This article lists Dukes, Electors, and Kings ruling over territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918.

Contents 1 Dukes of Saxony 1.1 Ascanian Duchy of Saxony 1.1.1 Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg 1.1.1.1 Dukes of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln 1.1.1.2 Dukes of Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg 1.1.2 Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg (1401-1876) 1.1.3 Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg 1.2 Wettin Dukes of Saxony 1.2.1 Albertine Dukes of Saxony 1.2.2 Ernestine Dukes of Saxony 2 Electors of Saxony 3 Kings of Saxony 4 Heads of the Albertine Branch of the House of Wettin (since 1918) 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Dukes of Saxony

The original Duchy of Saxony comprised lands of the Saxon people in the north-western part of present-day Germany, namely, the contemporary German state of Lower Saxony as well as Westphalia and Western Saxony-Anhalt, not corresponding to the modern German state of Saxony.

Early dukes

• Hadugato (fl. c. 531)
• Berthoald (fl. c. 627)
• Theoderic (fl. c. 743–744)
• Widukind (fl. c. 777–810)
• Abo (fl. c. 785–811)

Hattonid dynasty

• Banzleib (830s)

Ottonian or Liudolfing dynasty

• Liudolf (about 850)
• Bruno (after 852 -880)
• Otto I the Illustrious 880-912
• Henry I the Fowler 912-936 (German King 919-936)
• Otto II the Great 936-961 (German King 936-973, Emperor 962-973)

Billung Dynasty

• Herman 961-973
• Bernard I 973-1011
• Bernard II 1011-1059
• Ordulf 1059-1072
• Magnus 1072-1106

Supplinburg Dynasty

• Lothair 1106-1127 (German King 1125-1137, Emperor 1133-1137)

Welf Dynasty

• Henry II, the Proud 1137-1139 (also Duke of Bavaria)

Ascanian Dynasty

• Albert the Bear 1139-1142, also Margrave of Brandenburg

Welf Dynasty

• Henry III, the Lion 1142-1180 (also Duke of Bavaria)

With the final removal of the Welfs in 1180, the Duchy of Saxony was reduced in territory. Westphalia fell to the Archbishop of Cologne, while the Duchies of Brunswick and Lüneburg remained with the Welfs. The Ascanian Dukes had their base further east, near the Elbe, resulting in the name Saxony moving towards the east.

[edit] Ascanian Duchy of Saxony

• Bernard III 1180-1212
• Albert I 1212-1260
• John I 1260-1285, jointly with
• Albert II 1260-1298

On Albert I's death, his sons John and Albert at first ruled jointly. Some time after 1272 they divided their territory between them, creating the Duchies of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg.

Since the Duke of Saxony was considered one of the prince-electors electing a new Holy Roman Emperor, conflict arose between lines of Lauenburg and Wittenberg over the issue of who should cast Saxony's vote and in 1314 both lines found themselves on different sides in a double election. Eventually, the Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg succeeded in 1356 after the promulgation of the Golden Bull. To distinguish him from other rulers bearing the title Duke of Saxony, he was commonly called Elector of Saxony.

[edit] Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg

• John I, 1260–1285, ruling jointly with his brother Albert II until 1272^[1]

John was succeeded by his three sons, who at first ruled jointly:

• John II 1285–1321, joint rule until 1305
• Albert III 1285–1308, joint rule until 1305
• Eric I, 1285–1361, joint rule until 1305

In 1305 the brothers split their inheritance between them, creating the Bergedorf-Mölln and the Ratzeburg-Lauenburg lines.

[edit] Dukes of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln

• John II, 1285–1321.
• Albrecht (Albert) IV, 1321–1343.
• John III, 1343–1356.
• Albrecht (Albert) V, 1356–1370.
• Eric III, 1370–1401.

In 1401, the elder branch became extinct and Lauenburg rejoined the Ratzeburg-Lauenburg line.

[edit] Dukes of Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg

• Albrecht (Albert) III, 1285–1308 (joint rule).
• Eric I, 1305–1361 (joint rule until 1308).
• Eric II, 1361–1368.
• Eric IV, 1368–1412.^[2]

In 1401, the younger branch inherited Lauenburg and other possessions of the extinct elder Bergedorf-Mölln line.

[edit] Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg (1401-1876)

• Eric V, 1412–1436 (joint rule until 1414).
• John IV, 1412–1414 (joint rule)
• Bernard III, 1436–1463.^[3]
• John V, 1463–1507.^[4]
• Magnus I, 1507–1543.
• Francis I, 1543–1581.^[5]
• Magnus II, 1581-1603.^[6]
• Francis II, 1603–1619.^[7]
• Augustus, 1619–1656.^[8]

Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg
Ascanian Dynasty, Lauenburg Line
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	Julius Henry [9]	1656–1665.	Father of the following two dukes
	Francis Erdmann	1665–1666.	Elder son of Julius Henry and his second wife.
	Julius Francis [10]	1666–1689.	Younger son of Julius Henry and his third wife.
In 1689 the Saxe-Lauenburgian Ascanians were extinct in the male line. The House of Welf usurped the duchy, inhibiting the heiress Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg, and resucceeded with its Brunswick and Lunenburg-Celle line.
Welf Dynasty, Celle Line
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	George William	1689–1705.	He invaded with his troops Saxe-Lauenburg, inhibiting the ascension of the legal female heir Duchess Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg. This de facto takeover was only imperially legitimised in 1728. He was a great-great grandson of Magnus I through his great grandmother Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg
Welf Dynasty, Hanover Line
	George I Louis	1705–1727.	He was a nephew and son-in-law of George William.
	George II Augustus	1727–1760.	In 1728 Emperor Charles VI enfeoffed George II Augustus with Saxe-Lauenburg, finally legitimising the de facto takeover by his grandfather.
	George III	1760–1814.	de facto deposed by various occupations in the Great French War, he was a grandson of George II Augustus George III's son, Regent George agreed to pass Saxe-Lauenburg to his Danish cousin in a general territorial redeployment at the Congress of Vienna
Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg
Oldenburg Dynasty, Main Line
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	Frederick I	1814–1839.	Frederick was a great-grandson of Duke George II Augustus from both sides through his mother Caroline and his father. The official colours of Saxe-Lauenburg were changed to red and gold.
	Christian I	1839–1848.	half nephew of the former, but not related to the Saxe-Lauenburgian Welfs, however, grandson in sixth generation of Duke Francis I
	Frederick II	1848–1863.	son of the former
Oldenburg Dynasty, Glücksburg Line
	Christian II	1863–1864.	Deposed in Second Schleswig War and resigned by Treaty of Vienna. His mother was a cousin of Frederick I and Christian I as well as maternally and paternally a great-granddaughter of George II Augustus.
Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg
Hohenzollern Dynasty, Berlin Line
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	William	1865–1876.	The Estates of Saxe-Lauenburg offered him the ducal throne in 1865, he accepted. He was a grandson in sixth generation of Duke George William. The coat-of-arms of Saxe-Lauenburg was changed to the colours red and silver, with a rim in the Prussian colours black and white. Duke and estates decided to merge Saxe-Lauenburg as district Duchy of Lauenburg into Prussia with effect of 1 July 1876.

The Ascanian Dynasty continued in Saxe-Lauenburg until 1689, but after the Lauenburg line had finally lost the Saxon Electorate to the Wittenberg line in 1356 and failed to obtain the succession in the Electorate after 1422, recognition of the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg as Dukes of Saxony waned.

[edit] Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg

• Albert II 1260-1298
• Rudolf I 1298-1356

[edit] Wettin Dukes of Saxony

[edit] Albertine Dukes of Saxony

The Albertines were a junior branch of the Wettin dynasty of Electors of Saxony, who ruled in Northern Thuringia and Southern Meissen until they replaced the senior "Ernestine" branch as Electors and rulers of most Saxon territory in 1547.

Dukes of Saxony
Wettin Dynasty, Albertine Line
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	Albert the Bold	1464-1500.	Younger son of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. Divided the Saxon lands, including Thuringia and Meissen, with his brother Ernest in 1485.
	George the Bearded	1500-1539	Son of Albert. Opposed Martin Luther.
	Henry IV the Pious	1539-1541	Brother of George. Introduced Lutheranism to Albertine Saxony.
	Maurice	1541-1553,	Son of Henry IV. Became Elector 1547.

[edit] Ernestine Dukes of Saxony

Following their displacement by the Albertines, the Ernestine branch of the Wettins continued to rule in southern Thuringia as "Dukes of Saxony", but their lands eventually split up into many different tiny "Ernestine duchies". Of these, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, and Saxe-Altenburg lasted until 1918. This article does not list the subsequent Ernestine dukes.

[edit] Electors of Saxony

The Golden Bull of 1356 confirmed the right to participate in the election of a Holy Roman Emperor to the Duke of Saxony in the Saxe-Wittenberg line.

Electors of Saxony
Ascanian Dynasty
Image	Name	Began	Ended	Notes
	Rudolf I	10 January 1356	11 March 1356
	'Rudolf II	11 March 1356	6 December 1370	Son of preceding.
	Wenceslaus Wenzel	6 December 1370	15 May 1388	Brother of preceding.
	Rudolf III	15 May 1388	9 June 1419	Son of preceding.
	Albert III Albrecht II	9 June 1419	27 November 1422	Brother of preceding.
Wettin Dynasty
Image	Name	Began	Ended	Notes
	Frederick I Friedrich I	6 January 1423	4 January 1428	Nicknamed "the Warlike." After the Wittenberg line of the Ascanians became extinct, the Electorate was given to Frederick, Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia, of the House of Wettin.
	Frederick II Friedrich II	4 January 1428	7 September 1464	Nicknamed "the Gentle."Son of Frederick I. Ruled jointly in Saxony with his brothers, but was the sole holder of the Electorate. Father of Ernest and Albert, founders of the Ernestine and Albertine Saxon lines.
Ernestine Line
	Ernest Ernst	7 September 1464	26 August 1486	Son of Frederick II, divided Saxony with his brother Albert, taking Wittenberg, northern Meissen, and southern Thuringia. Inherited Thuringia in 1482 and ruled it jointly with Albert until 1485.
	Frederick III Friedrich III	26 August 1486	5 May 1525	Nicknamed "the Wise." Son of Ernest. Protector of Martin Luther, but a life-long Catholic.
	John Johann	5 May 1525	16 August 1532	Nicknamed "the Steadfast." Brother of Frederick III. Legally established Lutheranism in his territories in 1527.
	John Frederick I Johann Friedrich I	16 August 1532	19 May 1547	Son of John the Steadfast. Called "the Magnanimous". Deprived of his Electorate by Emperor Charles V for his role in the Schmalkaldic War. Died 1554.
Albertine Line
	Maurice Moritz	4 June 1547	11 July 1553	Second cousin of John Frederick, grandson of Albert. Though a Lutheran, allied with Emperor Charles V against the Schmalkaldic League. Gained the Electorate for the Albertine line in 1547 after Charles V's victory at the Battle of Mühlberg.
	Augustus I August I	11 July 1553	12 February 1586	Brother of Maurice. Recognized as Elector by the ousted John Frederick in 1554.
	Christian I	12 February 1586	25 September 1591	Son of Augustus I.
	Christian II	25 September 1591	23 June 1611	Son of Christian I.
	John George I Johann Georg I	23 June 1611	8 October 1656	Brother of Christian II, ruled during the Thirty Years' War, during which he was at times allied with the Emperor and at times with the King of Sweden.
	John George II Johann Georg II	8 October 1656	1 September 1680	Son of John George I.
	John George III Johann Georg III	1 September 1680	22 September 1691	Son of John George II.
'	John George IV Johann Georg IV	22 September 1691	27 April 1694	Son of John George III.
	Frederick Augustus I Friedrich August I	27 April 1694	1 February 1733	Brother of John George IV. Converted to Catholicism 1697 in order to compete for the crown of Poland. Took the Polish crown 1697, opposed by Stanisław Leszczyński 1704, forced to renounce the throne 1706, returned as monarch 1709 until his death. Called "the Strong".
	Frederick Augustus II Friedrich August II	1 February 1733	5 October 1763	Son of Frederick Augustus I. Converted to Catholicism 1721. King of Poland 1734-1763. Called ""the Fat" or (in Poland) "the Saxon".
	Frederick Christian Friedrich Christian	5 October 1763	17 December 1763	Son of Frederick Augustus II, raised Catholic.
	Frederick Augustus III Friedrich August III	17 December 1763	20 December 1806	Son of Frederick Christian. His Electorate ceased with the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and he became King of Saxony. Called "the Just."

v • d • e Members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire following the Golden Bull of 1356     Spiritual Archbishopric of Mainz Archbishopric of Trier Archbishopric of Cologne Secular Kingdom of Bohemia Palatine / Rhine Duchy of Saxony Margraviate of Brandenburg Added in the 17th century 1623 Duchy of Bavaria 1692 Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg Added from 1803–06 Principality of Regensburg Electorate of Salzburg (1803–05) Grand Duchy of Würzburg (1805–06) Duchy of Württemberg Margraviate of Baden Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel

[edit] Kings of Saxony

The Holy Roman Empire came to an end in 1806. The Elector of Saxony, allied to Napoleon I, anticipated its dissolution by becoming the ruler of an independent Kingdom of Saxony in 1806.

Kings of Saxony
Wettin Dynasty
Image	Name	Began	Ended	Notes
	Frederick Augustus I Friedrich August I	20 December 1806	5 May 1827	Duke of Warsaw 1807-1813. Called "the Just."
	Anthony Anton	5 May 1827	6 June 1836	Brother of Frederick Augustus I.
	Frederick Augustus II Friedrich August II	6 June 1836	9 August 1854	Nephew of Anthony.
	John Johann	9 August 1854	29 October 1873	Brother of Frederick Augustus II.
	Albert Albrecht	29 October 1873	19 June 1902	Son of John. Called "the Good"
	George Georg	19 June 1902	15 October 1904	Brother of Albert.
	Frederick Augustus III Friedrich August III	15 October 1904	13 November 1918	Son of George. Last king of Saxony. Lost his throne in the German revolutions of 1918.

[edit] Heads of the Albertine Branch of the House of Wettin (since 1918)

Saxony became a republic with the demise of the German Empire in 1918. For later rulers, see List of Ministers-President of Saxony.

• Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, 1918-1932.
• Frederick Christian, Margrave of Meissen, 1932-1968.
• Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen, since 1968.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• (German) House Laws of the Kingdom of Saxony