Ernst August I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
| Ernest Augustus I | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Eisenach | |
 |
|
| Duke of Saxe-Weimar | |
| Reign | 1707–1748 |
| Predecessor | Wilhelm Ernst with John Ernst III |
| Successor | Ernest Augustus II |
| Co-ruler | Wilhelm Ernst |
| Duke of Saxe-Eisenach | |
| Reign | 1741–1748 |
| Predecessor | Wilhelm Heinrich |
| Successor | Ernest Augustus II |
| Born |
19 April 1688 Weimar |
| Died | 19 January 1748 (aged 59) Eisenach |
| Spouse |
Eleonore Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Köthen Sophie Charlotte of Brandenburg-Bayreuth |
| Issue | Wilhelm Ernst, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weimar Princess Wilhelmine Auguste Johann Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weimar Princess Charlotte Agnes Leopoldina Princess Johanna Eleonore Henriette Ernestine Albertine, Countess of Schaumburg-Lippe Bernhardina, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Prince Emmanuel Frederick Karl August Eugen, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weimar Ernest Augustus II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Princess Eleonore Christiane Princess Johanna Auguste Ernestine, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen Prince Ernst Adolf |
| House | House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach |
| Father | Johann Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Weimar |
| Mother | Sophie Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Ernest Augustus I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (German: Ernst August I; 19 April 1688 – 19 January 1748), was a duke of Saxe-Weimar and, from 1741, of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
He was the second but eldest surviving son of Johann Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and his first wife Sophie Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst.
When his father died in 1707, Ernst August became co-ruler (Mitherr) of Saxe-Weimar, along with his uncle Wilhelm Ernst, but his title was only nominal, since Wilhelm Ernst was the actual ruler of the duchy. Only when Wilhelm Ernst died in 1728 did Ernst August begin to exercise true authority over Saxe-Weimar.
Ernst August was a splendor-loving ruler, and his extravagances contributed to the eventual financial ruin of his duchy. Desperately in need of funds, he resorted to the practice of arresting wealthy subjects without cause, and setting them free only after they had renounced their fortunes to the duke, or had paid exorbitant ransoms. Some of the victims, who considered this behaviour illegal, made claims against the duke at the Imperial Court in Vienna or in the Imperial Chamber Court of Appeal in Wetzlar. Ernst August lost all the legal proceedings mounted against him. The process lasted for many years and eventually led to the duchy's bankruptcy.
The duke maintained a standing army that was disproportionately large for the duchy's population or financial resources. Some of the soldiers were rented to the Electorate of Saxony or to the Holy Roman Emperor. Ernst August's mania for building led to the construction of the Kleinode, the small Schloss Belvedere and the Rococo Schloss of Dornburg, a lavish residence for the duke. His passion for the hunt was likewise extravagant; when he died, Ernst August left 1,100 dogs and 373 horses. The duke maintained a standing "harem," in which two noble "Ladies of Honour" (Ehrenfräulein) and three "Chamber Women" (Kammerfrauen) of low birth attended to his desires.
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