Johann Adolf of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (18 May 1721, Gotha – 29 April 1799, Friedrichstanneck, now a district of

Eisenberg, Thuringia Eisenberg is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Saale-Holzland. Neighboring municipalities are Jena ( in west) and Gera ( in south east). West of Eisenberg runs the motorway A 9 from Berlin to Munich. A tradition in ...

), was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and a Saxon

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Life

Johann Adolf was the youngest son of

Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (28 July 1676 – 23 March 1732), was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He was born in Gotha, the fifth child and first son of Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-We ...

and

Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst (13 October 1679 – 11 October 1740) was, by birth, a Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst and, by marriage, a Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. She was the maternal grandmother of George III of the United Kingdo ...

. The prince was educated by Gottfried Christoph Sommer in Gotha and between 1735 and 1739 in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

. He joined the Danish military service in 1739. On his

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...

in 1741 he visited France als later his sister Augusta in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

where he also obtained a Ph.D. from the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. In 1742 he started his service in the army of the Electorate of Saxony where he became holder of a regiment in 1744 that he commanded until 1746 on his own. He fought at the

Battle of Hohenfriedberg The Battle of Hohenfriedberg or Hohenfriedeberg, now Dobromierz, also known as the Battle of Striegau, now Strzegom, was one of Frederick the Great's most admired victories. Frederick's Prussian army decisively defeated an Austrian army unde ...

. He became

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in 1746 and established his headquarter in

Naumburg Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNES ...

. In 1748 he obtained the Polish Order of the White Eagle and joined the Masonic lodge »Zu den drei Hammern« as »Chevalier de la Truelle d'Or« Master Masons in Naumburg. Johann Adolf became Saxon lieutenant general in 1753. During The Seven Years' War he was captured by the

Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

near

Altenburg Altenburg () is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located south of Leipzig, west of Dresden and east of Erfurt. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district and part of a polycentric old-industrial textile and metal production region betw ...

in 1756. He has been released once he has sworn not to fight the Prussians further. Later, the Prussian Army tried to absorb his regiment. Johann Adolf retired to Eisenberg where he had the house Markt 25 built in 1750. In 1756 he had built Schloss Friedrichstanneck nearby. After Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen died in 1787 he became

Elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

of the Ernestine line of the

House of Wettin The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its ori ...

, a position already hold by his older brother Frederick III until his death in 1772. Because of this position he obtained

Oldisleben Oldisleben is a village and a former municipality in the district Kyffhäuserkreis, in Thuringia, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country i ...

territory. Daniel Collenbusch became his personal physician in 1788. After Johann Adolf died in 1799 Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Elder of Ernestine Wettin and received the Oldisleben territory. Johann Adolf is buried at the chapel of Christiansburg Castle in Eisenberg. Friedrichstanneck Schloß mod

Marriage and Issue

The Ernestine duchies of

Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg () was a duchy ruled by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in today's Thuringia, Germany. The extinction of the line in 1825 led to a major re-organisation of the Thuringian states. History In 1640 the sons of the l ...

and

Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Weimar (german: Sachsen-Weimar) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The chief town and capital was Weimar. The Weimar branch was the most genealogically senior extant bra ...

considered a marriage between Johann Adolf and Princess Ernestine Albertine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, daughter of

Ernest Augustus I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Ernest Augustus I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (German: ''Ernst August I''; 19 April 1688 – 19 January 1748), was a duke of Saxe-Weimar and, from 1741, of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Biography He was the second but eldest surviving son of Johann Ernst ...

. The negotiations delayed over the

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

. In the meantime Ernestine Albertine decided for

Philip II, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe Philipp II Ernst, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe (5 July 1723– 13 February 1787) was a ruler of the counties of Lippe-Alverdissen and Schaumburg-Lippe. Early life He was born at Rinteln the son of Friedrich Ernst, Count of Lippe-Alverdissen (1687-177 ...

. Johann Adolf later married Marie Maximiliane Elisabeth Schauer (*25.10.1732, †31.01.1779)

morganatically 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 spou ...

. They had three children of which two survived. * Friedrich Adolph (*14.03.1760; † 17.03.1760) * Adolph Christian Carl (*13.3.1761; † 15.09.1804) * Johanna Adolfine Friederike (*9.1.1765; † 30.3.1835) Marie Maximiliane Elisabeth Schauer was ennobled together with her two children on January 12, 1779 by

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

.Adelsstand mit der Bewilligung ihren bisher geführten Geschlechtsnamen Schaur abzulegen und "von Gothart" zu nennen. Reichsadelsakten Österreichisches Staatsarchiv
AT-OeStA/AVA Adel RAA 150.29

Ancestors

References

Bibliography

* * Johann Samuel Ersch: ''Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste'', Zweite Sektion, 21. Teil, Leipzig, 1842, p. 240
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* Ranft, Michael: Die Politische Historie von Thüringen, Meißen und Sachsen, welche der sächsische Patriot aus den bewährtesten Nachrichten in XI Stücken der studirenden Jugend in möglichster Kürze aufrichtig erzehlet, Band 10, Leipzig : Holle, 1772, p. 181f.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Adolf, Johan 1721 births 1799 deaths House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg People from Gotha (town) Sons of monarchs