Louis Augustus Karl Frederick Emil, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen ( Köthen, 20 September 1802 –

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

, 18 December 1818), 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 duchy of

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 ...

. He was the second (but only surviving son) of

Prince Louis of Anhalt-Köthen Louis of Anhalt-Köthen (b. Köthen, 25 September 1778 - d. Köthen, 16 September 1802) was a German prince of the House of Ascania. He was the third son of Karl George Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, and his wife Louise Charlotte, daughter ...

by his wife Princess Luise Karoline Theodora Amalie of

Hesse-Darmstadt The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt (german: Landgrafschaft Hessen-Darmstadt) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a younger branch of the House of Hesse. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse betwee ...

, daughter of the later (1806) Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.

Life

Prince Louis Augustus was born posthumously, four days after the death of his father, on 16 September 1802. One year later, his uncle, the reigning Prince (and later Duke) Augustus Christian Frederick of Anhalt-Köthen divorced his wife after eleven years of childless union, and showed no interest in marrying again; this left Louis Augustus as his uncle's heir presumptive. When Augustus Christian Frederick died in 1812, Louis Augustus succeeded him at the age of ten. Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau, as head of the whole House of Anhalt, assumed the regency on his behalf until his death in 1817, when his grandson and heir, Leopold IV, assumed guardianship of the duke. Louis Augustus died at only sixteen years of age and because he was still a minor, he never ruled on his own. With him, the main line of Anhalt-Köthen became extinct, and he was succeeded by his uncle Frederick Ferdinand, a member of the Anhalt-Köthen-Pless branch.

References

* Christian Daniel Beck: ''Memoria Principis Ludovici Augusti Friderici Aemilii Ascanio-Cothenensis.'' Leipzig 1818 * Hermann Wäschke: ''Anhaltische Geschichte.'' 3 Bde. Köthen: Schulze, 1912–13. {{DEFAULTSORT:Louis Augustus Karl Frederick Emil, Duke Of Anhalt-Kothen 1802 births 1818 deaths People from Köthen (Anhalt) Dukes of Anhalt-Köthen Monarchs who died as children