Augustus of Anhalt-Plötzkau (

Dessau Dessau is a town and former municipality in Germany at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the '' Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it has been part of the newly created municipality of Dessau-Roßlau ...

, 14 July 1575 –

Plötzkau Plötzkau is a municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Rus ...

, 22 August 1653), 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 ruler of the unified principality of

Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

. From 1603, he was ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Plötzkau. Augustus was the fourth son of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt, but second-born son of his second wife Eleonore, daughter of

Christoph, Duke of Württemberg Christoph of Württemberg (12 May 1515 – 28 December 1568), ruled as Duke of Württemberg from 1550 until his death in 1568. Life In November 1515, only months after his birth, his mother, Sabina of Bavaria, fled to the court of her parents ...

Life

In 1586, after the death of his father, Augustus inherited Anhalt jointly with his half- and full brothers under the regency of the eldest, John George I. After seventeen years of joint rule, the surviving brothers agreed to a formal division of their lands in 1603. Augustus received

, which was created from parts of the old principality 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 ...

. In 1611 he proposed publishing the two

Rosicrucian manifestos Rosicrucianism is a spiritual and cultural movement that arose in Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order to the world and made seeking it ...

together, but was unable to locate a copy of ''Confessio''.'Johann Valentin Andreae's Utopian Brotherhoods' by Donald R. Dickson, ''Renaissance Quarterly'' Vol. 49, No. 4 (Winter, 1996), pp. 760–802 From 1621 until 1642, Augustus acted as regent in

Anhalt-Zerbst Anhalt-Zerbst was a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts Potsdam-Mittelmark (Brandenburg) and Wittenberg, the city of Dessau and the districts of Köthen, Schönebeck and Jerichower L ...

for his infant nephew John VI, and from 1650 until 1653 in

Anhalt-Köthen Anhalt-Köthen was a 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. The first creation lasted until 1562 ...

for another infant nephew, William Louis.

Marriage and issue

Ansbach Ansbach (; ; East Franconian: ''Anschba'') is a city in the German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the river Fränkische Rezat, a ...

on 25 January 1618 Augustus married Sibylle (b.

Laubach Laubach is a town of approximately 10,000 people in the Gießen region of Hesse, Germany. Laubach is known as a ', a climatic health resort. It is situated east of Gießen. Surrounding Laubach are the towns of Hungen, Grünberg, Schotten and ...

, 19 October 1590 - d. Plötzkau, 23 March 1659), daughter of

John George I, Count of Solms-Laubach John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

. They had eight children: #Johanna (b. Plötzkau, 24 November 1618 - d.

Quedlinburg Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of in ...

, 3 May 1676). #

Ernest Gottlieb, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau Ernest Gottlieb of Anhalt-Plötzkau (4 September 1620 – 7 March 1654) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Plötzkau. He was the eldest son of Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau, by his wife Siby ...

(b. Plötzkau, 4 September 1620 - d. Plötzkau, 7 March 1654). # Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau, later

(b. Plötzkau, 8 April 1622 - d. Köthen, 7 November 1669). #Dorothea (b. Zerbst, 20 June 1623 - d. Plötzkau, 6 December 1637). #Ehrenpreis (b. Zerbst, 21 July 1625 - d. Bernburg, 21 July 1626). #Sophie (b. Plötzkau, 11 July 1627 - d. Köthen, 24 November 1679). #Elisabeth (b. Plötzkau, 21 March 1630 - d. Köthen, 17 April 1692). # Emmanuel, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau, later

(b. Plötzkau, 6 October 1631 - d. Köthen, 8 November 1670).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Plotzkau Princes of Anhalt Princes of Anhalt-Plötzkau 1575 births 1653 deaths House of Ascania