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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, the contemporarily German state of Lower Saxony and Westphalia, not corresponding to the modern German state of Saxony.

Dukes of Saxony

Early dukes

Ottonian or Liudolfing dynasty

Billung Dynasty

Supplinburg Dynasty

Welf Dynasty

Ascanian Dynasty

Welf Dynasty

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, roughly corresponding with the contemporarily German state of Saxony.

Ascanian Dynasty

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

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

The last Ascanian Elector of Saxony died in 1422. There succeeded Margrave Frederick of Meissen and Thuringia, of the Wettin Dynasty.

Wettin Dynasty

(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

Albertine Dukes of Saxony

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 "Ernestine 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

Kings of Saxony

In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire came to an end. The Kingdom of Saxony was formed, and Frederick Augustus III became King Frederick Augustus I.

House of Wettin

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 minister presidents of Saxony.

Saxon monarchs

Liste der Kurfürsten und Könige von Sachsen | Electorado de Sajonia | ザクセン君主一覧 | Władcy Saksonii | Sachsens regenter | Lijst van heersers van Saksen | 萨克森统治者列表

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Rulers of Saxony".

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