Saxe-Eisenach

**Saxe-Eisenach** () was the name of three different Ernestine duchies that existed at different times in Thuringia. The chief town and capital of all three duchies was Eisenach.

## History

The first Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach was created in 1596 for Johann Ernst, younger son of Johann Frederick II of Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach.

In 1633, the Wettin line died out, and Johann Ernst inherited it, but he died heirless in 1638, and the territories of Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Eisenach were split between Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Altenburg.

In 1640 Saxe-Eisenach was again separated off from Saxe-Weimar for Albert, son of John II of Saxe-Weimar, but after just four years he too died without an heir, and Saxe-Eisenach was then divided between Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Weimar, ruled by his brothers Ernst and Wilhelm.

In 1662 Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar died, leaving four children: Johann Ernst, Adolf Wilhelm, Johann Georg and Bernhard. Adolf Wilhelm, got Eisenach, but he had to share this with his younger brother Johann Georg. Johann Georg eventually took an allowance from the duchy instead of taking part in the government, and moved to live in the small town of Marksuhl. Adolf William’s first four sons died soon after birth. In 1668 he died, just before of the birth of his fifth child, Wilhelm August, who became the new Duke of Saxe-Eisenach from his birth, with Johann Georg as regent. A sickly boy, he died in 1671 at only two years old, and Johann Georg I became the duke of Saxe-Eisenach.

Saxe-Eisenach changed again in 1672. Frederick William III of Saxe-Altenburg died and his lands were split. The line of Johann Georg I ruled Saxe-Eisenach for 69 years, until Duke Wilhelm Heinrich died heirless in 1741. Ernst August I of Saxe-Weimar, Wilhelm's second cousin, inherited Saxe-Eisenach; he and his successors ruled Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach in a personal union until 1809, when the duchies were formally merged into the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

### First creation

Created in 1572 as Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach

1596 divided into Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Eisenach
- Johann Casimir (1572 – 1633, ruled Saxe-Coburg)
- Johann Ernst (1572 – 1638, retained Saxe-Eisenach)
Divided between Saxe-Altenburg and Saxe-Weimar

### Second creation

- Albrecht (1640 – 44)
Divided between Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Weimar

### Third creation

- Adolf Wilhelm (1662 – 68)
- Wilhelm August (1668 – 71)
- Johann Georg I (1671 – 86)
- Johann Georg II (1686 – 98)
- Johann Wilhelm (1698 – 1729)
- Wilhelm Heinrich (1729 – 41)
Line extinct

### Personal union with Saxe-Weimar

- Ernst August I (1741-1748)
- Ernst August II (1748-1758)
- Karl August (1758-1809)
Merged with Saxe Weimar into Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

## Related pages

- Ernestine duchies

## Other websites

- German genealogies

## Infobox (former country)

- **native name**: _Herzogtum Sachsen-Eisenach_
- **conventional long name**: Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach
- **common name**: Saxe-Eisenach
- **era**: Middle Ages
- **status**: Vassal
- **status text**: States of the Holy Roman Empire, State of the Holy Roman Empire
States of the Confederation of the Rhine, State of the Confederation of the Rhine
- **empire**: Holy Roman Empire
- **government type**: Principality
- **year start**: 1596
- **year end**: 1809
- **life span**: 1596 – 1638
1640 – 1644
1672 – 1809
- **event pre**: Division of Erfurt
- **date pre**: 1572
- **event start**: Partitioned from
    Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach
- **date start**:  
1596
- **event1**: Partitioned into Saxe-Altenburg, Altenburg
    and Saxe-Weimar, Weimar
- **date event1**:  
1638
- **event2**: Partitioned from Saxe-Weimar, Weimar
- **date event2**: 1640
- **event3**: Partitioned into Saxe-Gotha, Gotha and
    Saxe-Weimar, Weimar
- **date event3**:  
1644
- **event4**: Partitioned from Saxe-Weimar, Weimar
- **date event4**: 1662
- **event end**: Personal union, United with Saxe-Weimar, Weimar
- **date end**: 1741
- **event post**: Merged to form
    Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- **date post**:  
1809
- **p1**: Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach
- **image p1**:
- **p2**: Saxe-Gotha
- **image p2**:
- **p3**: Saxe-Weimar
- **image p3**:
- **s1**: Saxe-Altenburg
- **image s1**:
- **s2**: Saxe-Gotha
- **image s2**:
- **s3**: Saxe-Weimar
- **image s3**:
- **s4**: Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- **image s4**:
- **image map**: SajoniaEisenach.jpg
- **image map caption**: Saxe-Eisenach, shown amongst the other 18th-century Ernestine duchies
- **capital**: Eisenach, Germany, Eisenach