Editing History of Saxony-Anhalt (section)

== 19th century duchies ==

In 1806 [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] elevated the remaining states of Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau, and Anhalt-Köthen to duchies. (Anhalt-Plötzkau and Anhalt-Zerbst had in the meantime ceased to exist.) These duchies were united in 1863 to form a single [[Duchy of Anhalt]], again due to the extinction of the Köthen and Bernburg lines. The new duchy consisted of two large portions: Eastern and Western Anhalt, separated by the interposition of a part of the Prussian [[Province of Saxony]], and five exclaves surrounded by Prussian territory, namely [[Alsleben]], [[Muhlingen]], [[Dornburg]], [[Goednitz]] and [[Abberode|Tilkerode-Abberode]]. The eastern and larger portion of the duchy was enclosed by the Prussian government district of [[Potsdam]] (in the Prussian [[province of Brandenburg]]), and [[Magdeburg]] and [[Merseburg]] (belonging to the Prussian province of Saxony). The smaller western part (the so-called Upper Duchy or [[Ballenstedt]]) was also enclosed by the two latter districts as well as by the duchy of [[Brunswick-Lüneburg]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=44-45}}

The capital of Anhalt (whenever it was a united state) was [[Dessau]].

In 1918 Anhalt became a state within the [[Weimar Republic]] (see [[Free State of Anhalt]]). After [[World War II]] it was united with the former Prussian province of Saxony, forming the new state of [[Saxony-Anhalt]]. The state was dissolved in 1952 by the [[German Democratic Republic]] government, but was re-established prior to [[German reunification]] and is now one of the German {{lang|de|[[States of Germany|Bundesländer]]}}.