Frederick of Anhalt-Harzgerode (16 November 1613, Ensdorf, Bavaria – 30 June 1670,

Plötzkau Plötzkau is a municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European U ...

), 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 ''Schlos ...

and the first ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Harzgerode. He was the fourth (but third surviving son) of

Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, also known as Christian of Anhalt, (11 May 1568 – 17 April 1630) was a German prince of the House of Ascania. He was ruling prince of Anhalt and, from 1603, ruling prince of the revived principality of Anh ...

, by his wife Anna of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, daughter of Arnold III, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt-Tecklenburg-Limburg. In fact, he was the youngest son of his parents who survived into adulthood: his younger brother, Frederick Louis, born in 1619, died in infancy.

Life

After the death of his father in 1630, Frederick and his brother Ernest were excluded from the government of

Anhalt-Bernburg Anhalt-Bernburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and a duchy of the German Confederation ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Bernburg in present-day Saxony-Anhalt. It emerged as a subdivision from the Principality of ...

by their older brother

Christian II Christian II (1 July 1481 – 25 January 1559) was a Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union who reigned as King of Denmark and Norway, from 1513 until 1523, and Sweden from 1520 until 1521. From 1513 to 1523, he was concurrently Du ...

. Ernest died two years later, unmarried and childless. Only in 1635 Christian II concluded a treaty to divide the principality with Frederick, then his only surviving brother, who received

Harzgerode Harzgerode is a town in the district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Geography Harzgerode lies in the lower eastern part of the Harz mountain range on the Selke River, south of Quedlinburg. It is connected to Gernrode and Quedlinburg via A ...

. Frederick ruled his small principality without complications for almost thirty years, until 1665, when the extinction of the line of Anhalt-Plötzkau changed the original division of the Anhalt principalities. Plötzkau returned to Anhalt-Bernburg, from which it was originally extracted in order to create a new principality; Christian II granted this land to Frederick, who moved there until his death, five years later. From 1660 until 1668, Frederick was

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

to the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg, preceded only by his nephew Victor Amadeus.

Marriages and Issue

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 ...

on 10 August 1642 Frederick married Johanna Elisabeth (b.

Dillenburg Dillenburg, officially Oranienstadt Dillenburg, is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis. The town lies on the German-Dutch holiday road ...

, 7 January 1619 – d. Harzgerode, 2 March 1647), daughter of

John Louis, Prince of Nassau-Hadamar John Louis of Nassau-Hadamar, ( Dillenburg, 6 August 1590 – Hadamar, 10 March 1653) and also known in German as Johann Ludwig, was a German nobleman and member of the House of Nassau who is best known for his role as an aide to the head of the ...

. They had three children: # William Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (b. Harzgerode, 18 August 1643 – d. Harzgerode, 14 October 1709). #Anna Ursula (b. Harzgerode, 24 June 1645 – d. Harzgerode, 25 February 1647). # Elisabeth Charlotte (b. Harzgerode, 11 February 1647 – d. Osterholm, 20 January 1723), married on 25 August 1663 to William Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, then for a second time on 6 October 1666 to Augustus, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Norburg. In

on 26 May 1657 Frederick married for a second time to Anna Katharina (b.

Brake A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction. Backgroun ...

, 31 July 1612 – d. Harzgerode, 15 October 1659), daughter of

Simon VII, Count of Lippe Count Simon VII of Lippe (30 December 1587 at Brake Castle near Lemgo – 26 March 1627 in Detmold) was a ruler of the Reformed county of Lippe-Detmold. Life He was the second-eldest son of Count Simon VI of Lippe and his wife Elizabeth o ...

-Detmold. This union was childless. {{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode 1613 births 1670 deaths People from Amberg-Sulzbach House of Ascania