List of rulers of Saxony

This article lists Dukes, Electors, and Kings ruling over territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918.

Dukes of Saxony

The original Duchy of Saxony was the lands of the Saxon people in the north-western part of present-day Germany, namely, the modern German state of Lower Saxony as well as Westphalia and Western Saxony-Anhalt, not the modern German state of Saxony.

Early dukes
 Hadugato (ruled about 531)
 Berthoald (ruled about 627)
 Theoderic (ruled about 743-744)
 Widukind (ruled about 777-810)
 Abo (ruled about 785-811)

Hattonid dynasty
 Banzleib (830s)

Ottonian Dynasty

Billung Dynasty

Supplinburg Dynasty

Welf Dynasty

Ascanian Dynasty

Welf Dynasty 

When the Welfs left in 1180, the Duchy of Saxony lost a lot of territory. Westphalia fell to the Archbishop of Cologne, while the Duchies of Brunswick and Lüneburg remained with the Welfs. The Ascanian Dukes had their base further east, near the Elbe, so the name Saxony moved towards the east. The post carve-up Saxony is therefore sometimes called the younger Duchy of Saxony. Also the counting of its dukes its mixed up. While the first post carve-up duke is sometimes called Bernard III - because of two predecessors of the same name before 1180 - or Bernard I with his great-great-great-great grandson Bernard II being counted second. The second post carve-up duke Albert I is already usually counted as the first, although before 1180 he had one predecessor of the same name, his grandfather Albert the Bear.

Ascanian or younger Duchy of Saxony
The new dukes changed the Saxon horse emblem () and used their Ascanian family colours and emblem (black and gold stripes) () and added a "bendwise crancelin", a crown diagonally across the coat of arms, symbolising the Saxon ducal crown, as new coat-of-arms of Saxony (). The later rulers of the House of Wettin adopted the Ascanian coat-of-arms.

Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg

Since the Duke of Saxony was considered one of the prince-electors electing a new Holy Roman Emperor, there was an argument between the lines of Lauenburg and Wittenberg about who should cast Saxony's vote. In 1314 both lines found themselves on different sides in a double election. Eventually, the Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg succeeded in 1356 after the promulgation of the Golden Bull. To distinguish him from other rulers bearing the title Duke of Saxony, he was commonly called Elector of Saxony.
 Eric I 1296–1303 joint rule, then ruling until 1360 in Saxe-Bergedorf, partitioned from Saxe-Lauenburg (see section Dukes of Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg below in this article)
 John II 1296–1303 joint rule, then ruling until 1321 in Saxe-Ratzeburg, partitioned from Saxe-Lauenburg (see section Dukes of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln below in this article)
 Albert III 1296–1303 joint rule, then ruling until 1308 in Saxe-Ratzeburg, partitioned from Saxe-Lauenburg, dying without issue Eric I inherited his share

In 1303 the brothers split their inheritance between them, however, only two brothers had heirs creating the Bergedorf-Mölln and the Ratzeburg-Lauenburg lines.

Dukes of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln
First named Saxe-Mölln, however, renamed after reorganising territory, including parts of Albert III's share in 1321.
 John II, 1285–1321, rivalled as Saxon Prince-Elector by his cousin Rudolph I of Saxe-Wittenberg
 Albrecht (Albert) IV, 1321–1343.
 John III, 1343–1356.
 Albrecht (Albert) V, 1356–1370.
 Eric III, 1370–1401.

In 1401, the elder branch became extinct and Lauenburg rejoined the Ratzeburg-Lauenburg line.

Dukes of Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg
First named Saxe-Bergedorf-Lauenburg, however, renamed after reorganising territory, including parts of Albert III's share in 1321.
 Eric I, 1305–1361 (joint rule until 1308).
 Eric II, 1361–1368.
 Eric IV, 1368–1412.

In 1401, the younger branch inherited Lauenburg and other possessions of the extinct elder Bergedorf-Mölln line.

Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg (1401-1876)

The Ascanian Dynasty continued in Saxe-Lauenburg until 1689, but after the Lauenburg line had finally lost the Saxon Electorate to the Wittenberg line in 1356 and failed to obtain the succession in the Electorate after 1422, recognition of the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg as Dukes of Saxony waned.

Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg

For the predecessor see the section Ascanian or younger Duchy of Saxony above in this article.

Wettin Dukes of Saxony

Albertine Dukes of Saxony
The Albertines were a junior branch of the Wettin dynasty of Electors of Saxony (section below), who ruled in Northern Thuringia and Southern Meissen until they replaced the senior "Ernestine" branch as Electors and rulers of most Saxon territory in 1547.

Ernestine Dukes of Saxony

Following their displacement by the Albertines, the Ernestine branch of the Wettins continued to rule in southern Thuringia as "Dukes of Saxony", but their lands eventually split up into many different tiny "Ernestine duchies".  Of these, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, and Saxe-Altenburg lasted until 1918.  This article does not list the subsequent Ernestine dukes.

Electors of Saxony

The Golden Bull of 1356 confirmed the right to participate in the election of a Holy Roman Emperor to the Duke of Saxony in the Saxe-Wittenberg line. For the predecessor see the section Ascanian Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg above in this article.

Kings of Saxony  

The Holy Roman Empire came to an end in 1806. The Elector of Saxony, allied to Napoleon I, anticipated its dissolution by becoming the ruler of an independent Kingdom of Saxony in 1806.

Heads of the Albertine Branch of the House of Wettin (since 1918) 

Saxony became a republic at the end of the German Empire in 1918. For later rulers, see List of Ministers-President of Saxony.
 Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, 1918-1932.
 Frederick Christian, Margrave of Meissen, 1932-1968.
 Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen, since 1968.

References

Other websites
  House Laws of the Kingdom of Saxony

History of Germany
Holy Roman Empire
Electors and Electresses
Lists of heads of state