Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach was a duchy within the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. It existed during two fairly short periods: 1572-1596 and 1633-1638. Its territory was part of the modern states of

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

and

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

History

The duchy was created by the Division of Erfurt in 1572 which implemented a decision of the Diet of Speyer in 1570 to separate

Coburg Coburg ( , ) is a Town#Germany, town located on the Itz (river), Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Ernestine duchies, Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only ...

and Eisenach from the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar and give them to John Casimir and John Ernest, the two sons of John Frederick II. However, because the two princes were still minors at the time, the country was at first ruled by Elector August of

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

. In 1586 the guardianship and regency ended, and John Casimir and John Ernest began to jointly to rule the duchy. John Ernest soon withdrew and returned to his hunting lodge in Marksuhl. In 1590 he formally renounced all of his participation in the government of the duchy for five years. After the end of this period, the two brothers agreed to split the country. John Casimir kept Saxe-Coburg, while John Ernest received Saxe-Eisenach. When John Casimir died childless in 1633, John Ernest inherited his possessions and

and Eisenach were combined again for a short period. When John Ernest died childless as well in 1638, the line of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach ended and the country was divided between Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Altenburg, the other two Ernestine duchies existing at that time. Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Eisenach would not again belong to a common state, until all Ernestine duchies merged to form

in 1920.

Rulers

:* John Casimir, co-Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach (1572–1596), Duke of Saxe-Coburg (1596–1633) :* John Ernest I, co-Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach (1572–1596), Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (1596–1638), of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach (1633–1638) States and territories established in 1680 Coburg-Eisenach House of Wettin Former states and territories of Bavaria Dukes of Saxe-Coburg Coburg Eisenach 1572 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1596 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1633 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1638 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire Early modern history of Germany 1680 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire {{Germany-hist-stub