George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau ( – 21 September 1474), 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 ''Schloss ...

and ruler of the principality of

Anhalt-Dessau Anhalt-Dessau was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and later a duchy of the German Confederation. Ruled by the House of Ascania, it was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and finally merged into th ...

. He was the second son of

Sigismund I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Sigismund I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (died Coswig, 19 January 1405), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst until 1396, when he became the first ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. He w ...

, by his wife Judith, daughter of Gebhard XI, Count of Querfurt.

Life

In 1405, after the death of his father, George inherited the principality of Anhalt-Dessau alongside his older brother Waldemar IV and his younger brothers

Sigismund II Sigismund II Augustus ( pl, Zygmunt II August, lt, Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first rule ...

and

Albert V Albert V may refer to: *Albert V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (ca. mid-1330s–1370) *Albert V, Duke of Mecklenburg (1397–1423) *Albert II of Germany (1397–1439), Albert V as Duke of Austria *Albert V, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (died c. 1469) *Albert ...

. By 1435, he adopted the style "Lord of Zerbst and Dessau" and styled himself "Lord of Köthen" from 1460. In 1468 he inherited the principality 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 ...

, then three years later (in 1471) signed a succession contract with his first cousin

Adolph I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen Adolph I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (died Zerbst, 28 August 1473), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen. He was the eldest son of Albert IV, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, by his first wife Elisa ...

, that named him as "Mitherr" (co-ruler) with rights to half of the principality of

Anhalt-Köthen Anhalt-Köthen was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by the House of Ascania. It was created in 1396 when the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst was partitioned between Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen. The first creation lasted until 1562 ...

. George renounced his rights, however, in favor of his eldest son Waldemar VI, who became the new co-ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen. The deaths of George's brothers between 1417 and 1469 without male heirs left him as the sole ruler of Anhalt-Dessau until his own death, which occurred in

Dessau Dessau is a town and former municipality in Germany at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the '' Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it has been part of the newly created municipality of Dessau-Roßlau ...

Marriages and Issue

After 1413, George married Matilda (d. Coswig, bef. 1432), daughter of

Otto III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg Otto III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg (died 27 February 1404) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg. He was the youngest son of Bernhard III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, by his third wife Matilda ...

. The spouses were related to each other as direct descendants of

Henry I, Count of Anhalt Henry I ( 1170 – 1252), a member of the House of Ascania, was Count of Anhalt from 1212 and the first ruling Anhalt prince from 1218 until his death. Life He was the oldest son of Count Bernhard of Anhalt probably by his first wife Judith (o ...

, through his sons Bernhard I of Anhalt-Bernburg (ancestor of Matilda), and Siegfried I of Anhalt-Zerbst (ancestor of George). The marriage was childless. In 1432 George married for a second time to Euphemia (b. ca. 1404? - d. 27 November 1442), daughter of

Konrad III the Old Konrad III the Old ( pl, Konrad III Stary) ( – 28 December 1412) was a Duke of Oleśnica, Koźle, half of Bytom and half of Ścinawa since 1377 (until 1403 with his father as co-ruler). He was the only son of Konrad II the Gray, Duke of Oleśn ...

, Duke of

Oleśnica Oleśnica (pronounced ; german: Oels; szl, Ôleśnica) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, within the Wrocław metropolitan area. It is the administrative seat of Oleśnica County and also of the rural district of ...

and widow of Albert III, Elector of Saxony. They had six daughters: #Anna (d. 8 April 1492), married on 22 June 1461 to Henry II, Count of Plauen and Burgrave of Meissen (later were divorced), then for a second time in 1467 to John I, Count of Honstein-Heldrungen #Margarete (d. bef. 1516) #Hedwig (d. young) #Marie, nun at

Brehna Brehna is a town and a former municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Sandersdorf-Brehna. It is situated southwest of Bitterfeld. Important in this city is the chur ...

#Hedwig (d. bef. 1516), nun at Brehna #Barbara, nun at Brehna. After 1442, George married for a third time to Sophie (d. 1451), possibly a member of the House of

Hohnstein Hohnstein () is a town located in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony, Germany. As of 2020, its population numbered a total of 3,262. Geography It is situated in Saxon Switzerland, 12 km east of Pirna, and 28 km so ...

. They had three children: #Agnes (b. 1445 – d. Kaufungen, 15 August 1504), Abbess of Gandersheim (1485), of Neuenheerse (1486–1492) and of

Kaufungen Kaufungen is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated in the narrow valley of the river Losse, surrounded by the steep, wooded hills of the Kaufunger Wald, approx. 10 kilometres east of Kassel. Geography Div ...

(1495) #

Waldemar VI, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen Waldemar VI, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (1450 – Köthen, 1 November 1508), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen. He was the eldest son of George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, by his second wi ...

(b. 1450 – Köthen, 1 November 1508) # (b. 1451 – d. Gernrode, 31 July 1504), Abbess of

Gernrode Gernrode () is a historic town and former municipality in the Harz District, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2014, it has been part of Quedlinburg.Jan I of Żagań Jan I of Żagań ( pl, Jan I żagański) ( – 12 April 1439 in Żagań) was a Duke of Żagań-Głogów, since 1397 (until 1412 with his brothers as co-rulers), since 1403 Duke of Żagań, Krosno Odrzańskie and Świebodzin (again, until 1412 with ...

). They had nine children: #

Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (died Dessau, 12 June 1516), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. He was the second son of George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, yet the first born by his four ...

(d. Dessau, 12 June 1516) #

George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1454 – 25 April 1509) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. He was the fourth son of George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, as second-born child of his fourth w ...

(b. 1454 – d. 25 April 1509) #

Sigismund III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Sigismund III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1456 – Dessau, 27 November 1487), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. He was the fourth son of George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, as third-born chil ...

(d. 1456 – d. Dessau, 27 November 1487) #Anna (d. 10 October 1531), married on 20 June 1498 to

John V, Count of Oldenburg John V, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst (also counted as John XIV, including also non-ruling namesake siblings; 1460, Oldenburg – 10 February 1526, Oldenburg) was a member of the House of Oldenburg. He was the ruling Count of Oldenburg f ...

-Delmenhorst #

Rudolph IV, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Rudolph IV, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (died 7 September 1510) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. He was the fifth son of George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, as the fourth-born child of his four ...

(d. 7 September 1510) #Bernhard (d. young) #John (d. young) #Henry (d. young) #Lorenz (d. young). {{DEFAULTSORT:George 01, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Princes of Anhalt-Dessau Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg 1390s births 1474 deaths