House of Wettin

The House of Wettin () is a dynasty which included Saxon kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts, who once ruled territories in the present-day German federated states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its origins can be traced back to the town of Wettin, Saxony-Anhalt. The Wettins gradually rose to power within the Holy Roman Empire. Members of the family became the rulers of several medieval states, starting with the Saxon Eastern March in 1030. Other states they gained were the March of Meissen in 1089, the Landgraviate of Thuringia in 1263, the Palatinate of Saxony in 1350, and the Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg with the Saxon electoral dignity in 1423.

The family was divided into two ruling lines in 1485 by the Treaty of Leipzig: the senior Ernestine and junior Albertine branches. The Ernestine branch initially held the Electorate of Saxony (1485-1547), and played a key role during the Protestant Reformation, while many ruling monarchs outside Germany were later tied to its cadet branch, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The Albertine branch, while initially less prominent, later took over the Electorate of Saxony (1547-1806) and ruled in the Kingdom of Saxony (1806-1918), also giving two monarchs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1697-1763).

Later Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various times, also ascended the thrones of the United Kingdom, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Belgium. Only the Belgian line retains their throne today.

Origins: Wettin of Saxony

thumb|200px|left|[[Wettin Castle in Saxony-Anhalt]]

The oldest member of the House of Wettin who is known for certain is Theodoric I of Wettin, also known as Dietrich, Thiedericus, and Thierry I of Liesgau (died c. 982). He was most probably based in the Liesgau (located at the western edge of the Harz). Around 1000, the family acquired Wettin Castle, which was originally built by the local Slavic tribes (see Sorbs), after which they named themselves. Wettin Castle is located in Wettin in the Hassegau (or Hosgau) on the Saale River. Around 1030, the Wettin family received the Eastern March as a fief.

The prominence of the Wettins in the Slavic Saxon Eastern March (or Ostmark) caused Emperor Henry IV to invest them with the March of Meissen as a fief in 1089. The family advanced over the course of the Middle Ages: in 1263, they inherited the landgraviate of Thuringia (although without Hesse) and in 1423, they were invested with the Duchy of Saxony, centred at Wittenberg, thus becoming one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire.

== Ernestine and Albertine Wettins ==

The family split into two ruling branches in 1485 when the sons of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony divided the territories hitherto ruled jointly. The elder son Ernest, who had succeeded his father as Prince-elector, received the territories assigned to the Elector (Electorate of Saxony) and Thuringia, while his younger brother Albert obtained the March of Meissen, which he ruled from Dresden. As Albert ruled under the title of "Duke of Saxony", his possessions were also known as Ducal Saxony.

File:Ernst Kurfürst von Sachsen, 1441-1486 (AT KHM GG4795).jpg|Ernest, Elector of Saxony (1441–1486)

File:Albrecht der Beherzte, 1443-1500 (AT KHM GG4796).jpg|Albert, Duke of Saxony (1443–1500)

File:Saxony (Division of Leipzig) - DE.png|Ernestine (red) and Albertine (yellow) domains upon the Treaty of Leipzig (1485)

File:Saxony after the Capitulation of Wittenberg (1547) - DE.png|Ernestine (yellow) and Albertine (red) domains upon the Capitulation of Wittenberg (1547)

File:Saxony after the Treaty of Naumburg - DE.png|Ernestine (yellow) and Albertine (red) domains upon the Treaty of Naumburg (1554)

</gallery>

Ernestines

The older Ernestine branch remained predominant until 1547 and played an important role in the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation. Frederick III (Friedrich der Weise) appointed Martin Luther (1512) and Philipp Melanchthon (1518) to the University of Wittenberg, which he had established in 1502.

The Ernestine predominance ended in the Schmalkaldic War (1546/7), which pitted the Protestant Schmalkaldic League against the Emperor Charles V. Although itself Lutheran, the Albertine branch rallied to the Emperor's cause. Charles V had promised Moritz the rights to the electorship. After the Battle of Mühlberg, Johann Friedrich der Großmütige, had to cede territory (including Wittenberg) and the electorship to his cousin Moritz. Although imprisoned, Johann Friedrich was able to plan a new university. It was established by his three sons on 19 March 1548 as the Höhere Landesschule at Jena. On 15 August 1557, Emperor Ferdinand I awarded it the status of university.

Residences of Ernestine branches

File:Schloss Altenburg 02.JPG|Altenburg Castle

File:Schloss Saalfeld.jpg|Saalfeld Castle

File:Schloss Weimar - Panorama.jpg|Schloss Weimar

File:City palace - Stadtschloss - Eisenach - Thuringia - Germany.jpg|Eisenach Palace

File:GER-TH-SM-Meiningen (Schloss Elisabethenburg, Blick von Osten) — 2009 uploaded 2011-09-24.jpg|Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen

File:Schloss Hildburghausen.JPG|Hildburghausen Castle

</gallery>

Albertines

thumb|Albertine Wettins' royal coat of arms with the standard arms at the center ([[Kingdom of Saxony|Kings of Saxony, 1806–1918)]]

The junior Albertine branch maintained most of the territorial integrity of Saxony, preserving it as a significant power in the region, and used small appanage fiefs for its cadet branches, few of which survived for significant lengths of time. The Ernestine Wettins, on the other hand, repeatedly subdivided their territory, creating an intricate patchwork of small duchies and counties in Thuringia.

The Albertine Wettins ruled as Electors (1547–1806) and Kings of Saxony (1806–1918), and also played a role in Polish history – two Wettins were Kings of Poland (between 1697 and 1763) and a third ruled the Duchy of Warsaw (1807–1814) as a satellite of Napoleon I. After the Napoleonic Wars, the Albertine branch lost about 40% of its lands (the economically less-developed northern parts of the old Electorate of Saxony) to Prussia, restricting it to a territory coextensive with the modern Saxony (see Final Act of the Congress of Vienna Act IV: Treaty between Prussia and Saxony 18 May 1815). Frederick Augustus III lost his throne in the German Revolution of 1918.

The role of current head of the Albertine "House of Saxony" is claimed by his great-grandson Prince Rüdiger of Saxony, Duke of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen (born 23 December 1953). However, the headship of Prince Rüdiger is contested by his second cousin, Alexander (born 1954), son of Roberto Afif (later by change of name Mr Gessaphe) and Princess Maria Anna of Saxony, a sister of the childless former head of the Albertines, Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen (died 2012), who had adopted his nephew and granted him the name Prince of Saxony, contrary to the rules of male descent under the Salic Law. However, neither are recognized by the Nobility Archive in Marburg, nor by the Conference of the Formerly Ruling Houses in Germany – Prince Rüdiger because his father Timo was expelled from the House of Wettin, and Prince Alexander because he is not of agnatic noble descent (his father was Roberto Afif from Lebanon). Consequently, the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin is officially treated by the German nobility as extinct in its legal succession-line.

Residences of the Albertine branch (Electors, later Kings of Saxony)

File:DD-Schloss-gp.jpg|Dresden Royal Palace

File:Meißen Burgberg mit Albrechtsburg und Dom.jpg|Meissen (near Dresden)

File:Luftbild Schloss Moritzburg 2014-03-29 1.JPG|Hunting Palace of Moritzburg (near Dresden)

File:Pillnitz-Wasseransicht.jpg|Pillnitz Palace (near Dresden)

File:Schloss Weesenstein (14-2).jpg|Weesenstein Castle (near Dresden)

File:Schloss Freudenstein Freiberg.jpg|Freudenstein Castle at Freiberg

File:Schloss Augustusburg Südseite.jpg|Augustusburg Hunting Lodge (near Chemnitz)

File:Schloss Hubertusburg, Wermsdorf, Sachsen, Deutschland.JPG|Hunting Palace of Hubertusburg (near Leipzig)

</gallery>

The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

thumb|[[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]

The senior (Ernestine) branch of the House of Wettin lost the electorship to the Albertine line in 1547, but retained its holdings in Thuringia, dividing the area into a number of smaller states. One of the resulting Ernestine houses, known as Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld until 1826 and as Saxe-Coburg and Gotha after that, went on to contribute kings of Belgium (from 1831) and Bulgaria (1908–1946), as well as furnishing consorts to queens regnant of Portugal (Prince Ferdinand) and the United Kingdom (Prince Albert), and the Emperor of Mexico (Carlota of Mexico)) to question the loyalty of the royal family. Advisors to King George V searched for an acceptable surname for the British royal family, but Wettin was rejected as "unsuitably comic". An Order in Council legally changed the name of the British royal family to "Windsor" (originally suggested by Lord Stamfordham) in 1917.

Residences of the Dukes of Coburg and Gotha

File:Coburg-Veste4.jpg|Veste Coburg, ancestral seat of the House of Saxe-Coburg

File:Coburg-Ehrenburg1.jpg|Ehrenburg Palace, Coburg (summer residence)

File:Gotha Schloss 1900.jpg|Friedenstein Castle, Gotha (winter residence)

File:Reinhardsbrunn Schloss Winter.JPG|Reinhardsbrunn Castle, Gotha

File:CO Schloss Rosenau1.jpg|Rosenau Castle, Coburg

Schloss Callenberg 2.jpg|Callenberg Castle, Coburg

</gallery>

Branches and titles of the House of Wettin and its agnatic descent

Early Wettins

Counts of Wettin
Margraves of Landsberg
Margraves of Meissen
Margraves of Lusatia
Dukes of Saxony, Landgraves of Thuringia
Electors of Saxony and Arch-Marshals of the Holy Roman Empire

File:Wartburg von Brücke.jpg|Wartburg near Eisenach (1250–1406: residence of the Wettins)

</gallery>

Ernestines

Electors of Saxony and Arch-Marshals of the Holy Roman Empire (1464–1547)

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-16879-0019, Wittenberg, Schloss, Schlosskirche.jpg|Wittenberg Castle, residence of Frederick III, "the Wise", built 1490–96

File:SchlossHartenfels.JPG|Hartenfels Castle in Torgau, main residence of the Ernestine Electors since Frederick III, "the Wise", built 1533–40

</gallery>

Existing Ernestine branches

Branch of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, extant lines all shared last common ancestor in the person of William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. However, there are only two members of this line left, Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Prince Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Both were born in 1946. Since Prince Michael has no sons, and Prince Wilhelm Ernst; whose only son Prince Georg-Constantin (13 April 1977 – 9 June 2018), a banker who was married but without issue, was killed in a horse riding accident on 9 June 2018 while riding with Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten. Therefore, the Grand Ducal House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach will most likely become extinct in the male line. These two represent the last non-morganatic descendants of William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
Illegitimate line of Barons of Heygendorff, four males left

Luftbild Weimarer Stadtschloss-0063.jpg|Schloss Weimar

City castle of Eisenach (1).jpg|Ducal Palace of Eisenach

Schloss Belvedere Weimar Panorama.jpg|Schloss Belvedere, Weimar

Ettersburg castle and church germany july 2024.jpg|Schloss Ettersburg

Schloss Wilhelmsthal in Thüringen.jpg|Schloss Wilhelmsthal, Gerstungen

Schloss Tiefurt Weimar 2015.jpg|Tiefurt House

</gallery>

Branch of Saxe-Meiningen

Saxe-Meiningen lines all shared common descent from Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Morganatic lines from Ernst, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen
Morganatic line from Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen
Legitimate line from Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen of whom only Prince Frederick Konrad of Saxe-Meiningen (Born on 14 April 1952) is still alive today.

GER-TH-SM-Meiningen (Schloss Elisabethenburg, Blick von Osten) — 2009 uploaded 2011-09-24.jpg|Elisabethenburg Palace, Meiningen, residence of the Duchy since 1682

Meiningen, Schloss Landsberg.JPG|Schloss Landsberg, Meiningen

Schlossaltenstein2.jpg|Altenstein Palace, hunting lodge of the Dukes of Meiningen

</gallery>

In the very likely event of the extinction of these two senior branches, the sole representation of the Ernestine Wettins will pass to the descendants of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who are the present Saxe-Coburg-Gothas led by Hubertus, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 16 September 1975), the House of Windsor, the Royal Family of Belgium and the Royal Family of Bulgaria. Francis and his nephew Ludwig Frederick Emil von Coburg are also ancestors to morganatic lines.

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, last common descent from Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, further divided into:
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, last common descent from Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, further divided into:
House of Windsor, last common descent from Albert, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom, as in 1863 Edward VII and his son, the future George V renounced his succession rights to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the succession fell into the line of the Duke of Albany.
Gloucester line Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Kentian Line, from Prince George, Duke of Kent
Mainline (Albany) Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, from Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who until 1919 was the Duke of Albany
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, last common descent from Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Morganatic descendants from Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1901–1985)
Bulgarian royal family, all living members are descended from Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
House of Belgium, all living members share common descent from Albert II of Belgium. However, as absolute primogeniture is in effect in Belgium, if and on the ascension of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant to the throne, the ruling house of Belgium will no longer be considered agnates to the House of Wettin
Eppinghoven, illegitimate agnatic branch to the House of Belgium from Leopold I of Belgium and Arcadie Claret
Morganatic line of Rohmann, from Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld marriage to a commoner, Therese Stroffeck

File:Coat of Arms of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.svg|Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

File:Coat of Arms of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen-Hildburghausen.svg|Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen

File:Coat of Arms of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.svg|Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

File:Coat of Arms of the King of the Belgians.svg| King of the Belgians

File:Coat of Arms of the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg.svg|Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg

</gallery>

Extinct Ernestine branches

thumb|Castle of [[Altenburg]]

Dukes of Saxe-Coburg
Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg (first line of Altenburg)
Dukes of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (second line of Altenburg)
Dukes of Saxe-Hildburghausen, then Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg (third line of Altenburg)
Dukes of Saxe-Weimar
Dukes of Saxe-Eisenach
Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach
Dukes of Saxe-Jena
Dukes of Saxe-Gotha
Dukes of Saxe-Eisenberg
Dukes of Saxe-Marksuhl
Dukes of Saxe-Römhild
Kings of Portugal and the Algarves (House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)

Albertines

thumb|Catholic members of the Royal Albertine branch of the House of Wettin buried in the crypt chapel of the [[Katholische Hofkirche, Dresden]]

Margraves of Meissen
Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (1498–1510)
Electors of Saxony and Arch-Marshals of the Holy Roman Empire (1547–1806)
Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania (1697–1763)
Duke of Courland and Semigallia (1758–1763)
Duke of Teschen (1766–1822)
Kings of Saxony (1806–1918), currently Prince/Princess of Saxony and Duke/Duchess of Saxony, with the head of the family also Margrave of Meissen
Duke of Warsaw (1807–1815)

Existing Albertine branch

Saxe-Gessaphe (cognatic)

Extinct Albertine branches

Dukes of Saxe-Zeitz
Dukes of Saxe-Merseburg
Dukes of Saxe-Weissenfels

File:Zeitz Schloss1.jpg|Moritzburg Palace in Zeitz

File:Merseburger Schloss 2006.jpg|Merseburg Castle

File:Schloss Neu-Augustusburg Ostseite.JPG|Neu-Augustusburg Castle, Weissenfels

</gallery>

Family tree of the House of Wettin

thumb|500px|center|Family tree of the House of Wettin, the royal & ducal house of Saxony, and later Great Britain, Belgium, Portugal, and Bulgaria

Rulers

{|align="center" style="border-spacing: 0px; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center;"

| colspan=15 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=1 style="background: #cba;" |March of Lusatia (1st creation) (1034–1123)

| colspan=14 style="background: #fff;" |County of Wettin (950–1288)

| colspan=15 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=1 rowspan=4 style="background: #def;" |County of Brehna (1st creation) (1156–1217)

| colspan=1 rowspan=3 style="background: #cba;" |March of Lusatia (2nd creation) (1156–1210)

| colspan=11 style="background: #ade;" |March of Meissen (1156–1195)

| colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=11 style="background: #eee;" |Meissen briefly under immediacy (direct control of the Holy Roman Empire) (1195–1198)

| colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=11 rowspan=3 style="background: #ade;" |

| colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=11 rowspan=2 style="background: #ade;" |March of Meissen (1198–1423)

| colspan=2 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=1 rowspan=2 style="background: #fff;" |(Brehna line since 1217)

| colspan=1 rowspan=2 style="background: #def;" |County of Brehna (2nd creation) (1267–1290)

| colspan=1 style="background: #cba;" |March of Lusatia (3rd creation) (1288–1303)

| colspan=10 style="background: #ade;"|

| colspan=1 style="background: #eee;" |Sold to the March of Brandenburg (1303–1347)

| colspan=10 style="background: #ade;" |

| colspan=1 rowspan=40 style="background: #eee;" |Annexed to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg

| colspan=1 rowspan=2 style="background: #eee;" |Annexed to the Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg (1290–1423)

| colspan=11 style="background: #ade;" |

| colspan=9 style="background: #ade;" |

| colspan=1 style="background: #cba;" |March of Landsberg (1349–1407)

| colspan=1 rowspan=5 style="background: #bcd;" |Landgraviate of Thuringia (1349–1482)

| colspan=10 style="background: #fff;" |Raised to: Electorate of Saxony (1423–1806)

| colspan=11 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=5 rowspan=8 style="background: #fff;" |Electorate of Saxony (1423–1806) (Ernestine Line until 1547; Albertine Line since 1547)

| colspan=6 style="background: #fff;" |Duchy of Saxony (1464–1554) (Albertine Line until 1547; Ernestine Line since 1547) Renamed Duchy of Coburg and Gotha (1826–1918)

| colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=1 style="background: #ffc;" |

| colspan=1 rowspan=3 style="background: #dc8;" |Duchy of Barby (1680–1739)

| colspan=1 style="background: #ceb;" |