Saxe-Merseburg
Territory of the Holy Roman Empire
The Principality of Saxe- Merseburg was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and consisted of 1656 / 57-1738 with the residence Merseburg. It was owned by a branch of the Albertine Wettin.
Formation
The Saxon Elector Johann Georg I in his will of 20 July 1652 that his three younger sons should receive Sekundogeniturfürstentümer. After the Elector died on October 8, 1656, the " Freundbrüderliche main comparison " and in 1663 a further comparison, on April 22, 1657 in Dresden closed, in which the three territories and the related sovereign rights were finally defined and which are the brothers Johann George II succeeded to achieve a partial success to their sovereignty aspirations. It created the duchies of Saxe- Weissenfels, Saxony - Zeitz and Saxony- Merseburg.
Prince Christian, the third oldest son received, among other things, previously mostly for during the Reformation in 1562 secularized bishopric of Merseburg belonging, castles, cities, congregations and ministries Merseburg, Plagwitz, Rückmarsdorf, Delitzsch (with lock Delitzsch), bathroom Lauchstaedt, Schkeuditz, Lützen, Bitterfeld, Zoerbig, the county Landsberg and the Margraviate of Lower Lusatia, including the cities and castles Lubben, Doberlug, sinister forest, Döbern, forestry and Guben.
The area of Saxe- Merseburg handed right up to the outskirts of Leipzig. Zollort was the present-day district of Lindenau.
Related offices
Sovereigns
After the death of the last male heir of the Saxon branch line Sachsen- Merseburg the duchy fell back to the Electorate of Saxony.
Secondary lines
To supply his three posthumous sons befitting them pointed Duke Christian I. in his lifetime each own small dominions as appanages to, but more remained dependent on the main line and its sovereign rights were severely restricted. They are named after the residences of their owners and died already with their death from again because none of them live offspring sired. Previously, it still managed Spremberg line to inherit the main line Merseburg.
- To 1715 August (* February 15, 1655 in Merseburg, † March 27, 1715 in Zoerbig ), Duke of Saxe- Merseburg - Zoerbig
- To 1690 Philipp ( born October 26, 1657 Merseburg, † July 1, 1690 in Fleurus ), Duke of Saxe- Merseburg - Lauchstaedt
- Until 1731, Heinrich ( born September 2, 1661 Merseburg, † July 28, 1738 in Doberlug ), Duke of Saxe- Merseburg -Spremberg ( inherits Saxony- Merseburg 1731)