeburg (Northern Low Saxon: ''Bückeborg'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It is located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge. Population: 21,0 ...
, Ernst married his first wife,
Princess Adelaide of Schaumburg-Lippe , house = Lippe , father = Prince William of Schaumburg-Lippe , mother = Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau , birth_date = , birth_place = Ratibořice, Kingdom of Bohemia , death_date = , death_place = Ballenstedt, Eas ...
, a granddaughter of
George William, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (20 December 1784 – 21 November 1860) was a Count and later Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. Biography He was born in Bückeburg the son of Philipp II, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, and his second wife Prince ...
. They had four children: # Princess Charlotte (Potsdam, 4 March 1899 – Hemmelmark bei Eckernförde, 16 February 1989); married on 11 July 1919 Prince Sigismund of Prussia and had issue. #
Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg George Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg (''William George Moritz Ernest Albert Frederick Charles Constantine Edward Maximilian''; 13 May 1900 – 13 February 1991), was the last head of the ducal house of Saxe-Altenburg and nominal ...
(Potsdam, 13 May 1900 – Rendsburg, 13 February 1991), never married, no issue. # Princess Elisabeth Karola (Potsdam, 6 April 1903 – Breiholz, 30 January 1991). # Prince Frederick Ernst (Potsdam, 15 May 1905 – Rosenheim, 23 February 1985), never married, no issue.


World War I

During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Ernst refused all honorary appointments at the
Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...
's headquarters, which would have been considerably safer than other areas. Resigning from his courtesy rank of
Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of O ...
, he requested and was granted the colonelcy and the command of his duchy's regiment, the 153rd (8th Thuringian) Infantry. His regiment participated in the
Battle of Mons A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
. He replaced Paul von Reichenau as commander of the 15th Infantry Brigade when Reichenau was killed in action in 1914. Quickly promoted to
General der Infanterie General of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Imp ...
, he led several brigades on the western front. In 1915, he was awarded the
Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...
award and was given command of the 8th Infantry Division, further distinguishing himself in the
Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...
. In late 1916, he relinquished his field command because of illness and returned to Altenburg for the remainder of the war. A great lover of science, Ernst had a wireless installation fitted inside his castle in Altenburg at the start of the war, especially to communicate with airships. Ernst also had a lifelong interest in
wireless telegraphy Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimental technologies for ...
and
telephony Telephony ( ) is the field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunication services for the purpose of electronic transmission of voice, fax, or data, between distant parties. The history of telephony is i ...
, and he was considered an expert of
aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identifies ...
. When
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
lost the war, all German princes lost their titles and states. Ernst was one of the first princes to realize that major changes were coming and quickly arrived at an amicable settlement with his subjects. He was forced to abdicate the government of the duchy on 13 November 1918 and spent the rest of his life as a private citizen.


Later life

After his abdication Ernst, with a moderate fortune, retired to a hotel in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. Two years later, in 1920, his marriage ended in divorce. Later that year, Ernst announced his engagement to Helena Thomas, an opera singer. They had met while she was temporarily filling an engagement at the Ducal Theatre in Altenburg during the war. The marriage never took place, however. On 15 July 1934 Ernst married his second wife, Maria Triebel, who had been his companion for many years, at his home, Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft ("Palace of Happy Returning") at
Wolfersdorf Wolfersdorf is a municipality in the district of Freising in Bavaria in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, ...
. This hunting lodge received its name when its first owner, John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, returned there in 1552 to meet his family after five years of absence as a war prisoner. It was a
morganatic marriage Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...
, and she received only the title of "Baroness Reiseneck". They had no children. Still interested in science, Ernst established a modern
observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
in Wolfersdorf, employing Kurd Kisshauer in 1922. On 1 May 1937, Ernst joined the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
Ernst Klee Ernst Klee (15 March 1942, Frankfurt – 18 May 2013, Frankfurt) was a German journalist and author. As a writer on Germany's history, he was best known for his exposure and documentation of medical crimes in Nazi Germany, much of which was concer ...
: ''Das Kulturlexikon zum Dritten Reich. Wer war was vor und nach 1945''. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2007, S.505.
Ernst became the only former reigning German prince who accepted
German Democratic Republic 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 ...
citizenship after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, refusing an offer to leave his beloved "Palace of Happy Returning" and relocate to the British occupation zone. The Schloß had been confiscated by the Soviet occupiers, but Ernst had been granted free use of it until his death. In March 1954, with the death of
Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha '' , house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , father = Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany , mother = Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont , birth_name = Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany , birth_date = , birth_place = Cl ...
, he became the last survivor of the German princes who had reigned until 1918. One year later, he died at the Schloß.


Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:''Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg'' (1902), "Genealogie des Herzoglichen Hauses
p. 5
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Ancestry


References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg 1871 births 1955 deaths House of Saxe-Altenburg Princes of Saxe-Altenburg Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg Monarchs who abdicated Generals of Infantry (Prussia) Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)