Duchy of Saxe-Gotha

Saxe-Gotha () was a state in today's Thuringia, Germany.

It was created in 1640 for Duke Ernest I and ended in 1680 when his lands were divided after his death in 1675. The area around Gotha passed to Ernest's eldest surviving son, Frederick of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, who also inherited Altenburg (which Ernest had inherited through his wife Elisabeth Sophie) and became Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

 Dukes of Saxe-Gotha 
 Ernest I the Pious (1640 – 75, also Duke of Saxe-Altenburg from 1672)
 Divided into Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Römhild, Saxe-Eisenberg, Saxe-Hildburghausen and Saxe-Saalfeld in 1680

When the house of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg became extinct in 1825, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was split. Saxe-Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who in turn gave Saalfeld to Saxe-Meiningen. The Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and gave Saxe-Hildburghausen to Saxe-Meiningen.

After the abolition of German monarchies at the end of the First World War it became a part of the newly created state of Thuringia in 1920.

 References 
 Saxe-Gotha , Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press (2001 – 05), accessed January 27 2007

Category:1572 disestablishments
Category:1640 establishments
Category:House of Wettin
Category:States of the Holy Roman Empire
Category:Thuringia
Category:1640s establishments in Europe