Wettin (vĕt`ĭn), German dynasty, which ruled in Saxony, Thuringia, Poland, Great Britain, Belgium, and Bulgaria. It takes its name from a castle on the Saale near Halle. The family gained prominence in the 10th cent. as leaders in the German drive to the east, which made Saxony and Lusatia German. It acquired (c.1100) the margravate of Meissen and soon expanded its domains to include most of Saxony Saxony (săk`sənē), Ger. Sachsen, Fr. Saxe, state (1994 pop.
..... Click the link for more information. and Thuringia Thuringia (th
rĭn`jə), Ger. Thüringen, state (1994 pop.
..... Click the link for more information. . In 1423, Frederick the Warlike of Meissen was granted Saxony and became (1425) elector of Saxony as Frederick I Frederick I or Frederick the Warlike, 1370–1428, elector of Saxony (1423–28). As margrave of Meissen he was involved in disputes with his brothers and his uncles over the division of his father's territory.
..... Click the link for more information. . The Wettin holdings were repeatedly subdivided. The most important division (1485) established the Ernestine line and the Albertine line, named for Frederick II's sons Ernest and Albert. The electoral title and most of Saxony passed in 1547 from the Ernestine to the Albertine line. The Ernestine line retained its possessions in Thuringia but split into several collateral branches. In 1918, when the house of Wettin was deposed in Thuringia and Saxony, its Thuringian holdings consisted of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, a grand duchy (see under Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, which resulted from the reunion in 1741, was the most important of the Thuringian principalities. It gained its greatest prosperity and cultural importance under Duke Charles Augustus , the patron and friend of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who made Weimar , the
..... Click the link for more information. ), and of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (see under Saxe-Coburg Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Ernest I's brother was crowned (1831) as Leopold I , king of the Belgians, and Ernest's son Albert married (1840) Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Thus the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the ruling dynasty of Belgium and of Great Britain (where the name was
..... Click the link for more information. ), Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Meiningen (săks-mīn`ĭng-ən), Ger. Sachsen-Meiningen, former duchy, Thuringia, central Germany.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg (săks-ăl`tənbərg), Ger. Sachsen-Altenburg, former duchy, Thuringia, central Germany.
..... Click the link for more information. , which were duchies. From the branch of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha the Belgian, the English, and the Bulgarian dynasties were descended through, respectively, Leopold I Leopold I, 1790–1865, king of the Belgians (1831–65); youngest son of Francis Frederick, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After serving as a page at the court of Napoleon I and as a general of the Russian army, he married (1816) Princess Charlotte, daughter
..... Click the link for more information. of the Belgians, Prince Albert Albert, 1819–61, prince consort of Victoria of Great Britain, whom he married in 1840. He was of Wettin lineage, the son of Ernest I, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and first cousin to Victoria.
..... Click the link for more information. (consort of Queen Victoria), and Czar Ferdinand Ferdinand, 1861–1948, czar of Bulgaria (1908–18), after being ruling prince (1887–1908). A grandnephew of Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, he was chosen prince of Bulgaria after the enforced abdication of Prince Alexander .
..... Click the link for more information. of Bulgaria. The English house changed its name to Windsor Windsor (wĭn`zər), family name of the royal house of Great Britain.
..... Click the link for more information. ; the Bulgarian branch was deposed in 1946. A cousin of Prince Albert married Queen Maria II of Portugal and became king consort as Ferdinand II Ferdinand II, 1816–85, king consort of Portugal (1837–53). The eldest son of Ferdinand, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, he married Maria II (Maria da Glória) of Portugal in 1836.
..... Click the link for more information. of Portugal. The Albertine line ruled in Saxony, obtaining hereditary royal rank in 1806; it also ruled Poland from 1697 to 1763 (see Augustus II Augustus II, 1670–1733, king of Poland (1697–1733) and, as Frederick Augustus I, elector of Saxony (1694–1733). He commanded the imperial army against the Turks (1695–96), but had no success and was replaced by Prince Eugene of Savoy as soon
..... Click the link for more information. ; Augustus III Augustus III, 1696–1763, king of Poland (1735–63) and, as Frederick Augustus II, elector of Saxony (1733–63); son of Augustus II , whom he succeeded in Saxony.
..... Click the link for more information. ).
..... Click the link for more information. and Thuringia Thuringia (th
rĭn`jə), Ger. Thüringen, state (1994 pop...... Click the link for more information. . In 1423, Frederick the Warlike of Meissen was granted Saxony and became (1425) elector of Saxony as Frederick I Frederick I or Frederick the Warlike, 1370–1428, elector of Saxony (1423–28). As margrave of Meissen he was involved in disputes with his brothers and his uncles over the division of his father's territory.
..... Click the link for more information. . The Wettin holdings were repeatedly subdivided. The most important division (1485) established the Ernestine line and the Albertine line, named for Frederick II's sons Ernest and Albert. The electoral title and most of Saxony passed in 1547 from the Ernestine to the Albertine line. The Ernestine line retained its possessions in Thuringia but split into several collateral branches. In 1918, when the house of Wettin was deposed in Thuringia and Saxony, its Thuringian holdings consisted of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, a grand duchy (see under Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, which resulted from the reunion in 1741, was the most important of the Thuringian principalities. It gained its greatest prosperity and cultural importance under Duke Charles Augustus , the patron and friend of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who made Weimar , the
..... Click the link for more information. ), and of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (see under Saxe-Coburg Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Ernest I's brother was crowned (1831) as Leopold I , king of the Belgians, and Ernest's son Albert married (1840) Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Thus the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the ruling dynasty of Belgium and of Great Britain (where the name was
..... Click the link for more information. ), Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Meiningen (săks-mīn`ĭng-ən), Ger. Sachsen-Meiningen, former duchy, Thuringia, central Germany.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Saxe-Altenburg Saxe-Altenburg (săks-ăl`tənbərg), Ger. Sachsen-Altenburg, former duchy, Thuringia, central Germany.
..... Click the link for more information. , which were duchies. From the branch of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha the Belgian, the English, and the Bulgarian dynasties were descended through, respectively, Leopold I Leopold I, 1790–1865, king of the Belgians (1831–65); youngest son of Francis Frederick, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After serving as a page at the court of Napoleon I and as a general of the Russian army, he married (1816) Princess Charlotte, daughter
..... Click the link for more information. of the Belgians, Prince Albert Albert, 1819–61, prince consort of Victoria of Great Britain, whom he married in 1840. He was of Wettin lineage, the son of Ernest I, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and first cousin to Victoria.
..... Click the link for more information. (consort of Queen Victoria), and Czar Ferdinand Ferdinand, 1861–1948, czar of Bulgaria (1908–18), after being ruling prince (1887–1908). A grandnephew of Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, he was chosen prince of Bulgaria after the enforced abdication of Prince Alexander .
..... Click the link for more information. of Bulgaria. The English house changed its name to Windsor Windsor (wĭn`zər), family name of the royal house of Great Britain.
..... Click the link for more information. ; the Bulgarian branch was deposed in 1946. A cousin of Prince Albert married Queen Maria II of Portugal and became king consort as Ferdinand II Ferdinand II, 1816–85, king consort of Portugal (1837–53). The eldest son of Ferdinand, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, he married Maria II (Maria da Glória) of Portugal in 1836.
..... Click the link for more information. of Portugal. The Albertine line ruled in Saxony, obtaining hereditary royal rank in 1806; it also ruled Poland from 1697 to 1763 (see Augustus II Augustus II, 1670–1733, king of Poland (1697–1733) and, as Frederick Augustus I, elector of Saxony (1694–1733). He commanded the imperial army against the Turks (1695–96), but had no success and was replaced by Prince Eugene of Savoy as soon
..... Click the link for more information. ; Augustus III Augustus III, 1696–1763, king of Poland (1735–63) and, as Frederick Augustus II, elector of Saxony (1733–63); son of Augustus II , whom he succeeded in Saxony.
..... Click the link for more information. ).
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