Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt (11 January 1901 – 18 February 1947) was the last ruler of the

Duchy of Anhalt The Duchy of Anhalt (german: Herzogtum Anhalt) was a historical German duchy. The duchy was located between the Harz Mountains in the west and the river Elbe and beyond to the Fläming Heath in the east. The territory was once ruled by the House ...

Biography

He was born 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 ...

, the son of Duke Eduard of Anhalt (1861–1918) and Princess Louise Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg (1873–1953), the daughter of

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, ...

. He succeeded his father as Duke of Anhalt on 13 September 1918. However, due to his age, his uncle

Prince Aribert of Anhalt Prince Aribert Joseph Alexander of Anhalt (18 June 1866 – 24 December 1933) was regent of Anhalt from September to November 1918 on behalf of his underage nephew Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt. As regent, following the German revolution, he abdi ...

was appointed regent. His brief reign came to an end on 12 November 1918, with his uncle abdicating in his name following the

German revolution 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 ...

. The duchy became the

Free State of Anhalt The Free State of Anhalt (german: Freistaat Anhalt) was formed after Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt abdicated on 12 November 1918, ending the Duchy of Anhalt. It was a state of Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. In May 1932 the Nazi ...

and is today part of the state of

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

. Ernst joined the ruling

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 ...

in 1939. He died at the

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or su ...

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 ...

as a prisoner of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, when it was called NKVD special camp Nr. 2. Following his death, the headship of the Ducal House of Anhalt was disputed between his elder son, Prince Friedrich, and brother Prince Eugen.

Marriages and children

Ballenstedt Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Geography It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipal area comprises the vi ...

Castle on 3 March 1927, Joachim Ernst married firstly Elisabeth Strickrodt (Plauen, 3 September 1903 – Berlin-Zehlendorf, 5 January 1971), a daughter of an opera singer. She was created Countess of Askanien, but they were divorced in 1929, without issue. In Ballenstedt Castle on 15 October 1929, Joachim Ernst married secondly Editha "Edda" Charlotte Wilhelmine Marwitz von Stephani (Düsseldorf, 20 August 1905 – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 22 February 1986), natural daughter of Wilhelm Horn by Irmgard Klara Franziska Marwitz, married firstly and divorced from Maximilian, Edler von Rogister, who was adopted as an adult by Bertha von Stephani, reputedly for a payment of 10,000 marks, in order to improve her social standing. They had five children: *Marie Antoinette Elisabeth ''Alexandra'' Irmgard Edda Charlotte (14 July 1930 – 22 March 1993), married firstly 1957 (div. 1968) Karl-Heinz Guttmann and had one son, and married secondly 1974 (div. 1976) Max Riederer. **Joachim Ernst Guttmann (b. 1963), who married in 2006 Bettina Pahn. They had one child: ***Leonhardt Held (b. 31 July 2008) *''Anna Luise'' Marie Friederike Elisabeth Alice (26 March 1933 – 1 November 2003), married 1966 (div. 1970) Thomas Birch (b. 27 September 1927, New York City, USA). They have one son: **James Anhalt-Birch (b. 12 April 1968, New York City, USA). * Leopold ''Friedrich'' Franz Sieghard Hubertus Erdmann (11 April 1938 – 9 October 1963). *''Edda'' Adelheid Antoinette Emma Elisabeth (born 30 January 1940), married 1974 Albert Darboven. * ''Eduard'' Julius Ernst August Erdmann (born 3 December 1941), married 1980 (div. 2014) Corinne Krönlein.

Honours and awards

Dynastic honours

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 ...

Sovereign Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Ducal Order of Albert the Bear.

Nongovernmental organizations

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

, Servare et Manere * Memorial_Medal_of_Tree_of_Peace_ribbon

Memorial Medal of Tree of Peace The Memorial Medal of Tree of Peace ( Slovak: ''Pamätná medaila Stromu pokoja'') is the second highest award awarded since 2020 by Servare et Manere, the Slovak non-governmental organization. The award was first awarded on September 28, 202 ...

, Special class with

rubies A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sap ...

, ''In memoriam'' (January 11, 2021).

Gallery

File:Joachim Ernst last duke of Anhalt.jpg, Joachim Ernst in May 1918 File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-08182, Elisabeth Strickroth.jpg, Elisabeth Strickrodt in August 1929

Ancestry

References

External links

House of Anhalt-Askanien
House of Ascania German royalty 1901 births 1947 deaths Princes of Anhalt Dukes of Anhalt German people of French descent People who died in NKVD special camp Nr. 2 {{Germany-royal-stub Royalty in the Nazi Party