Principality (Duchy) of Anhalt-Dessau Fürstentum (Herzogtum) Anhalt-Dessau (German) | |||||||||
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| 1396–1561 1603–1863 | |||||||||
 19th century flag of the Anhalt duchies
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.svg) The Anhalt principalities, with Anhalt-Dessau in green | |||||||||
| Status |
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| Capital | Dessau | ||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||
| Prince | |||||||||
• 1396–1405 | Sigismund I (first) | ||||||||
• 1751–1807 | Leopold III (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Partitioned from Anhalt-Zerbst | 1396 | ||||||||
• Partitioned to create A-Köthen | 1471 | ||||||||
• Partitioned to create A-Plötzkau and A-Zerbst | 1544 | ||||||||
1561–1603 | |||||||||
• Raised to duchy | 1807 | ||||||||
• Merged with Anhalt-Köthen | 1853 | ||||||||
• Duchy of Anhalt reunited | 1863 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Germany | ||||||||
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and later a duchy of the German Confederation. Ruled by the House of Ascania, it was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and finally merged into the re-united Duchy of Anhalt in 1863. The capital of the state was Dessau in present-day Saxony-Anhalt.