Eleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau (born 16 February 1602 in

Dessau Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...

– died 26 December 1664 in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

), was a princess of

Anhalt-Dessau Anhalt-Dessau was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and later a duchy of the German Confederation. Ruled by the House of Ascania, it was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and finally merged into th ...

by birth and by marriage Duchess of

Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Weimar () was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The chief town and capital was Weimar. The Weimar branch was the most genealogically senior extant branch of the House of W ...

Life

Eleonore Dorothea was a daughter of the prince John George I of Anhalt-Dessau (1567–1618) from his second marriage with Dorothea (1581–1631), daughter of the Count Palatine John Casimir of Simmern. She married on 23 May 1625 in Weimar, with her cousin Duke William the Great of Saxe-Weimar (1598–1662), with whom she had been engaged before his campaign in Lower Saxony. The marriage was closed for political reasons: it should deepen the friendly relations between Anhalt and Saxe-Weimer. The marriage was nevertheless described as a very happy one. Eleonore Dorothea remained faithful to the

Reformed Church Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...

during her marriage, even though she came closer to the

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

doctrine, which her husband followed. She died in 1664 and was initially buried in the chapel of the

Schloss ''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house. Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cogn ...

. In 1824, her body was transferred to the new Ducal Crypt at Weimar.

Issue

From her marriage Dorothea Eleonore had the following children: # Wilhelm (b. Weimar, 26 March 1626 – d. Weimar, 1 November 1626) #

Johann Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar John Ernest II (11 September 1627, in Weimar – 15 May 1683, in Weimar), was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. He was the second but eldest surviving son of William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Eleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau. Life After the death ...

(b. Weimar, 11 September 1627 – d. Weimar, 15 May 1683) # Johann Wilhelm (b. Weimar, 16 August 1630 – d. Weimar, 16 May 1639) #

Adolf Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach Adolf Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (Weimar, 15 May 1632 – Eisenach, 21 November 1668) was a duke of Saxe-Eisenach. He was the fourth but second surviving son of Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Eleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau. When ...

(b. Weimar, 14 May 1632 – d. Eisenach, 22 November 1668) # Johann Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Marksuhl, later of Saxe-Eisenach (b. Weimar, 12 July 1634 – d. on hunt accident, Eckhartshausen, 19 September 1686). Grandfather of

Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline; 1 March 1683 – 20 November 1737) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Electress of Hanover from 11 June 1727 ( O.S.) until her death in 1737 as the wife of King Geor ...

Queen Consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

George II of Great Britain George II (George Augustus; ; 30 October / 9 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Electorate of Hanover, Hanover) and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Em ...

. # Wilhelmine Eleonore (b. Weimar, 7 June 1636 – d. Weimar, 1 April 1653) #

Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Jena Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Jena (Weimar, 14 October 1638 – Jena, 3 May 1678), was duke of Saxe-Jena. He was the seventh child but fourth surviving son of Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Eleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau. Bernhard attended ...

(b. Weimar, 14 October 1638 – d. Jena, 3 May 1678) # Frederick (b. Weimar, 19 March 1640 – d. Weimar, 19 August 1656) # Dorothea Marie (b. Weimar, 14 October 1641 – d. Moritzburg, 11 June 1675), married on 3 July 1656 to

Maurice, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz Maurice of Saxe-Zeitz (28 March 1619 – 4 December 1681) was a duke of Saxe-Zeitz and member of the House of Wettin. Born in Dresden, he was the youngest surviving son of John George I, Elector of Saxony, and his second wife Magdalene Sibylle ...

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau 1602 births 1664 deaths Princesses of Anhalt-Dessau Duchesses of Saxe-Weimar 17th-century German people Daughters of princes regnant Mothers of Saxon monarchs