page_title: Duke of Lauenburg
hierarchical_section_title: Duke of Lauenburg
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Wappen des Herzogtums Sachsen-Lauenburg zwischen ca. 1507 bis 1671. English: The coat of arms of Duchy of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Lauenburg) as used between 1507 and 1671. It shows in the upper left quarter the Ascanian barry of ten, in or and sable, covered by a crancelin of rhombs (they are not shown in this undetailed copy) bendwise in vert.&#91;1&#93; The crancelin symbolises the Saxon ducal crown. The second quarter shows in azure an eagle crowned in or, representing the imperial Pfalzgraviate of Saxony. The third quarter displays in argent three water-lily leaves in gules, standing for the County of Brehna. The lower right fourth quarter repeats the first quarter. The Lauenburg branch duchy adopted this coat-of-arms, altering the one used before by replacing its fourth quarter by reduplicating the first. Before the fourth quarter showed in sable and argent the electoral swords (Kurschwerter) in gules, indicating the Saxon office as Imperial Arch-Marshal (German:Erzmarschall, Latin:Archimarescallus), pertaining to the Saxon privilege as prince-elector, besides the right to elect a new emperor after the decease of the former. The electoral privilege was lost to Saxe-Wittenberg in 1356, but always claimed by Saxe-Lauenburg and reinforced at Saxe-Wittenberg's extinction, however, in vain. But until 1507, when Duke Magnus I ascended the throne, the claim was also upheld by showing the electoral swords in the coat-of-arms. The different quarters of the coat of arms, from then on representing the Duchy of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Lauenburg), were later often misinterpreted as symbolising Angria (Brehna's water-lily leaves) and Westphalia (the comital palatine Saxon eagle).
context_page_description: The title of Duke of Lauenburg derives from the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, which, since its foundation in 1269, was ruled in succession by 29 dukes from six dynastic houses and lines, and by an additional four dukes from a temporary dynastic branch line.
  The duchy was held by various countries, including France from 1803 to 1805 and from 1810 to 1814, Prussia from 1805 to 1806, and Westphalia from 1806 to 1810. The kings of Denmark, members of the House of Oldenburg, held the Duchy of Lauenburg from 1814 to 1864, when the territory came under Prussian control as a result of the Second Schleswig War, though it was not immediately annexed to Prussia.
  In 1865, the estates of Saxe-Lauenburg offered rule of the duchy to King William I of Prussia. He accepted during the same year, ruling it in personal union until the estates decided upon the merger of their state with Prussia as of July 1, 1876.
  After the death in 1888 of the last ruling duke, Wilhelm I, the now purely honorific title of Duke of Lauenburg was granted to Otto von Bismarck after his dismissal as Chancellor of Germany in 1890.
context_section_description: The title of Duke of Lauenburg derives from the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, which, since its foundation in 1269, was ruled in succession by 29 dukes from six dynastic houses and lines, and by an additional four dukes from a temporary dynastic branch line (Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg, the first would-be duchess regnant, was kept from inheriting the duchy by male rulers of neighbouring states).
  The duchy was held by various countries, including France from 1803 to 1805 and from 1810 to 1814, Prussia from 1805 to 1806, and Westphalia from 1806 to 1810. The kings of Denmark, members of the House of Oldenburg, held the Duchy of Lauenburg from 1814 to 1864, when the territory came under Prussian control as a result of the Second Schleswig War, though it was not immediately annexed to Prussia.
  In 1865, the estates of Saxe-Lauenburg offered rule of the duchy to King William I of Prussia. He accepted during the same year, ruling it in personal union until the estates decided upon the merger of their state with Prussia as of July 1, 1876.
  After the death in 1888 of the last ruling duke, Wilhelm I (who after 1870 was also German emperor), the now purely honorific title of Duke of Lauenburg was granted to Otto von Bismarck after his dismissal as Chancellor of Germany in 1890.
caption: The coat of arms as used in 1605, quartered, with quarter 1 and 4 showing the Ascanian barry of ten, in or and sable, covered by a crancelin of rhombs (they are not shown in this undetailed copy) bendwise in vert (the crancelin symbolises the Saxon ducal crown),[1] quarter 2 in azure, showing an eagle crowned in or (Palgraviate of Saxony), and quarter 3 in argent, showing three water-lily leaves in gules, representing the County of Brehna.
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