William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
| Wilhelm | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Saxe-Weimar | |
 |
|
| Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena | |
| Reign | 1620–1662 |
| Predecessor | Johann Ernst I |
| Successor | Johann Ernst II in Saxe-Weimar Bernhard II in Saxe-Jena |
| Ruler of Saxe-Eisenach | |
| Reign | 1644–1662 |
| Predecessor | Albrecht |
| Successor | Adolf Wilhelm in Saxe-Eisenach Johann Georg in Saxe-Marksuhl |
| Born |
11 April 1598 Altenburg |
| Died | 17 May 1662 (aged 64) Weimar |
| Spouse | Eleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau |
| Issue | Prince Wilhelm, Hereditary Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena Johann Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Prince Johann Wilhelm Adolf Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach Johann Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Marksuhl Princess Wilhelmine Eleonore Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Jena Prince Frederick Dorothea Marie, Duchess of Saxe-Zeitz |
| House | House of Wettin |
| Father | Johann, Duke of Saxe-Weimar |
| Mother | Dorothea Maria of Anhalt |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (Altenburg, 11 April 1598 – Weimar, 17 May 1662), was a duke of Saxe-Weimar.
Wilhelm was the fifth (but third surviving) son of Johann, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Dorothea Maria of Anhalt. He was brother to Bernard of Saxe-Weimar, a successful Protestant general in the Thirty Years' War, and to Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (later Altenburg), a successful and well regarded ruler known as "The Pious".
Like his brothers Johann Ernst and Friedrich, Wilhelm studied at the University of Jena. Later, he accompanied his brothers in their studies abroad. Their educational tour began at the end of August 1613; the brothers visited France, Great Britain and the Netherlands before returning home in 1614.
Some years later, on 24 August 1617, during his mother's funeral, Wilhelm helped found the Fruitbearing Society. In 1651 he became the second head of the society.
In 1620 Wilhelm became regent of all the estates of his older brother, Johann Ernst, after the latter was subject to the ban of the Empire for refusing to submit to the emperor. When Johann Ernst died in 1626, Wilhelm assumed the title duke of Saxe-Weimar.
One year later, Wilhelm was created a member of the Order of the Stability. During the years 1622-1623, he created a patriotic federation, the German Friedbund, for the promotion of the German states and religious liberties. Wilhelm's maternal uncle, Louis I of Anhalt-Köthen, provided the Friedbund with a generous endowment.
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