Augustus Louis of Anhalt-Köthen (9 June 1697 in
Köthen – 6 August 1755 in
Köthen), 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 third (second surviving) son of
Emmanuel Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, by his wife
Gisela Agnes of Rath.
Life
In 1702, Augustus' father instituted
primogeniture
Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn Legitimacy (family law), legitimate child to inheritance, inherit all or most of their parent's estate (law), estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some childre ...
in his lands so that on his death in 1704 only the eldest surviving son,
Leopold, inherited his father's titles and powers.
When Leopold was declared of age in 1715, Augustus Louis tried to claim his rights under the old system, but finally Leopold forced him to renounce them. In exchange, Augustus Louis received the enclave of
Güsten with its old ''Schloss'' built in 1547 by Prince
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
and the town of
Warmsdorf with all its revenues, as well as other concessions.
After the death from smallpox of Leopold and his two sons in 1728, Augustus Louis inherited Anhalt-Köthen, however he soon faced disputes with his sister-in-law, the Dowager Princess Charlotte Fredericka (who sought the payment of her widow dowry), and his niece Gisela Agnes (who made claims to her father's inheritance).
In 1730 Charlotte Fredericka married
Albert Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, but until her death in 1785 she received the sum of 200,000
Thaler
A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...
s annually from Anhalt-Köthen. For Gisela Agnes, the income from her inheritance rose to 335,000 Thalers a year. These payments left Anhalt-Köthen deeply in debt. Augustus Louis tried to address the fiscal problems created by obligations to his brother's family members, but without success.
Marriages and Issue
About 1720, Augustus Louis fell in love with
Agnes Wilhelmine von Wuthenau (b.
Plötzkau, 4 December 1700 - d. Köthen, 14 January 1725), of the old nobility of Anhalt and lady-in-waiting to his mother, the Dowager Princess Gisela Agnes. They were engaged on 18 November 1721 and she was created Countess of Warmsdorf (German: ''Gräfin von Warmsdorf'') by the Emperor. The couple finally married in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
on 23 January 1722; this
morganatic
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 spous ...
union produced only two daughters, who were recognized as princesses of Anhalt with all appertaining rights:
#Gisela Henriette (b.
Warmsdorf, 16 December 1722 - d. Warmsdorf, 16 December 1728).
#Agnes Leopoldine (b. Köthen, 31 May 1724 - d. Köthen, 28 July 1766).
In
Sorau on 14 January 1726, a year after the death of his first wife, Augustus Louis married again to
Christine Johanna Emilie (b. Sorau, 15 September 1708 - d. Köthen, 20 February 1732), daughter of
Erdmann II, Count of Promnitz-Pless. They had five children:
#
Christiane Anna Agnes (b. Köthen, 5 December 1726 - d.
Wernigerode
Wernigerode () is a town in the Harz (district), district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the Wernigerode (district), district of Wernigerode. Its population was 32,181 in 2020.
Wernigerode is located southwes ...
, 2 October 1790), married on 12 July 1742 to
Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode.
#Frederick Augustus, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. Köthen, 1 November 1727 - d. Schloss Warmsdorf, 26 January 1729).
#
Johanna Wilhelmine (b. Warmsdorf, 4 November 1728 - d. Carolath, 17 January 1786), married on 17 December 1749 to
Frederick, Prince of Carolath-Beuthen.
#
Karl George Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. Köthen, 15 August 1730 - d.
Semlin, 17 October 1789).
#
Frederick Erdmann, Prince of Anhalt(-Köthen)-Pless (b. Köthen, 27 October 1731 - d.
Pless
Pleß or Pless may refer to:
Places
*Pleß, a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany
* Pszczyna (German: Pleß), a town in southern Poland
** Duchy of Pless, a historic territory in Silesia
* Pleß (mountain), a mountai ...
, 12 December 1797).
In Sorau on 21 November 1732 Augustus Louis married
Anna Fredericka (b. Sorau, 30 May 1711 - d. Köthen, 31 March 1750), also a daughter of Erdmann II, and the younger sister of his second wife, just nine months after the latter's death. They had two daughters:
#
Charlotte Sophie (b. Köthen, 25 August 1733 - d. Köthen, 6 September 1770).
#
Marie Magdalene Benedikte (b. Köthen, 22 March 1735 - d.
Massenheim, 7 November 1783).
References
Unequal and Morganatic Marriages in German Law*
August Ludwig Fürst v.Anhalt-KöthenGenealogical database by Herbert Stoyan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Augustus Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Kothen
1697 births
1755 deaths
People from Köthen (Anhalt)
Princes of Anhalt-Köthen