Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

John II
Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena
Reign	1602–1605
Predecessor	Frederick Wilhelm I
Successor	John Ernest I in Saxe-Weimar Albert IV in Saxe-Eisenach Ernest I in Saxe-Gotha
Ruler of Saxe-Altenburg
Predecessor	Frederick Wilhelm I
Successor	John Philip Frederick John William Frederick William II jointly from 1603 as Dukes of Saxe-Altenburg
Born	(1570-05-22)22 May 1570 Weimar, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
Died	18 July 1605(1605-07-18) (aged 35) Weimar, Saxe-Weimar, Holy Roman Empire
Spouse	Dorothea Maria of Anhalt
Issue among others...	John Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Prince Frederick William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Albert IV, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach John Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha Prince Bernard
Full name Johann Maria Wilhelm
House	House of Wettin
Father	John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
Mother	Dorothea Susanne of Simmern
Religion	Lutheranism

John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (Johann Maria Wilhelm) (Weimar, 22 May 1570 – Weimar, 18 July 1605), was a Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena.

Biography

He was the second son of John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Dorothea Susanne of Simmern.

His father died in 1573, when John was only three years old. Since at the time his older brother Frederick William I was also under age, the duchy of Saxe-Weimar (originally awarded to John) was governed by a regency. In 1586 his older brother reached adulthood and took full control of the duchy, including Weimar. However, he died in 1602 and the full duchy was inherited by John, because his nephews (the sons of his deceased brother) were under age.

John was more interested in natural sciences and art than politics, and therefore only against his will took over the regency of the duchy on behalf of his nephews. But when they demanded their own inheritance in 1603, he resisted their demands. Finally, John and his nephews made a treaty dividing the duchy: Altenburg was taken by the sons of Frederick William I, and Weimar-Jena was retained by John.

This line of Saxe-Altenburg became extinct in 1672, and all the inheritance passed to the line of Saxe-Weimar, John's descendants.

Family

In Altenburg on 7 January 1593, John married Dorothea Maria of Anhalt (b. 2 July 1574 d. 18 July 1617).^[1] They had twelve children:

1. John Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Altenburg, 21 February 1594 – d. Sankt Martin, Hungary, 6 December 1626).
2. Christian William (b. and d. Altenburg, 6 April 1595).
3. Frederick (b. Altenburg, 1 March 1596 – killed in battle, Fleurus, Belgium, 19 August 1622).
4. John (b. Weimar, 31 March 1597 – d. Weimar, 6 October 1604).
5. William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Altenburg, 11 April 1598 – d. Weimar, 17 May 1662).
6. stillborn son (Altenburg, 11 April 1598), twin of William.
7. Albert IV, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (b. Altenburg, 27 July 1599 – d. Eisenach, 20 December 1644).
8. John Frederick (b. Altenburg, 19 September 1600 – d. Weimar, 17 October 1628).
9. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (b. Altenburg, 25 December 1601 – d. Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha, 26 March 1675).
10. Frederick William (b. Weimar, 7 February 1603 – d. Georgenthal, 16 August 1619).
11. Bernhard (b. Weimar, 6 August 1604 – d. Neuenburg, 18 July 1639), Count of Franken (1633).
12. Johanna (b. posthumously, Weimar, 14 April 1606 – d. Weimar, 3 July 1609).

Ancestry

References