Otto II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (died 24 July 1315) 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 the last ruler of the principality of

Anhalt-Aschersleben Anhalt-Aschersleben was a short-lived principality of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Aschersleben in present-day Saxony-Anhalt. It emerged as a subdivision from the Principality of Anhalt from 1252 to 131 ...

. He was the last child and only son of Otto I, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben, by his wife Hedwig, daughter of

Henry III the White Henry III the White ( pl, Henryk III Biały) ( – 3 December 1266), a member of the Silesian Piasts, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1248 until his death, as co-ruler with his brother Władysław. Life He was the third son of the Polish hi ...

, Duke of Breslau.

Life

After the death of his father in 1304, Otto inherited his principality of Anhalt-Aschersleben. Otto participated in the political feuds typical of his era. In 1307 he supported 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 ...

. After years of maintaining close ties with his cousin

Waldemar, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal Waldemar the Great (german: Waldemar der Große; – 14 August 1319), a member of the House of Ascania, was Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal from 1308 until his death. He became sole ruler of the Margraviate of Brandenburg upon the death of ...

, Otto broke with him and became a vassal of King

Eric VI of Denmark Eric VI Menved (1274 – 13 November 1319) was King of Denmark (1286–1319). A son of King Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg, he became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered on 22 November by unknown assailants. On account of his ag ...

in 1315. He died shortly after; the last male of his family, the line of Anhalt-Aschersleben became extinct upon his death. The

Bishopric of Halberstadt The Diocese of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese (german: Bistum Halberstadt) from 804 until 1648.

took over his principality and lands (including Aschersleben) as payment for debt after his death. The presiding Anhalt prince at this time, Bernhard II of Anhalt-Bernburg, recognized the validity of the bishop's claim to this territory and the transfer was agreed upon in a contract signed in December 1316. The rights to the

Principality of Anhalt-Aschersleben Anhalt-Aschersleben was a short-lived principality of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Aschersleben in present-day Saxony-Anhalt. It emerged as a subdivision from the Principality of Anhalt from 1252 to 13 ...

were disputed and argued over for centuries. In 1648, the prince/electors of

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

took over the

Bishopric of Halberstadt The Diocese of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese (german: Bistum Halberstadt) from 804 until 1648.

and all its possessions, including all of the land and rights once possessed by Prince Otto II.

Marriage and issue

On 24 August 1309, Otto married Elisabeth (d. aft. 2 May 1347), the only daughter of Frederick Clem, the youngest son of

Henry III, Margrave of Meissen Henry III, called Henry the Illustrious (''Heinrich der Erlauchte'') (c. 1215 – 15 February 1288) from the House of Wettin was Margrave of Meissen and last Margrave of Lusatia (as Henry IV) from 1221 until his death; from 1242 also Landgrav ...

. They had two daughters: #Katharina (d. bef. 15 April 1369), heiress of the

Allodial Allodial title constitutes ownership of real property (land, buildings, and fixtures) that is independent of any superior landlord. Allodial title is related to the concept of land held "in allodium", or land ownership by occupancy and defens ...

, married in 1328 to Count Hermann VI of Orlamünde. #Elisabeth (d. young ca. 1317/1319). Princes of Anhalt-Aschersleben 1315 deaths Year of birth unknown {{Germany-royal-stub