Friedrich Wilhelm I (25 April 1562 in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg an ...

– 7 July 1602 in Weimar) was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. He was the eldest son of

Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Johann Wilhelm (11 March 1530 – 2 March 1573) was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. Life He was the second son of Johann Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sibylle of Cleves. At the time of his birth, his father still carried the title Elector of Sax ...

and

Dorothea Susanne of Simmern Dorothea Susanne of Simmern (15 November 1544 in Simmern – 8 April 1592 in Weimar) was a princess of the Electorate of the Palatinate and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weimar. Life Dorothea Susanne was the daughter of elector palatine Fre ...

Life

At the time of the death of his father (1573), Friedrich Wilhelm was still under age; for this, a tutelary government for the duchy was appointed. The Dowager Duchess, Dorothea Susanne, could however not prevent the Elector Augustus of Saxony - from the Albertine line - from being designated as the regent in her place. In 1586, Friedrich Wilhelm was declared an adult and began his independent government over in Saxe-Weimar. Five years later, in 1591, the Elector Christian I of Saxony died and was succeeded by his eldest son

Christian II Christian II (1 July 1481 – 25 January 1559) was a Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union who reigned as King of Denmark and Norway, from 1513 until 1523, and Sweden from 1520 until 1521. From 1513 to 1523, he was concurrently Du ...

. Because the new Elector was still under age, the regency of the Electorate was assigned to

Sophie of Brandenburg Sophie of Brandenburg (6 June 1568 – 7 December 1622) was Electress of Saxony by marriage to Christian I, Elector of Saxony. She was regent from 1591 to 1601 during the minority of their son Christian II. Biography Sophie was born at ...

, widow of Christian I and mother of the heir. While she became regent, Friedrich Wilhelm was asked to assist and given the title of ''Administrator des Sächsischen Kurstaates'' (Administrator of the Saxon Electorate). He took residence in

Torgau Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen. Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces firs ...

, and neglected the government of his duchy (which was instead led by his younger brother

John 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 * Seco ...

, who had to take part – in accordance with the Ernestine House Law – anyway in the government). In 1601, Sophie's regency in the Electorate of Saxony ended with the majority of Elector Christian II, and Friedrich Wilhelm returned to Weimar. Since he died one year later, he did not leave large traces in the history of the duchy.

Marriage and children

on 5 May 1583 Friedrich Wilhelm married firstly with

Sophie Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia, meaning "wise". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess of ...

, 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 ...

. They had six children: #Dorothea Marie (b. Weimar, 8 May 1584 – d. Weimar, 9 September 1586) #Johann Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weimar (b. Weimar, 30 June 1585 – d. Weimar, 23 January 1587) #Friedrich (b. Weimar, 26 September 1586 – d. Weimar, 19 January 1587) # Dorothea Sophia (b. Weimar, 19 December 1587 – d. Weimar, 10 February 1645),

Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg This is a list of princess-abbesses of Quedlinburg Abbey Quedlinburg Abbey (german: Stift Quedlinburg or ) was a house of secular canonesses ''( Frauenstift)'' in Quedlinburg in what is now Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was founded in 936 on the i ...

(1618) #Anna Marie (b. Weimar, 31 March 1589 – d. Dresden, 15 December 1626) #stillborn son (Vacha, 21 July 1590). In

Neuburg an der Donau Neuburg an der Donau ( Central Bavarian: ''Neiburg an da Donau'') is a town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerab ...

on 9 September 1591 Friedrich Wilhelm married secondly with Anna Maria, daughter of

Philipp Ludwig, Count Palatine of Neuburg Philipp Ludwig of Neuburg (2 October 1547 – 22 August 1614) was the Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg from 1569 until 1614. Life Philipp Ludwig was born in Zweibrücken in 1547 as the eldest son of Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. After his ...

. They had six children: #

Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Johann Philipp (25 January 1597 – 1 April 1639), was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg. He was born in Torgau, the eldest (but fourth in order of birth) surviving son of Friedrich Wilhelm I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Anna Maria of the Palatinate-Neu ...

(b. Torgau, 25 January 1597 – d. Altenburg, 1 April 1639) #Anna Sophie (b. Torgau, 3 February 1598 – d. Öls, 20 March 1641), married on 4 December 1618 to Duke Karl Friedrich of Münsterberg-Öls. # Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (b. Torgau, 12 February 1599 – killed in battle, 24 October 1625) # Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1600–1632) (b. Torgau, 13 April 1600 – d. army camp outside Brieg, 2 December 1632) #

Dorothea Dorothea (also spelled Dorothée, Dorotea or other variants) is a female given name from Greek (Dōrothéa) meaning "God's Gift". It may refer to: People * Dorothea Binz (1920–1947), German concentration camp officer executed for war cr ...

(b. Torgau, 26 June 1601 – d. Altenburg, 10 April 1675), married on 24 June 1633 to

Albrecht, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach Albrecht, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach, ( Altenburg, 27 July 1599 – Eisenach, 20 December 1644) was a ruler of the duchy of Saxe-Eisenach. He was the seventh (but fourth surviving) son of Johann, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Dorothea Maria of Anhalt. ...

. #

Friedrich Wilhelm II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Friedrich Wilhelm II (12 February 1603, in Weimar – 22 April 1669, in Altenburg), was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg. He was the youngest son of Friedrich Wilhelm I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Anna Maria of the Palatinate-Neuburg, his second wife. ...

(b. posthumously, Weimar, 12 February 1603 – d. Altenburg, 22 April 1669)

References

NB: This entry quotes German Wikipedia: :de:Friedrich Wilhelm I. (Sachsen-Weimar) as a source.

Ancestry

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Friedrich Wilhelm 01 Of Saxe-Weimar, Duke 1562 births 1602 deaths Nobility from Weimar House of Wettin Dukes of Saxe-Weimar