List of rulers of Saxony Totally Explained

Everything about Duke Of Saxony totally explained

This article lists Dukes, Electors, and Kings ruling over territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918.

Dukes of Saxony

The original Duchy of Saxony comprised lands of the Saxon people in the north-western part of present-day Germany, the contemporarily German state of Lower Saxony and Westphalia, not corresponding to the modern German state of Saxony. Early dukes

Hadugato (fl. c. 531)
Berthoald (fl. c. 627)
Theoderic (fl. c. 743–744)
Widukind (fl. c. 777–810)
Abo (fl. c. 785–811)

Hattonid dynasty

Banzleib (830s) Ottonian or Liudolfing dynasty

Liudolf (about 850)

Bruno (after 852 -880)

Otto I the Illustrious 880-912

Henry I the Fowler 912-936 (German King 919-936)

Otto II the Great 936-961 (German King 936-973, Emperor 962-973) Billung Dynasty

Herman 961-973

Bernard I 973-1011

Bernard II 1011-1059

Ordulf 1059-1072

Magnus 1072-1106 Supplinburg Dynasty

Lothair 1106-1127 (German King 1125-1137, Emperor 1133-1137) Welf Dynasty

Henry II, the Proud 1137-1139 (also Duke of Bavaria) Ascanian Dynasty

Albert the Bear 1139-1142, also Margrave of Brandenburg Welf Dynasty

Henry III, the Lion 1142-1180 (also Duke of Bavaria) With the final removal of the Welfs in 1180, the Duchy of Saxony was reduced in territory. Westphalia fell to the Archbishop of Cologne, while the Duchies of Brunswick and Lüneburg remained with the Welfs. The Ascanian Dukes had their base further east, near the Elbe, resulting in the name Saxony moving towards the east.

Ascanian Duchy of Saxony

Bernard III 1180-1212

Albert II 1212-1260

John I 1260-1285, jointly with

Albert III 1260-1298 On Albert II's death, his sons John and Albert at first ruled jointly. Some time after 1272 they divided their territory between them, creating the Duchies of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg.
Since the Duke of Saxony was considered one of the prince-electors electing a new Holy Roman Emperor, conflict arose between lines of Lauenburg and Wittenberg over the issue of who should cast Saxony's vote and in 1314 both lines found themselves on different sides in a double election. Eventually, the Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg succeeded in 1356 after the promulgation of the Golden Bull. To distinguish him from other rulers bearing the title Duke of Saxony, he was commonly called Elector of Saxony.

Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg

John I 1260-1285 John was succeeded by his three sons, who at first ruled jointly:

John II 1285–1321, joint rule until 1305

Albrecht III 1285–1308, joint rule until 1305

Erich I, 1285–1361, joint rule until 1305 In 1305 the brothers split their inheritance between them, creating the Bergedorf-Mölln and the Ratzeburg-Lauenburg lines. Bergedorf-Mölln line

John II 1285–1321

Albrecht IV 1321–1343

John III 1343–1356

Albrecht V, 1356–1370

Erich III, 1370–1401 Ratzeburg-Lauenburg line

Albrecht III, 1285–1308, joint rule

Erich I, 1305–1361, joint rule until 1308

Erich II, 1361–1368

Erich IV, 1368–1412, inherited the possessions of the extinct Bergedorf-Mölln line

Erich V, 1412–1436, joint rule until 1414, claimed succession to the extinct Wittenberg line in 1422

John IV 1412-1414 joint rule The Ascanian Dynasty continued at Lauenburg until 1689, but after the Lauenburg line had finally lost the Electorate to the Wittenberg line in 1356 and failed to obtain the succession in the Electorate after 1422, recognition of the Lauenburg line as Duke of Saxony waned.

Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg

Albert III 1260-1298

Rudolf I 1298-1356

Wettin Dukes of Saxony

Albertine Dukes of Saxony

The Albertines were a junior branch of the Wettin dynasty of Electors of Saxony, who ruled in Northern Thuringia and Southern Meissen until they replaced the senior "Ernestine" branch as Electors and rulers of most Saxon territory in 1547.

Dukes of Saxony
Wettin Dynasty, Albertine Line
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	Albert the Bold	1464-1500.	Younger son of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. Divided the Saxon lands, including Thuringia and Meissen, with his brother Ernest in 1485.
	George the Bearded	1500-1539	Son of Albert. Opposed Martin Luther.
	Henry IV the Pious	1539-1541	Brother of George. Introduced Lutheranism to Albertine Saxony.
	Maurice	1541-1553,	Son of Henry IV. Became Elector 1547.

Ernestine Dukes of Saxony

Following their displacement by the Albertines, the Ernestine branch of the Wettins continued to rule in southern Thuringia as "Dukes of Saxony", but their lands eventually split up into many different tiny "Ernestine duchies". Of these, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, and Saxe-Altenburg lasted until 1918. This article doesn't list the subsequent Ernestine dukes.

Electors of Saxony

The Golden Bull of 1356 confirmed the right to participate in the election of a Holy Roman Emperor to the Duke of Saxony in the Saxe-Wittenberg line.

Electors of Saxony
Ascanian Dynasty
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	Rudolf I of Saxe-Wittenberg	1356
	Rudolf II of Saxe-Wittenberg	1356-1370	Son of preceding.
	Wenceslaus	1370-1388	Brother of preceding.
	Rudolf III	1388-1419	Son of preceding.
	Albert IV	1419-1422	Brother of preceding.
Wettin Dynasty
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	Frederick I the Warlike	1423-1428	After the Wittenberg line of the Ascanians became extinct, the Electorate was given to Frederick, Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia, of the House of Wettin.
	Frederick II the Gentle	1428-1464	Son of Frederick I. Ruled jointly in Saxony with his brothers, but was the sole holder of the Electorate. Father of Ernest and Albert, founders of the Ernestine and Albertine Saxon lines.
Ernestine Line
	Ernest	1464-1486	Son of Frederick II, divided Saxony with his brother Albert, taking Wittenberg, northern Meissen, and southern Thuringia. Inherited Thuringia in 1482 and ruled it jointly with Albert until 1485.
	Frederick III the Wise	1486-1525	Son of Ernest. Protector of Martin Luther, but a life-long Catholic.
	John the Steadfast	1525-1532	Brother of Frederick III. Legally established Lutheranism in his territories in 1527.
	John Frederick	1532-1547	Son of John the Steadfast. Called "the Magnanimous". Deprived of his Electorate by Emperor Charles V for his role in the Schmalkaldic War. Died 1554.
Albertine Line
	Maurice	1547-1553	Second cousin of John Frederick, grandson of Albert. Though a Lutheran, allied with Emperor Charles V against the Schmalkaldic League. Gained the Electorate for the Albertine line in 1547 after Charles V's victory at the Battle of Mühlberg.
	Augustus I	1553-1586	Brother of Maurice. Recognized as Elector by the ousted John Frederick in 1554.
	Christian I	1586-1591	Son of Augustus I.
	Christian II	1591-1611	Son of Christian I.
	John George I	1611-1656	Brother of Christian II, ruled during the Thirty Years' War, during which he was at times allied with the Emperor and at times with the King of Sweden.
	John George II	1656-1680	Son of John George I.
	John George III	1680-1691	Son of John George II.
	John George IV	1691-1694	Son of John George III.
	Frederick Augustus I	1694-1733	Brother of John George IV. Converted to Catholicism 1697 in order to compete for the crown of Poland. Took the Polish crown 1697, opposed by Stanisław Leszczyński 1704, forced to renounce the throne 1706, returned as monarch 1709 until his death. Called "the Strong".
	Frederick Augustus II	1733-1763	Son of Frederick Augustus I. Converted to Catholicism 1721. King of Poland 1734-1763. Called ""the Fat" or (in Poland) "the Saxon".
	Frederick Christian	October-December 1763	Son of Frederick Augustus II, raised Catholic.
	Frederick Augustus III the Just	1763-1806	Son of Frederick Christian. His Electorate ceased with the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and he became King of Saxony.

Kings of Saxony The Holy Roman Empire came to an end in 1806. The Elector of Saxony, allied to Napoleon I, anticipated its dissolution by becoming the ruler of an independent Kingdom of Saxony in 1806.

Kings of Saxony
Wettin Dynasty
Image	Name	Date	Notes
	Frederick Augustus I "the Just"	1806-1827	Duke of Warsaw 1807-1813
	Anthony	1827-1836	Brother of Frederick Augustus I.
	Frederick Augustus II	1836-1854	Nephew of Anthony.
	John	1854-1873	Brother of Frederick Augustus II.
	Albert "the Good"	1873-1902	Son of John.
	George	1902-1904	Brother of Albert.
	Frederick Augustus III	1904-1918	Son of George. Last king of Saxony. Lost his throne in the German revolutions of 1918.

Heads of the House of Wettin (since 1918)

Saxony became a republic with the demise of the German Empire in 1918. For later rulers, see List of Ministers-President of Saxony.

Frederick Augustus III of Saxony 1918-1932

Frederick Christian, Margrave of Meissen 1932-1968

Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen 1968-presentFurther Information

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