William Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

Wilhelm Ernst ( born November 30, 1662 at Blankenhain / Holstein, † August 26, 1728 in Weimar) was Duke of Saxe- Weimar. He came from the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin.

Life

Wilhelm Ernst was born as the son of Duke Johann Ernst II and his wife Christina Elisabeth, née Princess of Schleswig -Holstein -Sonderburg. In 1683, after the death of his father, he became reigning duke, the regency divided but with his younger brother Johann Ernst III.

Since his brother was an alcoholic, succeeded Wilhelm Ernst relatively fast, cold see him politically, so that he himself de facto sole ruler was. Formally, the brother remained until his death in 1707 co-ruler, then gave his son Ernst Wilhelm Ernst August I this role - also without him really to participate in power. Wilhelm Ernst married in 1683 his cousin Charlotte Maria ( 1669-1703 ), daughter of Duke Bernhard of Saxe- Jena and his wife Marie de La Trémouille. However, since the marriage remained childless, his nephew Ernst August I became his successor.

In 1691, he founded the current Duchess Anna Amalia Library and a year later he bought the Kromsdorf lock and let it expand.

Wilhelm Ernst was characterized by a strict Lutheranism and a bigoted piety. His court was in winter at eight, enacted by nine clock bed rest in the summer, he commanded his soldiers into the service and was then retell them of the content of the sermon. Became famous Wilhelm Ernst but especially through his involvement with Johann Sebastian Bach. The composer worked since 1708 as court organist and concertmaster in Weimar. When the duke went on stream in the replacement of Hofkapellmeisterstelle, it requested him to resign from the state service. Annoyed by this obstinacy of the musician, Wilhelm Ernst Bach was four weeks throw in imprisonment before he directed him in favor of the country. This process led to Wilhelm Ernst was awarded a place as authoritarian philistine in all Bach biographies.

During the reign of Wilhelm Ernst the magnified ruled by him Duchy since 1690 the Ernestine branch line Saxe- Jena extinct. Saxe- Jena was then divided between Saxe-Weimar and Saxe- Eisenach and Wilhelm Ernst as inherited parts of the neighboring Duchy.