Saxe-Altenburg

Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg (1602–1918)
Herzogtum Sachsen-Altenburg
Free State of Saxe-Altenburg (1918–1920)
Freistaat Sachsen-Altenburg
1602–1672
1826–1920
Flag of Saxe-Altenburg
Flag[1]
Coat of arms of Saxe-Altenburg
Coat of arms
Saxe-Altenburg within the German Empire   The Ernestine duchies after 1825, with Saxe-Altenburg in orange
Saxe-Altenburg within the German Empire
 

The Ernestine duchies after 1825, with Saxe-Altenburg in orange
StatusState of the Holy Roman Empire,
State of the German Confederation,
State of the North German Confederation,
State of the German Empire,
State of the Weimar Republic
CapitalAltenburg
Common languagesGerman
Religion
Roman Catholicism
GovernmentDuchy (1602–1918)
Republic (1918–1920)
Duke 
• 1603–1613
Johann Philipp (first)
• 1908–1918
Ernst II (last)
History 
• Saxe-Weimar partitioned
7 July 1602
1672–1825
• Ernestine duchies rearranged, duchy restored
12 November 1826
November 1918
• Merger of Thuringia
1920
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Saxe-Weimar
Thuringia
Today part ofGermany
* See Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
† As Free State of Saxe-Altenburg
‡ In 1920, the ex-Imperial states of Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and the two principalities of Reuß all merged to form the Free State of Thuringia.

Saxe-Altenburg (German: Sachsen-Altenburg) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia.[2] It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilometers and a population of 207,000 (1905) of whom about one fifth resided in the capital, Altenburg. The territory of the duchy consisted of two non-contiguous territories separated by land belonging to the Principality of Reuss-Gera. Its economy was based on agriculture, forestry, and small industry. The state had a constitutional monarchical form of government with a parliament composed of thirty members chosen by male taxpayers over 25 years of age.

  1. ^ Thüringisches Staatsarchiv Altenburg (Hrsg.): Rautenkranz und rote Rose: Die Hoheitszeichen des Herzogtums und des Freistaates Sachsen Altenburg. Sax-Verlag, Altenburg, 2010.
  2. ^ "The Ernestine Line's Saxon Duchies" (Web). Historical Atlas. Tacitus Historical Atlas. Retrieved 2007-05-19.