Alexander Charles, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg (2 March 1805 – 19 August 1863) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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 ' ...

. From 1834 until 1863 he was the last

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

of the Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg.

Life

Early life

Alexander Charles was born at Ballenstedt on 2 March 1805 as the second (but eldest and only surviving) son of

Alexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg Alexius Frederick Christian of Anhalt-Bernburg (12 June 1767 – 24 March 1834), was a German prince of the House of Ascania. From 1796 until 1807 he was Reigning prince of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg, and from 1807 until 1834 the first ...

, by his first wife Maria Fredericka, daughter of

William I, Elector of Hesse William I, Elector of Hesse (; 3 June 1743 – 27 February 1821) was the eldest surviving son of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Princess Mary of Great Britain, the daughter of George II of Great Britain, George II. ...

Succession

After the death of his father in 1834, Alexander Karl succeeded him in Anhalt-Bernburg.

Marriage

Gottorp Gottorf Castle (, , Low German: ''Slott Gottorp'') is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is one of the most important secular buildings in Schleswig-Holstein, and has been rebuilt and expanded severa ...

on 30 October 1834 Alexander Karl married

Princess Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Princess Friederike of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (9 October 1811 – 10 July 1902) was a daughter of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel and an elde ...

, daughter of

Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from ...

and his wife

Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (; 28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867) was the consort of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and the matriarch of the House of Glücksburg. Early life Louise Car ...

; she was also a sister of the later King

Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 15 November 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schlesw ...

. The union was childless.

Reign

By November 1855 the Duke was confined to Schloss Hoym due to a progressive mental illness (some sources state that he had

schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

). There, Alexander Karl spend the rest of his life under medical care in the company of his chamberlain, the painter

Wilhelm von Kügelgen Wilhelm Georg Alexander von Kügelgen (20 November 1802, in St.Petersburg – 25 May 1867, in Ballenstedt) was a German portrait and history painter, writer, and Chamberlain (office), chamberlain at the Court of Anhalt-Bernburg. He is best kn ...

. Due to his incapacity, his wife Friederike acted as regent.

Death

Alexander Charles died at

Hoym Hoym () is a town and former municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 15 July 2009, it is part of the town Seeland. Hoym is located on the river Selke, between the towns Aschersleben and Quedlinbu ...

on 19 August 1863. As the marriage produced no issue, with him, the line of Anhalt-Bernburg became extinct. The Duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg was inherited by his kinsman Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen who merged the duchy with his own to form a united

Duchy of Anhalt The Duchy of 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 of Ascania, and is now ...

Bibliography

* Johannes Werner and Paul Siegwart von Kügelgen (eds.): ''Wilhelm von Kügelgen – Lebenserinnerungen des Alten Mannes, 1840–1867''. K. F. Koehler, Leipzig 1923. * Alexander Boroffka: ''Die Geisteskrankheit des Herzogs Alexander Carl von Anhalt-Bernburg (1805–1863). Eine Psychopathographie''. Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Kulturstiftung Bernburg e. V. Bernburg 1995.
Landesarchiv Sachsen-Anhalt: correspondence of the ducal family of Anhalt-Bernburg incl. Herzog Alexander Carl

Ancestry

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anhalt-Bernburg, Alexander Karl, Duke Of 1805 births 1863 deaths People from Ballenstedt People with schizophrenia Rulers of Anhalt House of Ascania Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg Burials at Schlosskirche St. Aegidien (Bernburg)