Ernestine duchies
As Ernestine duchies refers to a variable number of small duchies in what is now Thuringia, and Upper Franconia, which arose through inheritance among the descendants of the Duke and Elector Ernst of Saxe- Wittenberg ( 1441-1486 ).
Prehistory
The House of Wettin was divided in 1485 into two lines ( Leipzig division ), the younger Albertinische, founded by Albrecht the Courageous, which ruled in the later Electorate of Saxony and the Kingdom of Poland ( Residenz Dresden ), and the older Ernestine who initially received the electoral dignity ( residence Wittenberg).
In 1547 the Ernestine lost because of the capitulation of Wittenberg the Electorate with the Duchy of Saxony ( Wittenberg ) and most of their hereditary lands to the Albertine and could initially also claim only a portion of their possessions in Thuringia, namely the offices, cities and castles Gerstungen, Eisenach, Wartburg, cross castle, Tenneberg, Walter Hausen, Leuchtenburg, Roda, Orlamünde, Gotha, Jena, Chapel village, Roßla, Weimar, Wachsenburggemeinde, Thorn castle, Camburg, Buttstädt, Arnshaugk, Weida, Mildenfurth and goats back.
For Ernestine total holdings came after the death of Duke Johann Ernst I of Coburg in 1553 nor the offices Coburg, Sonneberg, Hildburghausen Königsberg, Veilsdorf and Schalkau. Other territories received the Ernestine in 1554 by the Treaty of Naumburg Elector Augustus of the Albertine line; 1555 ertauschten by the Counts of Mansfeld, the rule Römhild. Finally, the Ernestine House a share of 7/12, definitely, however, acquired from the hen bergischen inheritance ( 1583 ) until 1660, namely the offices Meiningen, Themar, Maßfeld, Behrungen, Henneberg, spleen, Ilmenau, Kaltennordheim, Frauenbreitungen, sand and Wasungen.
Inheritances
These areas since 1573 by continuous inheritance fragmented (see time table below), since the principle of primogeniture was introduced at the Ernestinians until the 18th century. In the resulting duchies is referred to as " Ernestine duchies " or "Saxon duchies ". At times there were up to ten individual duchies simultaneously. The leading political insignificance fragmentation of the Ernestine duchies and the neighboring Reuss and Schwarzburg principalities made Thuringia as a model example of particularism ( " Duodezfürstentümer ", " operetta States ") within the German Confederation.
In 1826 it came after the extinction of the House of Saxe -Gotha -Altenburg, with the arbitration award, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony to the last reorganization of the duchies of Saxe-Gotha, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxony- Hildburghausen Saxe-Coburg- Saalfeld.
The Duke of Saxe- Hildburghausen exchanged his Duchy of Saxony- Altenburg. The line Saxe-Meiningen got Saxony -Hildburghausen and of Saxe- Coburg -Saalfeld Saalfeld part of the country and the Office Themar and the places Mupperg, mogger, Liebau and Oerlsdorf. The Duchy of Saxe-Coburg -Saalfeld was awarded the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, Sachsen- Hildburghausen the offices Königsberg and Sonnenfeld and of Saxe- Meiningen goods Callnberg and Gauerstadt and became the new double Duchy of Saxe -Coburg and Gotha. The time between the Congress of Vienna to the Grand Duchy collected and territorially considerably enlarged Saxe-Weimar -Eisenach was left out of it.
In 1867 came the, then only four, Ernestine States the North German Confederation, 1871 and the German Reich at before, along with other principalities in 1919 to 1920, the state of Thuringia was formed out of them and Coburg came after a plebiscite to Bavaria.
Chronology
Period of existence of the individual duchies
Wettin lines and principalities 1485-1918 ( graph)
Overview of the individual arising from inheritances lines and principalities of Wettin, since the formation of the Ernestine and Albertine lines in the Leipzig division in 1485, and their inheritance with their respective extinction. (to enlarge please click on the image! )