Rulers of Saxony
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List of Dukes, Electors, and Kings of Saxony, 880-1918
The original Duchy of Saxony comprised lands in the north-westen part of present-day Germany, roughly corresponding to the modern German state of Lower Saxony and to Westphalia.
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Dukes of Saxony
Early dukes
- Widukind 743-807, first duke known by name, a counterpart of Charlemagne
Ottonian or Liudolfing dynasty
- Liudolf (about 850)
- Brun (after 852 -880)
- Otto I the Illustrious 880-912
- Henry I the Fowler 912-936 (German King 919-936)
- Otto the Great 936-961 (German King 936-973, Emperor 962-973)
Billung Dynasty
- Hermann 961-973
- Bernard I 973-1011
- Bernard II 1011-1059
- Ordulf 1059-1072
- Magnus 1072-1106
Supplinburg Dynasty
- Lothar II 1106-1127 (German King 1125-1137, Emperor 1133-1137)
Welf Dynasty
- Henry II, the Proud 1138-1139 (also Duke of Bavaria)
Ascanian Dynasty
- Albert the Bear 1139-1142
Welf Dynasty
- Henry III, the Lion 1142-1180 (also Duke of Bavaria)
With the final removal of the Welfs in 1180, the Duchies of Brunswick and Lüneburg, which fell to their descendants, passed out of the control of the Duchy of Saxony. The Ascanians, who now took control, had their base further east, near the Elbe.
Ascanian Dynasty
- Bernard III 1180-1212
- Albert II 1212-1260
Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg
On Albert II's death, his sons split Saxony between them: they became the Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg and Saxe-Lauenburg. The following ruled as Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg:
Ascanian Dynasty
- Albert III 1260-1298
- Rudolf I 1298-1356
Electors of Saxony
The Golden Bull of 1356 raised the Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of Prince-elector. Henceforth he became known by the title of Elector of Saxony.
Ascanian Dynasty
- Rudolf II 1356-1370
- Wenzel 1370-1388
- Rudolf III 1388-1419
- Albert IV 1419-1422
The last Ascanian Elector of Saxony died in 1422. There succeeded Margrave Frederick of Meissen and Thuringia, of the Wettin Dynasty.
Wettin Dynasty
- Frederick I, the Warlike 1422-1428
- Frederick II, the Gentle 1428-1464
(On Frederick II's death his sons divided the Wettin territories between them. The elder, Ernest, became elector and inherited Northern Meissen, Southern Thuringia, and Wittenberg, along with the Electoral title. Albert, the younger son, became duke and received Northern Thuringia and Southern Meissen)
Ernestine Electors of Saxony
- Ernest 1464-1486
- Frederick III, the Wise 1486-1525
- John, the Steadfast 1525-1532
- John Frederick 1532-1547
Albertine Dukes of Saxony
- Albert Wettin, the Bold 1486-1500
- George Wettin 1500-1539
- Henry IV Wettin 1539-1541
- Maurice 1541-1547 elector in 1547
In 1547, following Emperor Charles V's victory at the Battle of Mühlberg, Wittenberg and the Electoral dignity passed to the Albertine line. The Ernestine line continued to rule in southern Thuringian, but their lands eventually split up into many different tiny duchies, of which Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, and Saxe-Altenburg lasted until 1918. This article does not list the subsequent Ernestine dukes.
Albertine Electors of Saxony
- Maurice 1547-1553
- Augustus 1553-1586
- Christian I 1586-1591
- Christian II 1591-1611
- John George I 1611-1656
- John George II 1656-1680
- John George III 1680-1691
- John George IV 1691-1694
- Frederick Augustus I 1694-1733 (Augustus the Strong, also King of Poland, 1697-1704, 1709-1733)
- Frederick Augustus II 1733-1763 (also King of Poland)
- Frederick Christian 1763
- Frederick Augustus III 1763-1806
Kings of Saxony
In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire came to an end. Saxony became a Kingdom, and Frederick Augustus III became King Frederick Augustus I
House of Wettin
- Frederick Augustus I 1806-1827 (also Duke of Warsaw 1807-1813)
- Anthony Clement 1827-1836
- Frederick Augustus II 1836-1854
- John 1854-1873
- Albert 1873-1902
- George 1902-1904
- Frederick Augustus III 1904-1918
Heads of the House of Wettin since 1918
Saxony became a republic with the demise of the Second Reich in 1918. For later rulers, see List of minister presidents of Saxony.
- King Frederick Augustus III 1918-1932
- Frederick Christian, Margrave of Meissen 1932-1968
- Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen 1968-presentde:Liste der Kurfürsten und Könige von Sachsen
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