John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
| John George I | |||||
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| Prince of Anhalt-Dessau | |||||
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John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
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| Prince of Anhalt | |||||
| Reign | 1586–1603 | ||||
| Predecessor | Joachim Ernest | ||||
| Successor | none (principality partitioned) | ||||
| Prince of Anhalt-Dessau | |||||
| Reign | 1603–1618 | ||||
| Predecessor | none (principality (re-)created) | ||||
| Successor | John Casimir | ||||
| Born |
9 May 1567 Harzgerode |
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| Died | 24 May 1618 (aged 51) Dessau |
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| Spouse | Dorothea of Mansfeld-Arnstein Countess Palatine Dorothea of Simmern |
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| Issue | Sophie Elisabeth, Duchess of Liegnitz Anna Magdalena, Hereditary Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel Joachim Ernest, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Christian John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Anna Elisabeth, Countess of Bentheim-Steinfurt Frederick Maurice Eleonore Dorothea, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar Sibylle Christine, Countess of Hanau-Münzenberg and Hanau-Lichtenberg Henry Waldemar George Aribert Kunigunde Juliane, Landgravine of Hesse-Rotenburg Susanna Margarete of Hanau-Lichtenberg Johanna Dorothea, Countess of Bentheim-Tecklenburg Eva Katharine |
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| House | House of Ascania | ||||
| Father | Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt | ||||
| Mother | Agnes of Barby-Mühlingen | ||||
| Full name | |
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| German: Johann Georg |
John George I of Anhalt-Dessau (9 May 1567 – 24 May 1618) was a German prince of the House of Ascania. From 1586 to 1603 he ruled the unified principality of Anhalt jointly with his brothers. After the partition of the principality in 1603, he ruled the principality of Anhalt-Dessau from 1603 to 1618.
John George was much appreciated by his subjects and considered learned abroad, particularly in the subjects of astrology and alchemy. He possessed a remarkable library with over 3000 volumes.
John George was born in Harzgerode on 9 May 1567 as the eldest son of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Wolfgang I, Count of Barby-Mühlingen.
In 1570, the death of John George's last surviving uncle, Bernhard VII, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, left John George's father as sole ruler of all the Anhalt states, which were finally unified for the first time since their first partition in 1252.
After the death of his father in 1586, John George inherited the unified principality of Anhalt jointly with his younger brother Christian I and his five half-brothers according to the family law of the House of Ascania, which mandated no division of territories among the heirs. Because his half-brothers were still minors at the time of their accession, John George acted as regent.
In 1603 an agreement was drawn up between John George and his surviving brothers to divide the territories of the principality of Anhalt among them. John George received Anhalt-Dessau, as well as the Seniorat; nonetheless, he maintained a regency over all of the newly created principalities until 1606, when his brothers took over the government in their lands. As a ruler, he maintained Reformation policies in his state and vigorously pursued the abolition of the traditional customs and liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.
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