John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach

Johann Ernst ( born July 9, 1566 Castle Grimm in Gotha, † October 23, 1638 in Eisenach ) was Duke of Saxe- Eisenach and 1572 ( nominally, first under guardianship ), from 1586 independent reign ( along with his brother Johann Casimir ) also Duke of Saxe- Coburg ( until 1596). From 1633 he reigned again next Saxe- Eisenach and the Duchy of Saxe - Coburg, this time alone. He came from the family of Wettin Ernestine.

Life

Johann Ernst was born as the youngest son of Duke Johann Friedrich II, the Middle and his wife Elizabeth, née Countess Palatine of the Rhine. His grandfather, Johann Friedrich I, the Magnanimous, had borne the title of the Saxon electors, but the electoral dignity lost after the Battle of Miihlberg in Schmalkaldic war on its Albertine relatives Moritz of Saxony. His father tried since then to regain the electoral dignity for Ernestine. To this end, he took a outlaw knight, William of Grumbach, in focusing on what ultimately led to that of his father under the imperial ban was imposed. Only a year after its birth, the castle of his father by troops of the Elector Augustus of Saxony was besieged and finally captured. His father fell into imperial captivity ( cf. Grumbachsche Handel ) from the time of his life he no longer should escape. His mother, his two brothers and Johann Ernst had to flee from Gotha. They first were admitted with his uncle, the Duke Johann Wilhelm of Saxe- Weimar, who also took over the guardianship of the prince and the administration of the territories Johann Friedrich the Middle. After a short time in Weimar Johann Ernst lived with his mother and his brothers in Eisenach and Eisenberg.

But also his uncle, Johann Wilhelm of Saxe- Weimar had fallen out of favor with the Emperor meantime. At the instigation of the emperor, therefore, the Reichstag in Speyer in 1570, the three sons of John Frederick decided to set up the Middle again in the rights of her father.

Died in 1572, his older brother Frederick Henry of spotted fever. End of the same year, the decision of the Diet of Speyer was implemented by the Erfurt -sharing contract. The areas of his father were leached out of the Duchy of Saxe -Weimar, from them, the new Duchy of Saxe -Coburg -Eisenach was created. Johann Ernst was appointed together with his older brother John Casimir regent of the new country, but because of their immaturity, first under the tutelage of three secular Elector Frederick III. of the Palatinate, Johann Georg of Brandenburg and August of Saxony, he took over the management of its reign over Saxony- Coburg- Eisenach.

Duchess Elisabeth traveled in the summer of 1572 from Wiener Neustadt, where she lived with her still located in Imperial captivity husband with private court. The two young princes, Johann Casimir and Johann Ernst, moved to Coburg, the future residence of the new principality. At the age of just six years, Johann Ernst was thus permanently separated from his two parents and entrusted the education of other people. His guardians signed in Johann Ernst's name the Formula of Concord of 1577 and the Book of Concord of in 1580.

From 1578 visited Johann Ernst and his brother the University of Leipzig. After his older brother in 1586 Anna of Saxony, the daughter of the Saxon Elector Augustus, had married, the guardianship was repealed, and Johann Casimir joined the independent reign of Saxe- Coburg -Eisenach, together with his brother. Johann Casimir and Johann Ernst ruled the Principality of the next ten years together, although Johann Casimir as an older brother bore the main responsibility for the government. Also to spatially remove himself from his brother, Johann Ernst built from 1587 a private castle in the small town of Suhl Mark, which was in Eisenach country part of the Principality. From 1590 to Johann Ernst withdrew completely from the government of the duchy, with his brother, he agreed that this should rule the Duchy for five years alone. Once this time has passed, he finally agreed in 1596 with his brother, a new division of the state. The Duchy of Saxe -Eisenach was separated from Saxe-Coburg, while Saxe-Coburg stayed with John Casimir, Johann Ernst of Saxony- Eisenach received as an independent principality. This was Saxe- Eisenach for the first time in its history, its own independent political entity within the Holy Roman Empire. Johann Ernst moved in the same year his residence from Marksuhl to Eisenach, the new capital of his country, where he first lived in the Landgrafenhof and began to set up their own castle.

1598 taught Johann Ernst for his duchy own state government and a consistory one. Died in 1633 his brother, Duke John Casimir of Saxe- Coburg, childless. Therefore inherited Johann Ernst of Saxe-Coburg, until his death in 1638 he ruled both countries in personal union, but retained his residence in Eisenach at.

Family

Johann Ernst married in 1591 Elizabeth, born Countess of Mansfeld- Hinterort. However, these died in 1596 at the birth of his only son, who also already died shortly after birth. His second wife he married in 1598, Christine, nee Countess of Hesse- Kassel. The marriage was happy, but remained childless.

With the death of Johann Ernst therefore the older line of Saxe- Coburg and Eisenach had gone out again. His principality was divided among the remaining lines Ernestine Saxony- Altenburg and Saxe-Weimar.