Saxe-Altenburg

Saxe-Altenburg (German Sachsen-Altenburg) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty. Altenburg was its own state, with a vote in the diet, for much of the 17th century until the extinction of its ruling line in 1675, when it was inherited by the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, who married the heiress. It remained part of Saxe-Gotha until the extinction of that house in 1825, when Gotha and Altenburg were split up, with Gotha going to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Altenburg to the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, who in exchange gave up Hildburghausen to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. This line ruled in the duchy until the end of the monarchies in 1918. Saxe-Altenburg was incorporated into the new state of Thuringia in 1920.

Related Topics:
Ernestine - Wettin - Saxe-Gotha - 1825 - Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld - Saxe-Hildburghausen - Saxe-Meiningen - 1918 - Thuringia - 1920

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Saxe-Altenburg had an area of 1,323 km² and a population of 207,000 (1905). Its capital was Altenburg.

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