Wettin dynasty
| House of Wettin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom |
| Titles |
Ernestine branch: (see more)
Albertine branch: (see more) |
| Founded | 10th century |
| Founder | Theodoric I |
| Current head | Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach |
| Ethnicity | German |
| Cadet branches | |
Ernestine branch: (see more)
Albertine branch: (see more)
The House of Wettin (German: Haus Wettin) is a dynasty of German counts, dukes, prince-electors and kings that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its origins can be traced back to the town of Wettin, Saxony-Anhalt. The Wettins gradually rose to power within the Holy Roman Empire. Members of the family became the rulers of several medieval states, starting with the Saxon Eastern March in 1030. Other states they gained were Meissen in 1089, Thuringia in 1263, and Saxony in 1423.
The family divided into two ruling branches in 1485 by the Treaty of Leipzig: the Ernestine and Albertine branches. The older Ernestine branch played a key role during the Protestant Reformation. Many ruling monarchs outside Germany were later tied to its cadet branch, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The Albertine branch, while less prominent, ruled most of Saxony and played a part in Polish history.
Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various times, ascended the thrones of Great Britain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Poland, Saxony, and Belgium. Only the British and Belgian lines retain their thrones today.
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Wikipedia