Friedrich Wilhelm II (12 February 1603, in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

– 22 April 1669, in

Altenburg Altenburg () is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located south of Leipzig, west of Dresden and east of Erfurt. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district and part of a polycentric old-industrial textile and metal production region betw ...

), 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. He was born eight months after the death of his father, on 7 July 1602. Shortly after his birth, Friedrich Wilhelm II and his older brothers inherited Saxe-Altenburg as co-rulers under the guardianship of the Electors of Saxony

Christian II A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Ch ...

and John George I until 1618, when his older brother John Philip assumed the government of the duchy and the guardianship of his younger siblings. By 1632, two of his three brothers were deceased. Friedrich Wilhelm II and his older brother John Philip began a joint government; but, in fact, John Philip was the real and only ruler of the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. Friedrich Wilhelm II was only a nominal ruler until the death of John Philip (1639), when he began his personal reign over Altenburg. At Altenburg Castle on 18 September 1638 Friedrich Wilhelm II married his first wife, Sophie Elisabeth, the only daughter of

Christian William of Brandenburg Christian Wilhelm of Brandenburg (28 August 1587 – 1 January 1665) was a titular Margrave of Brandenburg, and from 1598 to 1631 Archbishop of Diocese of Magdeburg, Magdeburg. Life Christian Wilhelm was a son of Elector Joachim Frederick, ...

. She died in 1650 after twelve years of childless marriage. 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 11 October 1652 Friedrich Wilhelm II married secondly Magdalene Sibylle of Saxony, Dowager Crown Princess of Denmark and daughter of his former regent, the Elector John George I. They had three children: # Christian (b. Altenburg, 27 February 1654 – d. Altenburg, 5 June 1663). # Johanna Magdalena (b. Altenburg, 14 January 1656 – d. Weissenfels, 22 January 1686), married on 25 October 1671 to

Johann Adolf I, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels Johann Adolf I, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels (2 November 1649, in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle – 24 May 1697, in Weissenfels), was a duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Querfurt and member of the House of Wettin. He was the first son of Augustus, Duke of Sax ...

. #

Friedrich Wilhelm III, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Friedrich Wilhelm III (12 July 1657 – 14 April 1672) was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg. He was the second son of Friedrich Wilhelm II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Magdalene Sybille of Saxony, his second wife. Life The death of his older brother C ...

(b. Altenburg, 12 July 1657 – d. Altenburg, 14 April 1672). In 1660 he acquired the towns of Themar and

Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 26,000 (2024).

. In 1664 he built a hunting seat () in Hummelshain, and, in 1665, he built a particularly beautiful widow seat () called "Magdalenenstift" in Altenburg for his wife Magdalene Sybille. After his death he was succeeded by his second and only surviving son, Frederick William III.

Ancestry

References

* August Beck: '' Friedrich Wilhelm II. (Herzog von Sachsen-Altenburg)''. In:

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB; ) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences between 1875 and 1912 in 56 volumes, printed in Lei ...

(ADB). Band 7, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, S. 792–794. {{DEFAULTSORT:Friedrich Wilhelm 02, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg 1603 births 1669 deaths Nobility from Weimar Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg