George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau ( – 21 September 1474), 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-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and later a duchy of the German Confederation. Ruled by the House of Ascania, it was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and finally merged into th ...
. He was the second son of
Sigismund I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Sigismund I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (died Coswig, 19 January 1405), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst until 1396, when he became the first ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. H ...
, by his wife Judith, daughter of Gebhard XI, Count of Querfurt.
Life
In 1405, after the death of his father, George inherited the principality of Anhalt-Dessau alongside his older brother Waldemar IV and his younger brothers Sigismund II and Albert V. By 1435, he adopted the style "Lord of Zerbst and Dessau" and styled himself "Lord of Köthen" from 1460.
In 1468 he inherited the principality of
Anhalt-Bernburg
Anhalt-Bernburg was a Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, 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 subd ...
, then three years later (in 1471) signed a succession contract with his first cousin Adolph I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, that named him as "Mitherr" (co-ruler) with rights to half 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 ...
. George renounced his rights, however, in favor of his eldest son Waldemar VI, who became the new co-ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen. The deaths of George's brothers between 1417 and 1469 without male heirs left him as the sole ruler of Anhalt-Dessau until his own death, which occurred in
Dessau
Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...
.
Marriages and Issue
After 1413, George married Matilda (d. Coswig, bef. 1432), daughter of Otto III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg. The spouses were related to each other as direct descendants of Henry I, Count of Anhalt, through his sons Bernhard I of Anhalt-Bernburg (ancestor of Matilda), and Siegfried I of Anhalt-Zerbst (ancestor of George). The marriage was childless.
In 1432 George married for a second time to Euphemia (b. ca. 1404? - d. 27 November 1442), daughter of Konrad III the Old, Duke of Oleśnica and widow of Albert III, Elector of Saxony. They had six daughters:
#Anna (d. 8 April 1492), married on 22 June 1461 to Henry II, Count of Plauen and Burgrave of Meissen (later were divorced), then for a second time in 1467 to John I, Count of Honstein-Heldrungen
#Margarete (d. bef. 1516)
#Hedwig (d. young)
#Marie, nun at
Brehna
Brehna is a town and a former municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Sandersdorf-Brehna.
It is situated southwest of Bitterfeld. Important in this city is the churc ...
#Hedwig (d. bef. 1516), nun at Brehna
#Barbara, nun at Brehna.
After 1442, George married for a third time to Sophie (d. 1451), possibly a member of the House of Hohnstein. They had three children:
#Agnes (b. 1445 – d. Kaufungen, 15 August 1504), Abbess of Gandersheim (1485), of Neuenheerse (1486–1492) and of Kaufungen (1495)
# Waldemar VI, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. 1450 – Köthen, 1 November 1508)
# (b. 1451 – d. Gernrode, 31 July 1504), Abbess of
Gernrode
Gernrode () is a historic town and former municipality in the Harz (district), Harz District, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2014, it has been part of Quedlinburg.Jan I of Żagań). They had nine children:
#
Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (died Dessau, 12 June 1516), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. He was the second son of George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, yet the first born by his four ...
John V, Count of Oldenburg
John V, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst (also counted as John XIV, including also non-ruling namesake siblings; 1460, Oldenburg – 10 February 1526, Oldenburg) was a member of the House of Oldenburg. He was the ruling Count of Oldenburg ...
-Delmenhorst
# Rudolph IV, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (d. 7 September 1510)
#Bernhard (d. young)
#John (d. young)
#Henry (d. young)
#Lorenz (d. young).