Editing History of Saxony-Anhalt (section)

== Princes of Anhalt ==

On Henry's death in 1252 his three sons partitioned the principality, founding the lines of [[Anhalt-Aschersleben|Aschersleben]], [[Anhalt-Bernburg|Bernburg]] and [[Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst|Zerbst]].  The family ruling in Aschersleben became extinct in 1315, and this district was subsequently incorporated into the neighbouring [[Bishopric of Halberstadt]], thus dividing the territory of [[Anhalt-Bernburg]] into two separate pieces.  The last prince of the original line of Anhalt-Bernburg died in 1468 and his lands were inherited by the princes of the sole remaining line, that of [[Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst|Anhalt-Zerbst]].  The territory belonging to this branch of the family had been divided in 1396, and after the acquisition of Bernburg, Prince [[George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau|George I]] made a further partition of Zerbst (Zerbst and Dessau).  Early in the 16th century, owing to the death or abdication of several princes, the family had narrowed down to the two branches of Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau (both issued from Anhalt-Dessau in 1471).{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=45}}

[[Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen|Wolfgang of Anhalt]], called "The Confessor", who became prince of Anhalt-Köthen in 1508, was the second ruler in the world to introduce the [[Reformation]] in his territory.  He was a co-signer of the [[Augsburg Confession]] in 1530, and after the [[Battle of Mühlberg]] in 1547 was placed under Imperial ban and deprived of his lands by [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]].  After the [[peace of Passau]] in 1552 he bought back his principality, but as he was childless he surrendered it in 1562 to his kinsmen, the princes of Anhalt-Dessau.  [[Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau]] (d. 1516), left three sons, [[John V, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst|John II]], [[George III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau|George III]], and [[Joachim I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau|Joachim]], who jointly ruled their lands for many years and favoured the reformed doctrines, which thus became dominant in Anhalt.  About 1546 the three brothers divided their principality and founded the lines of [[Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst|Zerbst]], [[Anhalt-Plötzkau|Plötzkau]] and Dessau.  This division, however, was only temporary, as the acquisition of [[Anhalt-Köthen|Köthen]], and a series of deaths among the ruling princes, enabled [[Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt|Joachim Ernest]], a son of John II, to unite the whole of Anhalt under his rule in 1570.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=45}}

Joachim Ernest died in 1586, and his five sons ruled the land in common until 1603, when Anhalt was again divided, and the lines of Dessau, Bernburg, Plötzkau, Zerbst, and Köthen were re-established.  The principality was ravaged during the [[Thirty Years' War]], and in the earlier part of this struggle [[Christian I of Anhalt-Bernburg]] took an important part.  In 1635 an arrangement was made by the various princes of Anhalt to authorize the eldest member of the family to represent the principality as a whole.  This action was probably due to the necessity of maintaining an appearance of unity in view of the disturbed state of European politics at the time.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=45}}

In 1665 the Anhalt-Köthen branch became extinct, and according to a family compact, this district was inherited by [[Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen|Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau]], who surrendered Plötzkau to Bernburg and took the title of prince of Anhalt-Köthen.  In the same year the princes of Anhalt decided that if any branch of the family became extinct its lands should be equally divided among the remaining branches.  This arrangement was carried out after the death of [[Frederick Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst]], in 1793, and Zerbst was divided between the three remaining princes.  During these years the policy of the different princes was marked, perhaps intentionally, by considerable uniformity. Once or twice [[Calvinism]] was favoured by one of the princes, but in general, the house was loyal to the doctrines of [[Martin Luther]].  The growth of [[Prussia]] provided Anhalt with a formidable neighbour, and the establishment and practice of [[primogeniture]] by all branches of the family prevented the further division of the principality.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=45}}