Duchy of Anhalt

Duchy of Anhalt
Herzogtum Anhalt
Member of the Confederation of the Rhine Member of the German Confederation State of the North German Confederation State of the German Empire
1806–1918
Flag of the 19th century Duchy Coat of arms of Anhalt
The 19th-century Duchy of Anhalt within the German Empire
Map of the Duchy of Anhalt (1863-1918)
Capital		Dessau (when united)
Government		Principality
Duke
•	1901–1918	Joachim Ernst
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Counties3 raised to duchies	1806
•	German Revolution	1918
Preceded by Succeeded by Principality of Anhalt Anhalt-Bernburg Anhalt-Köthen Free State of Anhalt
Today part of		Germany
1: 13th century partition into Anhalt-Aschersleben, Anhalt-Bernburg and Anhalt-Zerbst. 2: 17th century partition into Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Plötzkau and Anhalt-Zerbst. 3: The three counties raised to duchies by Napoleon in 1806 were Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen.

The Duchy of Anhalt was a historical German duchy. The territory is now part of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Anhalt's origins lie in the Principality of Anhalt, a state of the Holy Roman Empire.

During the 9th century, most of Anhalt was part of the duchy of Saxony. In the 12th century, it came under the rule of Albert the Bear, margrave of Brandenburg. Albert was descended from Albert, count of Ballenstedt, whose son Esico (died 1059 or 1060) appears to have been the first to bear the title of count of Anhalt. Esico's grandson, Otto the Rich, count of Ballenstedt, was the father of Albert the Bear, who united Anhalt with the Margraviate of Brandenburg (March of Brandenburg). When Albert died in 1170, his son Bernard, who received the title of duke of Saxony in 1180, became count of Anhalt. Bernard died in 1212, and Anhalt, separated from Saxony, passed to his son Henry I, who in 1218 took the title of prince and was the real founder of the house of Anhalt.

On Henry's death in 1252, his three sons divided the principality and founded the respective lines of Aschersleben, Bernburg and Zerbst. The family ruling in Aschersleben became extinct in 1315, and this district was subsequently incorporated with the neighbouring Bishopric of Halberstadt. The last prince of the line of Anhalt-Bernburg died in 1468 and his lands were inherited by the princes of the sole remaining line, that of Anhalt-Zerbst. The territory belonging to this branch of the family had been divided in 1396, and after the acquisition of Bernburg Prince George I made a further partition of Zerbst (Zerbst and Dessau). Early in the 16th century, however, owing to the death or abdication of several princes, the family had become narrowed down to the two branches of Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau (both issued from Anhalt-Dessau in 1471).