Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Duke Frederick II of Saxe -Gotha -Altenburg ( * July 28, 1676 at Castle peace in Gotha, † March 23, 1732 in Altenburg ) was a ruler in Thuringia. He came from the family of Wettin ernestinisch - by- line Saxe-Gotha -Altenburg.

Life

Frederick II was the son of Duke Friedrich I of Saxe- Gotha -Altenburg and his wife Magdalene Sibylle, nee Princess of Saxe - Weissenfels.

On the death of his father Frederick II was still a minor, it was therefore initially a guardianship and regency under the Dukes Bernhard I of Saxe- Meiningen and Henry of Saxony - Römhild formed. 1693, after he returned from a trip to Holland and England, he was declared the Emperor of full age and joined independently of the government. Frederick II was a magnificent Baroque -loving ruler, his court and the standing army, which he had inherited from his father, and even expanded, devouring large amounts of money. Therefore, Frederick II let his soldiers to foreign princes, which brought him into big trouble in 1702, when he rented his troops to Louis XIV of France, and this put them in his war against the Emperor.

Domestically, Frederick II led his father essentially the policy continues. He founded an orphanage in Altenburg (1715 ), a breeding and madhouse in Kahla (1726), and the Altenburger Magdalene pin ( 1705), a noble lady pen. For 100,000 dollars from his private property he bought the famous numismatic collection of Prince Anton Günther von Schwarzburg- Arnstadt, this formed the basis of today still in peace Flintlock Coin Cabinet. Since 1697 Frederick II had incidentally also held the Board on the Protestant church in the Electorate of Saxony, which had given him Elector Friedrich August I of Saxony ( Augustus the Strong ), as this had to convert to Catholicism because of his ascent of the Polish king throne.

A lasting memorial to Frederick II in his residence city of Gotha with the construction of the eponymous castle Friedrichsthal. In the years 1708-1711 he was east below the fortifications of the castle Friedensstein from Herzoglich Gotha Oberbaudirektor Wolf Christoph wrath of Plobsheim ( 1655-1721 ), the summer palace built on the model of the Château de Versailles. Behind the Baroque Dreiflügelanlage he left a vast baroque pleasure garden with statues and a grotto with water features create, but which is no longer preserved.

By seizure of parts of Saxe- Coburg ( died 1699), Sachsen -Eisenberg ( died 1707) and Saxony- Römhild ( died 1710 ) Frederick II succeeded - but only after a long inheritance disputes among the Ernestinians, the first in 1735 to an arbitration the emperor finally came to an end - each territorial gains for his country reach.

Frederick II found his final resting place in the scale of his father 1679/80 royal crypt of the castle church at the Gotha peace stone.

Family

Frederick II was married since 1695 with Magdalena Augusta ( 1679-1740 ), daughter of Prince Karl Wilhelm von Anhalt- Zerbst. With this he had 18 children, of whom survived seven sons and two daughters:

  • Sophie (1697-1703)
  • Friedrich III. (1699-1772), Duke of Saxe- Gotha -Altenburg
  • Wilhelm (1701-1771)
  • Karl Friedrich (1702-1703)
  • Johann August (1704-1767)
  • Christian ( * / † 1705)
  • Christian Wilhelm (1706-1748)
  • Ludwig Ernst (1707-1763)
  • Emanuel (1709-1710)
  • Moritz (1711-1777), Regent of Saxony -Eisenach
  • Sophie ( * / † 1712)
  • Karl (1714-1715)
  • Friederike (1715-1775)
  • Magdalene Sibylle (* / † 1718)
  • Augusta (1719-1772)
  • Johann Adolf (1721-1799)
Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst Karl, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Princess Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Johann Adolf of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 1691 Integrated Authority File
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