Leopold II Maximilian, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (25 December 1700 – 16 December 1751), 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 ...

from 1747 to 1751; he also was a Prussian general.

Life

Leopold was born at

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 ...

as the second son of Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, by his

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 ...

wife Anna Louise Föhse. At only nine years of age, he accompanied his father on his military duties for the Prussian army. In 1715 he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel-in-Chief of the Infantry Regiment No. 27 of Stendal. In 1733 he led the Prussian forces stationed in the city of

Mühlhausen Mühlhausen () is a town in the north-west of Thuringia, Germany, north of Niederdorla, the country's Central Germany (geography)#Geographical centre, geographical centre, north-west of Erfurt, east of Kassel and south-east of Göttingen ...

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

during the

First Silesian War The First Silesian War () was a war between Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia and Habsburg monarchy, Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. The ...

. The death in 1737 of his elder brother, the Hereditary Prince William Gustav, made Leopold the new heir of Dessau. The late prince was already married and had nine children, but his wife was of non-noble birth; for this reason, the issue of the marriage was barred from succession. After the death of his father in 1747, Leopold inherited Anhalt-Dessau. Leopold was one of the best subordinate generals who served under Frederick the Great of Prussia. He distinguished himself in the capture of Glogau in 1741 and at the battles of Mollwitz, Chotusitz (where he was made ''

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...

'' on the field of battle), Hohenfriedberg, and Soor. He died at Dessau in 1751. In 1752 Frederick the Great named a newly founded village Leopoldshagen (est. 1748) in his honour.

Marriage and issue

Bernburg Bernburg (Saale) () is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the Salzlandkreis district. The former residence of the Anhalt-Bernburg princes is known for its Renaissance castle. Geography The town centre is situated in the fertile Magdeb ...

on 25 May 1737 Leopold married Gisela Agnes (b. Köthen, 21 September 1722 – d. Dessau, 20 April 1751), daughter of Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen. They had seven children: # Leopold III Frederick Franz, Prince and (from 1807) Duke of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau, 10 August 1740 – d. Luisium bei Dessau, 9 August 1817). #Louise Agnes Margarete (b. Dessau, 15 August 1742 – d. Dessau, 11 July 1743). # Henrietta Katharina Agnes (b. Dessau, 5 June 1744 – d. Dessau, 15 December 1799), married on 26 October 1779 to John Justus, Freiherr von Loën. # Marie Leopoldine (b. Dessau, 18 November 1746 – d. Detmold, 15 April 1769), married on 4 August 1765 to Simon August, Count of Lippe-Detmold. #John George (b. Dessau, 28 January 1748 – d.

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, 1 April 1811). # Casimire (b. Dessau, 19 January 1749 – d. Detmold, 8 November 1778), married on 9 November 1769 to Simon August, Count of Lippe-Detmold, widow of her sister. #Albert Frederick (b. Dessau, 22 April 1750 – d. Dessau, 31 October 1811), married on 25 October 1774 to Henriette of Lippe-Weissenfeld, great-granddaughter of Jobst Herman, Count of Lippe; the union was childless (Albert Frederick had an illegitimate son by one Anna Luise Franke: Gustav Adolf von Heideck).

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leopold Ii, Prince Of Anhalt-Dessau 1700 births 1751 deaths Princes of Anhalt-Dessau Prussian military personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession Field marshals of Prussia People of the Silesian Wars