Albert VI, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (died 9 January 1475) was a German prince of the

House of Ascania The House of Ascania () was a dynasty of German rulers. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession, Principality of Anhalt, Anhalt. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, known as ' ...

and ruler of the principality of

Anhalt-Köthen Anhalt-Köthen was a Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, 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. T ...

. He was the youngest son of

Albert IV, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen Albert IV, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (d. Coswig, 24 November 1423), 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-Köthen. He ...

, but the eldest child of his second wife Elisabeth, daughter of Gebhard XI, Count of Querfurt.

Life

Still a minor when his father died in 1423, Albert was bypassed as heir to Anhalt-Köthen by his older half-brothers, Adolph I and Waldemar V. After Waldemar's death in 1436, Adolph became the sole ruler of Anhalt-Köthen. Albert had to wait until the succession of the Köthen line was in jeopardy (almost 37 years) before he could assert his right of inheritance. By 1471, Adolph's three sons had all acted on their intention to become priests; in consequence, they could not produce further heirs. The only two other living agnates of the family were Albert and his infant son. Adolph made a contract with his cousin George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, by which his oldest son Waldemar VI was made Adolph's co-ruler ("Mitherr") in half of the principality. But under the terms of the contract, Adolph's half-brother Albert VI would inherit his part of Köthen upon Adolph's death and become the new co-ruler with Waldemar. Adolph died in 1473 and Albert finally became one of the rulers of the principality with the title of "Lord of Köthen," but his reign lasted only fifteen months. On his death, he was succeeded by his only son

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

, who co-ruled with his cousins, the sons of Adolph I.

Marriage and issue

In Alsleben on 27 March 1454 Albert married with Elisabeth (d. Querfurt, 18 September 1482), daughter of Günther II, Count of Mansfeld. They had seven children: #Anna (d. young). #Marie (d. aft. 1495), a nun at

Gernrode Gernrode () is a historic town and former municipality in the Harz (district), Harz District, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2014, it has been part of Quedlinburg.Gandersheim (1511). #Margarete (d. young). # Philip, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. 31 May 1468 - d. 13 November 1500). #Dorothea (d. 3 August 1505), married on 28 May 1496 to Joachim, Count of Oettingen-Oettingen-Spielberg-Wallerstein. #Scholastica (d. 1504), Abbess of Gernrode.

Bibliography

*Anthony Stokvis: ''Manuel d'histoire, de généalogie et de chronologie de tous les États du globe, depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu'à nos jours'', preface H. F. Wijnman, Israel, 1966, chapter VIII «Généalogie de la Maison d'Anhalt, I» and genealogical table N° 126. {{DEFAULTSORT:Albert Vi, Prince Of Anhalt-Kothen Princes of Anhalt-Köthen 1475 deaths Year of birth unknown