Johann VI. (Anhalt-Zerbst)

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Johann von Anhalt-Zerbst, copper engraving by Christian Romstet

Johann VI. von Anhalt-Zerbst (* March 24, 1621 in Zerbst ; † July 4, 1667 ibid) from the house of the Askanians was a prince of Anhalt-Zerbst .

Life

Johann was the only son of Prince Rudolf von Anhalt-Zerbst (1576–1621) from his second marriage to Magdalene (1585–1657), daughter of Count Johann XVI. from Oldenburg . He followed his father as Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst nominally shortly after his birth and was under the tutelage of Prince August von Anhalt-Plötzkau . His upbringing was influenced not only by private tutors, but above all by his Lutheran mother, who also raised him in this faith, without the Anhalt relatives belonging to the Reformed Church being able to achieve anything. In 1626 Margarete had turned on the emperor in this matter.

The ruling turmoil of the Thirty Years' War meant that Johann was educated in Zerbst , Coswig and Wittenberg . From 1633 lessons took place at the court of his uncle Count Anton Günther von Oldenburg .

Immediately after taking over the government, Prince Johann redesigned his reformed principality in the Lutheran sense. The emperor had to intervene in order to force the reformed estates to pay homage. He was not only able to enforce his claim to power over the estates, but also noticeably enlarge his territory by taking various fiefs.

Prince Ludwig I of Anhalt-Köthen accepted Prince Johann in 1642 together with Hofrat Konrad Balthasar Pichtel and Hofjunker Joachim von Boeselager into the Fruitful Society . He gave Prince Johann the company name of the well-designed and the motto of graceful sharpness . Indian cress with its beautiful flower ( Tropaeolum majus L. ) was given to him as an emblem . In Köthener Society book, Prince John will record under the number 398. Here, there is also the rhyme law that had the prince written on the occasion of his admission.:

The Kress' from India has a beautiful blooming '
wolgestalt Jst I drumb the Wolgestaltet' hot:
Graceful their Schärff 'is out of it dan their güt'
Jngleichen is felt: A brave spirit to tear
And give rden sey: Also never anything promising
he wanted 'Hold it then, it will be very careful
and wolgestaltet has brought good results on it.

After the Counts of Barby died out , Johann acquired Mühlingen in 1659 , and later Walternienburg , Dornburg and Möckern .

Prince Johann von Anhalt-Zerbst died of smallpox in Zerbst at the age of 46 . Shortly before his death, after the death of his uncle Anton Günther von Oldenburg, he became heir of the Jever estate . His widow Landgrave Ludwig VI took over the guardianship of his underage firstborn . von Hessen-Darmstadt and Prince Johann Georg II. von Anhalt-Dessau . Johann was buried in the Bartholomaikirche in Zerbst.

Marriage and offspring

On September 16, 1649, Johann married Sophie Auguste (1630–1680), daughter of Duke Friedrich III, at Gottorf Castle . von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf , with whom he had the following children:

  • Johann Friedrich (1650-1651)
  • Georg (1651–1652)
  • Karl Wilhelm (1652–1718), Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
⚭ 1676 Princess Sophie of Saxony-Weissenfels (1654–1724)
⚭ 1705 Auguste Antonie Marschall von Biberstein (1659–1736), "Frau von Günthersfeld"
⚭ 1687 Christine Eleonore von Zeutsch (1666–1669)
  • Joachim Ernst (1657–1658)
  • Magdalene Sophie (1658-1659)
  • Friedrich (* / † 1660)
  • Hedwig Marie Eleonore (* / † 1662)
  • Sophie Auguste (1663–1694)
⚭ 1685 Duke Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar (1664–1707)
  • Albrecht (* / † 1665)
  • August (1666–1667)

literature

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Commons : Johann VI, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Rudolf Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
1621–1667 		Karl Wilhelm
personal data
SURNAME Johann VI.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johann VI. from Anhalt-Zerbst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
DATE OF BIRTH March 24, 1621
PLACE OF BIRTH Zerbst
DATE OF DEATH 4th July 1667
Place of death Zerbst