John VI, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
John VI. of Anhalt- Zerbst (* March 24, 1621 in Zerbst, † July 4, 1667 in Zerbst ) from the house of Ascanians was a prince of Anhalt- Zerbst.
Life
John was the only son of Prince Rudolf of Anhalt- Zerbst (1576-1621) from his second marriage with Magdelene (1585-1657), daughter of Count Johann XVI. of Oldenburg. He succeeded his father as Prince of Anhalt- Zerbst nominally shortly after his birth and was under guardianship of Prince Augustus of Anhalt- Plötzkau. His upbringing was influenced not only by tutors but especially by his Lutheran mother, who raised him in this faith without the Anhalt, the Reformed Church belonging to relatives could do something. 1626 Margaret had turned on the Emperor in this matter.
The prevailing chaos of the Thirty Years' War brought it about that Johann was educated in Zerbst, Coswig and Wittenberg. From 1633 the teaching Count Anton Günther von Oldenburg was held at the court of his uncle.
Immediately after the acquisition of the business of government designed to be reformed Prince Johann principality in the Lutheran sense. To force the homage of the Reformed stalls had to intervene the Emperor. He could face the stands not only to have his claim to power, but also by taking various fiefs enlarge its territory significantly.
Prince Ludwig I of Anhalt- Köthen took Prince Johann in 1642, together with Councillor Conrad Balthasar Pichtel and Hofjunker Joachim von Boese camp in the Fruitbearing society. He gave Prince Johann the company name of the Personalised well and the motto graceful sharpness. As an emblem of his Indian cress was meant for her beautiful flower ( Tropaeolum majus L.). In Köthener society book, Prince John finds entry under No. 398 This is also where the rhyme law that the Prince had written on the occasion of his admission:
After the extinction of the Counts of Barby Johann acquired Mühlingen 1659, and later Walternienburg, thorn castle and Möckern.
At the age of 46 years Prince Johann of Anhalt- Zerbst died in Zerbst to the children smallpox. Shortly before his death, he had become heir to the dominion of Jever after the death of his uncle Anton Günther von Oldenburg. The guardianship of his minor firstborn took over in addition to his widow Landgrave Louis VI. of Hesse- Darmstadt and Prince Johann Georg II of Anhalt- Dessau. Johann was buried in the Zerbst Bartholomaikirche.
Marriage and issue
Johann married on September 16, 1649 in Gottorp Sophie Auguste ( 1630-1680 ), daughter of Duke Friedrich III. of Holstein- Gottorp, with whom he had the following children:
- Johann Friedrich (1650-1651)
- Georg (1651-1652)
- Karl Wilhelm (1652-1718), Prince of Anhalt -Zerbst
- Anton (1653-1714)
- Johann Adolf (1654-1726)
- Johann Ludwig I (1656-1704), Prince of Anhalt -Zerbst -Dornburg
- Joachim Ernst (1657-1658)
- Sophie Magdalene (1658-1659)
- Friedrich ( * / † 1660)
- Hedwig Marie Eleonore (* / † 1662)
- Sophie Auguste (1663-1694)
- Albrecht ( * / † 1665)
- August (1666-1667)