Frederick of Anhalt-Harzgerode (16 November 1613, Ensdorf, Bavaria – 30 June 1670, Plötzkau), 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 {{Infobox former country , native_name = {{native name, de, Fürstentum Anhalt-Harzgerode , conventional_long_name = Principality of Anhalt-Harzgerode , common_name = Anhalt-Harzgerode , , image_flag = , image_co ...

. He was the fourth (but third surviving son) of Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, by his wife Anna of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, daughter of

Arnold III, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt-Tecklenburg-Limburg Arnold III of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Steinfurt-Limburg (10 or 11 October 1554 in Neuenhaus – 11 January 1606 in Tecklenburg) was a German nobleman. He was Count of Bentheim, Tecklenburg and Steinfurt, and Count of Limburg. He ruled as Arn ...

. 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 A ...

by their older brother Christian II. 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. 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

In Bückeburg 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 i ...

. They had three children: #

William Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode William Louis of Anhalt-Harzgerode (Harzgerode, 18 August 1643 – Harzgerode, 14 October 1709), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and the last ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Harzgerode. He was the eldest child and only son o ...

(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 Michael Thomas Osterholm (born March 10, 1953) is an American epidemiologist, Regents Professor, and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. On November 9, 2020, Osterholm was named to n ...

, 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 Duke Augustus of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Norburg (9 May 1635 – 17 September 1699 in Plön) was Duke of a small part of Schleswig-Holstein around Nordborg Castle on the island of Als. He was the founder of the Schleswig-Holstein- ...

. In Harzgerode 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 ...

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