Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt
Joachim Ernst von Anhalt ( born October 20, 1536 Dessau, † December 6, 1586 in Dessau ) was Prince of Anhalt from the family of Ascanians.
Life
Joachim Ernst was a son of Prince Johann II von Anhalt (1504-1551) from his marriage to Margaret (1511-1577), daughter of the Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg. Joachim Ernst received under the supervision of his father's first comprehensive training. On February 1, 1549 we find him entered in the matriculation of the University of Wittenberg. He studied with George Helt and Andrew Lamprecht and lived afterwards at the court of the Margrave John of Brandenburg- Kuestrin. Joachim Ernst took Spanish services and participated in the campaign Günther von Schwarzburg in France and in the Battle of Saint- Quentin in part.
After the death of his father he took over the government together with his brothers Charles and Bernhard VII, but still a minor under the guardianship of their uncle George III. and Joachim I stood. Joachim Ernst resided later in Roßlau, Bernhard Dessau and Karl in Zerbst. Karl died the first of the brothers 1561st After the death of his uncle, and the renunciation of his cousin Wolfgang of Anhalt- Köthen fell Joachim Ernst and his brother Bernard in 1562 the whole country Anhalt. In 1563 he shared the land with his brother and received it Bernburg, Köthen, Sander life, Freckleben, Hoym, Ballenstedt, Harzgerode and Günter mountains. After Bernard's death in 1570 he received its territories and so united the whole evidence in his hand. He moved from there its seat of government to Dessau.
Joachim Ernst was a typical Renaissance prince, versatile and open to the arts and culture. He sent his sons with their educators on years of educational trips abroad. Of his reign he had to fight against a growing debt burden.
The son of his Chancellor, Tobias Hübner, we owe the description of the discharged at the Dessau court jousting. 1572 Joachim Ernst created the State Ordinance Anhalt and founded in 1582 the Gymnasium Illustre in Zerbst. He was a staunch supporter of the reformed religion and supported the Huguenots. In the absence of primogeniture in Anhalt had to be divided among his five surviving sons the land after his death in 1586. Joachim Ernst was buried in St. Mary's Church in Dessau.
Marriages and descendants
Joachim Ernst was married twice. His first wife was on March 3, 1560 in Barby Agnes ( 1540-1569 ), daughter of Wolfgang von Barby, with whom he had the following children:
- Anna Maria (1561-1605)
- Agnes (1562-1564)
- Elisabeth (1563-1607)
- Sibylle (1564-1614)
- Johann George I (1567-1618), Prince of Anhalt -Dessau
- Christian I. (1568-1630), Prince of Anhalt -Bernburg
His second marriage concluded Joachim Ernst on January 9, 1571 in Stuttgart with Eleonore ( 1552-1618 ), daughter of Duke Christoph of Württemberg, with whom he had the following children:
- Bernhard (1571-1596), colonel of the Upper Saxon Circle Empire fell in the war against the Turks
- Agnes Hedwig (1573-1616)
- Dorothea Maria (1574-1617)
- August (1575-1653), Prince of Anhalt- Plötzkau
- Rudolf I (1576-1621), Prince of Anhalt -Zerbst
- Johann Ernst (1578-1601)
- Ludwig I (1579-1650), Prince of Anhalt- Köthen
- Sabine (1580-1599)
- Joachim Christoph (1582-1583)
- Anna Sophia (1584-1652)