Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt

Leopold IV
Duke of Anhalt
Born	1 October 1794 Dessau, Anhalt
Died	22 May 1871 (aged 76) Dessau, Anhalt
Spouse	Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia
Issue among others...	Agnes, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt Maria Anna, Princess Frederick Charles of Prussia
Full name Leopold Frederick
House	Ascania
Father	Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Mother	Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg

Leopold IV Frederick, Duke of Anhalt (1 October 1794 – 22 May 1871) was a German prince of the House of Ascania.

From 1817 until 1853 he was ruler of the duchy of Anhalt-Dessau and from 1847 until 1853 also ruler of the duchy of Anhalt-Köthen. From 1853 until 1863 he was the ruler of the joined duchy of Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen and from 1863 the first ruler of the united duchy of Anhalt.

Early life

Leopold was born in Dessau on 1 October 1794 as the eldest son of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, by his wife Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, daughter of Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg.

Following the premature death of his father in 1814, he became heir to the duchy of Anhalt-Dessau.^[1]

Reign

Following the death of his grandfather Leopold III he succeeded as duke on 9 August 1817.^[1]

The Duke's Administrative Officer and close friend was Christian Raster, a German statesman.

During the revolutions of 1848 he was forced to grant a constitution to Dessau on 29 October 1848. It was revoked, however, on 4 November 1849, then replaced with a new version in October 1859.

On 27 November 1847 he inherited the Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen from his distant cousin Duke Henry. As a result of a treaty concluded with Anhalt-Bernburg in May 1853 his duchies were joined together and named Anhalt-Dessau-Köthen, because the eventual inheritance of Leopold over all the Anhalt duchies seemed inevitable.^[1] The death of another distant cousin, Duke Alexander Karl, on 19 August 1863 resulted in the ruling line of the duchy of Anhalt-Bernburg becoming extinct, thus Leopold inherited that duchy as well.^[1] On 30 August he assumed the title "duke of Anhalt."^[1]

Leopold died in Dessau on 22 May 1871. He was succeeded by his son Frederick.^[2]

Marriage and issue

Leopold's wife Princess Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia

In Berlin on 18 April 1818 Leopold married Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia (b. Berlin, 30 September 1796 - d. Dessau, 1 January 1850), daughter of Prince Frederick Louis Charles of Prussia (brother of King Frederick William III of Prussia) by his wife Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; through her mother's last marriage, she was a half-sister of King George V of Hanover.^[1] They had been engaged since 17 May 1816, as the connection had already been arranged by the Prussian court. This dynastic connection was an expression of Leopold's pro-Prussian policies.

They had six children:^[3][4]

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
Princess Fredericka Amalie Auguste	28 November 1819	11 December 1822
Princess Fredericka Amalie Agnes	24 June 1824	23 October 1897	married on 28 April 1853 to Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.
A son	3 August 1825	3 August 1825	he was either stillborn or died shortly after the birth.
A son	3 November 1827	3 November 1827	he was either stillborn or died shortly after the birth.
Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt	29 April 1831	24 January 1904	married on 22 April 1854 to Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg.
Princess Maria Anna	14 September 1837	12 May 1906	married on 29 November 1854 to Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt

16. Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau               8. Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau                       17. Anna Louise Föhse               4. Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau                             18. Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen               9. Gisela Agnes of Anhalt-Köthen                       19. Fredericka Henriette of Anhalt-Bernburg               2. Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau                                   20. Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt               10. Frederick Henry, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt                       21. Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau               5. Margravine Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt                             22. Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau =16               11. Leopoldine Marie of Anhalt-Dessau                       23. Anna Louise Föhse =17               1. Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt                                         24. Casimir William of Hesse-Homburg               12. Frederick IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg                       25. Christine Charlotte of Solms-Braunfels               6. Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg                             26. Frederick William, Prince of Solms-Braunfels               13. Ulrike Louise of Solms-Braunfels                       27. Sophie Magdalene of Solms-Laubach               3. Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg                                   28. Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt               14. Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt                       29. Countess Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg               7. Landgravine Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt                             30. Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken               15. Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken                       31. Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken

References

1. Almanach de Gotha. 1867. p. 3.
2. "Duke of Anhalt is dead". New York Times. 1904-01-25. p. 7.
3. Genealogical database by Herbert Stoyan
4. Marek, Miroslav. "Complete Genealogy of the House of Ascania". Genealogy.EU.