Maps Population Regents
   

 












 

Örjan Martinsson

The Ernestine Line's
Saxon Duchies

When Saxony was partitioned 1485 the electoral dignity went to the main line of the House of Wettin, the Ernestine line. Their territory consisted of half Sachsen-Wittenberg and the landgraviate of Thuringia. 1547 the electoral dignity was lost together with most of Sachsen-Wittenberg to the Albertine line of the house of Wettin. The reduced Ernestine territory would thereafter be divided into several small duchies through a series of partitions 1572-1680 between the different branches of the Ernestine line until there were not less than ten different Ernestine duchies. The numbers of duchies decreased when branches died out but when the monarchies were overthrown in Germany after the First World War there were still four duchies, one of them had become a grand duchy. Together with other small principalities the Ernestine duchies were united into the German state Thüringia, which still exist today.

 The Ernestine Line of the House of Wettin

1485-1486
1486-1525
1525-1532
1532-1547
1542-1553
1554-1566
1554-1572
1572
Ernst (elector since 1464)
Friedrich III der Weise (the Wise)
Johann der Beständige (the Steady)
Johann Friedrich der Grossmütige (the Magnanimous)
Johann Ernst
Johann Friedrich II der Mittlere (the Intermediate)
Johann Wilhelm
Partitioned into  S-Coburg-Eisenach and S-Weimar

The following duchies are listed in alphabetical order. The colour of the titles correspond to the image above. To Saxony's main page, read also about the regents of Thuringia before 1485.

 
 Sachsen-Altenburg (older line)

1603-1639
1639-1669
1669-1672
1672


Johann Philipp
Friedrich Wilhelm II Posthumus
Friedrich Wilhelm III
United with Sachsen-Gotha

 
 Sachsen-Altenburg (younger line)

1826-1834
1834-1848
1848-1853
1853-1908
1908-1918
1918-1920
1920


Friedrich (S-Hildburghausen 1780-1826)
Joseph
Georg
Ernst I
Ernst II
Republic
Incorporated with Thuringia


 Sachsen-Coburg
 
1680-1699
1699
Albrecht
United with S-Saalfeld (S-Coburg-Gotha)

 Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha
(Sachsen-Saalfeld 1680-1735, Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld 1735-1826)
 
1680-1729
1729-1745
1729-1764
1764-1800
1800-1806
1806-1844
1844-1893
1893-1900
1900-1918
1918-1920
1920
Johann Ernst
Christian Ernst
Franz Josias
Ernst Friedrich
Franz
Ernst I
Ernst II
Alfred
Karl Eduard
Republic
Incorporated with Thuringia and Bavaria

 Sachsen-Coburg-Eisenach
 
1572-1633
1572-1638
1638

Johann Kasimir (only Coburg 1596-1633)
Johann Ernst (only Eisenach 1596-1633)
Partitioned between S-Weimar and S-Altenburg


 Sachsen-Eisenach
 
1640-1644
1644
Albrecht
Partitioned between S-Weimar and S-Gotha

 Sachsen-Eisenach
 
1662-1668
1668-1671
1672-1686
1686-1698
1698-1729
1729-1741
1741
Adolf Wilhelm
Wilhelm August Postumus
Johann Georg I (S-Marksuhl from 1662-1672)
Johann Georg II
Johann Wilhelm
Wilhelm Heinrich
United with Sachsen-Weimar

 Sachsen-Eisenberg
 
1680-1707
1707
Christian
United with Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg
 
 Sachsen-Gotha (-Altenburg from 1680)

1640-1674
1674-1691
1680
1691-1732
1732-1772
1772-1804
1804-1822
1822-1825
1825

Ernst der Fromme (the Pious)
Friedrich I
Partitioned in seven duchies
Friedrich II
Friedrich III
Ernst II
August
Friedrich IV
Partitioned between Coburg and Hildburghausen

 Sachsen-Hildburghausen
 
1680-1715
1715-1724
1724-1745
1745-1780
1780-1826
1826
Ernst II
Ernst Friedrich I
Ernst Friedrich II
Ernst Friedrich III
Friedrich (S-Altenburg 1826-1834)
United with Sachsen-Meiningen

 Sachsen-Jena
 
1662-1678
1678-1690
1690

Bernhard
Johan Wilhelm
Partitioned between S-Weimar and S-Eisenach


 Sachsen-Marksuhl
 
1662-1672
1672
 

Johann Georg I (S-Eisenach 1672-1686)
United with Sachsen-Eisenach

Sachsen-Meiningen (-Hildburghausen from 1826)

1680-1706
1706-1724
1724-1729
1729-1743
1743-1746
1746-1763
1763-1782
1775-1779
1779-1803
1803-1866
1866-1914
1914-1918
1918-1920
1920

Bernhard I
Ernst Ludwig I
Ernst Ludwig II
Karl Friedrich
Friedrich Wilhelm
Anton Ulrich
Karl Wilhelm
Charlotte Amalia (regent 1763-1775)
Georg I
Bernhard II
Georg II
Bernhard III
Republic
Incorporated with Thuringia

 Sachsen-Römhild
 
1680-1710
1710
 
Heinrich
United with Sachsen-Meiningen
 Sachsen-Weimar (-Eisenach from 1741)

1572-1602
1572-1605
1605-1626
1626-1662
1662-1683
1683-1728
1683-1707
1707-1748
1748-1758
1758-1828
1828-1853
1853-1901
1901-1918
1918-1920
1920


Friedrich Wilhelm I
Johann
Johann Ernst der Jüngere (the Younger)
Wilhelm
Johann Ernst I
Wilhelm Ernst I
Johann Ernst II
Ernst August
Ernst August Konstantin
Karl August (grand duke 1815)
Karl Friedrich
Karl Alexander
Wilhelm Ernst
Republic
Incorporated with Thuringia

To Saxony's main page, read also about the regents of Thuringia before 1485.