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39-837: The House of Wettin and its line of Saxon princes gained a large amount of land over the years mainly through inheritance, including the Landgraviate of Thuringia , the Margraviate of Meissen , the Duchy of Saxony , and the Electorate of Saxony . Frederick I was the Elector of Saxony and Margrave of Meissen and ruled over all of the lands except for the lands in Thuringia. Frederick I's cousin Frederick IV of Thuringia

78-459: A captain from the tower of Kaufungen located near modern day Limbach-Oberfrohna . Frederick's forces under the command of Kunz won a victory at Gera and occupied the small town, however William's forces and Bohemian allies caused a large amount of damage to locations within Kaufungen in return. Kunz himself had much of his property destroyed and was taken captive by Bohemians. Eventually he paid

117-657: A cultural area of Germany. The family divided into two ruling branches in 1485 by the Treaty of Leipzig : the Ernestine and Albertine branches. The older Ernestine branch played a key role during the Protestant Reformation . Many ruling monarchs outside Germany were later tied to its cadet branch , the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . The Albertine branch , while less prominent, ruled most of Saxony and played

156-458: A fortifications was built on a rocky spur above the confluence of the Wildbach stream and the river Mulde. Archaeological finds indicate that this site already existed in the 12th century. The name "Isenburg" goes back to the name Vas and indicates either iron mining, which took place in the vicinity ( see also : Bad Schlema Show Mine ), or it meant "iron" in the sense of "impregnable". Little

195-656: A part in Polish history . Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various times, ascended the thrones of the United Kingdom , Portugal , Bulgaria , Poland , Saxony , Mexico and Belgium . Only the Belgian line retains their throne today. The oldest member of the House of Wettin who is known for certain is Theodoric I of Wettin , also known as Dietrich , Thiedericus , and Thierry I of Liesgau (died c. 982). He

234-564: A peaceful division of the lands. After the war, Kunz von Kaufungen expected to be repaid by Frederick II for the massive losses of his property during the fighting. Frederick also had losses of his own and therefore followed the letter of his contract with Kunz and did not even repay the ransom Kunz paid to the Bohemians. Frederick stated that Kunz was just his hired soldier, and he was not bound to protect him or repay his losses. Frederick eventually agreed upon bringing in arbitrators to settle

273-596: A role in Polish history – two Wettins were Kings of Poland (between 1697–1763) and a third ruled the Duchy of Warsaw (1807–1814) as a satellite of Napoleon I . After the Napoleonic Wars , the Albertine branch lost about 40% of its lands (the economically less-developed northern parts of the old Electorate of Saxony) to Prussia, restricting it to a territory coextensive with the modern Saxony (see Final Act of

312-835: A sister of the childless former head of the Albertines, Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen (died 2012), who had adopted his nephew and granted him the name Prince of Saxony, contrary to the rules of male descent under the Salic Law . Both are however not recognized by the Nobility Archive in Marburg, nor by the Conference of the Formerly Ruling Houses in Germany – Prince Rüdiger because his father Timo

351-466: Is known about the history of spur castle and its violent destruction. There are no verified, documented references. Oral traditions - the first account dates to 1738 - called the Isenburg a "robber castle," the "Old Castle" ( Altes Schloss ) and the "Iron Castle" ( Eisenburg ), from which its present name is derived. But there are no medieval sources. The castle had been destroyed by the 14th century and

390-636: The Holy Roman Empire . The family split into two ruling branches in 1485 when the sons of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony divided the territories hitherto ruled jointly. The elder son Ernest , who had succeeded his father as Prince-elector , received the territories assigned to the Elector ( Electorate of Saxony ) and Thuringia , while his younger brother Albert obtained the March of Meissen , which he ruled from Dresden . As Albert ruled under

429-824: The Schmalkaldic War (1546/7), which pitted the Protestant Schmalkaldic League against the Emperor Charles V . Although itself Lutheran, the Albertine branch rallied to the Emperor's cause. Charles V had promised Moritz the rights to the electorship. After the Battle of Mühlberg , Johann Friedrich der Großmütige , had to cede territory (including Wittenberg) and the electorship to his cousin Moritz. Although imprisoned, Johann Friedrich

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468-527: The Treaty of Leipzig in 1485. The division of these lands and this war led to the Saxons losing a large amount of influence within the different German states and no longer being one of the most powerful German houses. House of Wettin The House of Wettin ( German : Haus Wettin ) was a dynasty which included Saxon kings , prince-electors , dukes , and counts , who once ruled territories in

507-699: The British and Portuguese thrones became possessions of persons who belonged to the House of Wettin for a time. From King George I to Queen Victoria , the British Royal family was called the House of Hanover , being a junior branch of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg and thus part of the dynasty of the Guelphs . In the late 19th century, Queen Victoria charged the College of Arms in England to determine

546-526: The British public (especially radical Republicans such as H. G. Wells ) to question the loyalty of the royal family. Advisors to King George V searched for an acceptable surname for the British royal family, but Wettin was rejected as "unsuitably comic". An Order in Council legally changed the name of the British royal family to "Windsor" (originally suggested by Lord Stamfordham ) in 1917. Branch of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Branch of Saxe-Meiningen In

585-659: The Congress of Vienna Act IV: Treaty between Prussia and Saxony 18 May 1815). Frederick Augustus III lost his throne in the German Revolution of 1918. The role of current head of the Albertine "House of Saxony" is claimed by his great-grandson Prince Rüdiger of Saxony , Duke of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen (born 23 December 1953). However, the headship of Prince Rüdiger is contested by his second cousin, Alexander (born 1954), son of Roberto Afif (later by change of name Mr Gessaphe) and Princess Maria Anna of Saxony,

624-605: The Margrave Frederick II of Brandenburg and the Landgrave Ludwig II of Hesse , actively participated as judges, however the two brothers failed to reach a peaceful resolution. War first broke out between Frederick II and William III in 1446 when they were unable to resolve their dispute. Frederick proved stronger, and William brought in forces from Bohemia , including Hussites . Frederick's forces were led by commanders such as Kunz von Kaufungen ,

663-616: The Wettins in the Slavic Saxon Eastern March (or Ostmark ) caused Emperor Henry IV to invest them with the March of Meissen as a fief in 1089. The family advanced over the course of the Middle Ages : in 1263, they inherited the landgraviate of Thuringia (although without Hesse ) and in 1423, they were invested with the Duchy of Saxony , centred at Wittenberg , thus becoming one of the prince-electors of

702-488: The area into a number of smaller states. One of the resulting Ernestine houses, known as Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld until 1826 and as Saxe-Coburg and Gotha after that, went on to contribute kings of Belgium (from 1831) and Bulgaria (1908–1946), as well as furnishing consorts to queens regnant of Portugal ( Prince Ferdinand ) and the United Kingdom ( Prince Albert ), and the Emperor of Mexico ( Carlota of Mexico ) Thus,

741-498: The case, but Kunz left the arbitration before hearing the verdict when he realized it would not reach his expectations. Kunz continued to complain and insult Frederick until Frederick banished him from the lands. Kunz left to Bohemia and lived in the castle of Isenburg . Kunz eventually kidnapped Frederick's two sons, Ernest and Albert , from the castle of Altenburg in what was called the Prinzenraub (English: "The stealing of

780-667: The castle ruins is by foot from Hartenstein railway station which takes about 30 minutes. Only about 200 metres from the station is Stein Castle . At this spot the route crosses the Zwickauer Mulde river to a point immediately below Schloss Wolfsbrunn . Here the route turns left and winds through the Poppenwald upstream and parallel to the Mulde. After a short, but steep, climb known as "Gentle Henry" ( Sanfter Heinrich ),

819-703: The coats of arms, see: Coat of arms of Saxony or in French: Armorial de la maison de Wettin Isenburg (Saxony) The Isenburg is a ruined castle in the Western Ore Mountains between Hartenstein and the village of Wildbach in the town of Aue-Bad Schlema . It sits high above the valley of the Zwickauer Mulde in Saxony . In the course of the settlement of the Ore Mountains ,

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858-564: The correct personal surname of her late husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha —and, thus, the proper surname of the royal family upon the accession of her son. After extensive research, they concluded that it was Wettin, but this name was never used, either by the Queen or by her son ( King Edward VII ) or by her grandson ( King George V ); they were simply Kings of the House of "Saxe-Coburg-Gotha". Severe anti-German sentiment during World War I (1914-1918) led some influential members of

897-461: The house gave rise to an important early-modern ruler who was ahead of his time in supporting the education of his people and in improving administration. In the 18th century, Karl August , Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, established what was to become known as Weimar Classicism at his court in Weimar, notably by bringing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe there. It was only in the 19th century that one of

936-812: The land between them in the Division of Altenburg . When Frederick II chose the western part and not the Margraviate of Meissen on September 26, 1445 in Leipzig , William rejected the division. On December 11 of the same year they attempted to reconcile in the monastery of Neuwerk in Halle (Saale) in what was known as the Hallescher Machtspruch (English: the Power Dictum of Halle). The Archbishop of Magdeburg Frederick III of Beichlingen ,

975-455: The many Ernestine branches, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , regained importance through marriages as the "stud of Europe", by ascending the thrones of Belgium (in 1831), Portugal (1853–1910), Bulgaria (1908–1946) and the United Kingdom (1901-present, though the relevant marriage had taken place in 1840) and also providing a consort to the future Habsburg Emperor of Mexico (1857). The junior Albertine branch maintained most of

1014-465: The path forks. Keeping right, the route passes the Wildbach Church on an easy forest path. Here there are signs to the ruins which are another 700 metres further on. The left-hand fork leads via a wild and romantic narrow path on top of the river bank of the Mulde to the same destination. This path is called the "Raubrittersteig" ("Robber Baron Climb") and is one of the most attractive walks in

1053-661: The present-day German federated states of Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia . The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe , and its origins can be traced back to the town of Wettin, Saxony-Anhalt . The Wettins gradually rose to power within the Holy Roman Empire . Members of the family became the rulers of several medieval states, starting with the Saxon Eastern March in 1030. Other states they gained were Meissen in 1089, Thuringia in 1263, and Saxony in 1423. These areas cover large parts of Central Germany as

1092-582: The princes"). Prince Albert was found that very night when Kunz was caught, while Prince Ernst was released four days later when Kunz's allies released him for a pardon. On July 14, 1455, Kunz von Kaufungen was beheaded by order of Frederick at Freiberg . The lands fought over during the war were ruled peacefully again, however this time separately instead of jointly. Eventually, Frederick II died, and his two sons Ernest and Albert inherited his lands jointly in 1464. When William III died in 1482, without any sons, they inherited his lands and split them between them by

1131-422: The remainder of the land he ruled together with William. This continued without serious incident for twelve years until, in 1440, Frederick IV of Thuringia died childless, and the two brothers inherited extensive land within Thuringia as well as the title of Landgrave of Thuringia . The division of this new land in Thuringia could not be agreed upon, and on 16 July 1445 the two remaining brothers tried to partition

1170-410: The sum of 4,000 golden gulden for his freedom, which was very extravagant for the time. No side could gain a clear advantage throughout the war and the fighting turned out to be an extended period of "ruinous confusion" for the region. The war lasted five years and ended on January 27, 1451 when a peace was reached at Naumburg . This peace could not reestablish a joint rule, but let the two sides accept

1209-463: The territorial integrity of Saxony, preserving it as a significant power in the region, and used small appanage fiefs for its cadet branches, few of which survived for significant lengths of time. The Ernestine Wettins, on the other hand, repeatedly subdivided their territory, creating an intricate patchwork of small duchies and counties in Thuringia. The Albertine Wettins ruled as Electors (1547–1806) and Kings of Saxony (1806–1918), and also played

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1248-547: The title of "Duke of Saxony", his possessions were also known as Ducal Saxony . The older Ernestine branch remained predominant until 1547 and played an important role in the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation . Frederick III ( Friedrich der Weise ) appointed Martin Luther (1512) and Philipp Melanchthon (1518) to the University of Wittenberg , which he had established in 1502. The Ernestine predominance ended in

1287-650: The very likely event of the extinction of these two senior branches, the sole represantation of the Ernestine Wettins will pass to the descendants of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , who are the present Saxe-Coburg-Gothas led by Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 21 March 1943), the House of Windsor , the Royal Family of Belgium and the Royal Family of Bulgaria . Francis and his nephew Ludwig Frederick Emil von Coburg are also ancestors to morganatic lines. For an extensive treatment of

1326-516: Was Landgrave of Thuringia and ruled over those lands. When Frederick I died in 1428, his four sons Frederick II , Sigismund, Heinrich, and William III inherited his lands jointly. Heinrich died in 1435, and in 1440 Sigismund became Bishop of Würzburg and renounced his claims to the land. Frederick, who was the eldest of the two remaining sons, now held the Electorate of Saxony and some land around Wittenberg in his own right, whilst throughout

1365-572: Was able to plan a new university. It was established by his three sons on 19 March 1548 as the Höhere Landesschule at Jena . On 15 August 1557, Emperor Ferdinand I awarded it the status of university. The Ernestine line was thereafter restricted to Thuringia and its dynastic unity swiftly crumbled, dividing into a number of smaller states, the Ernestine duchies . Nevertheless, with Ernst der Fromme , Duke of Saxe-Gotha (1601–1675),

1404-427: Was also a cistern . The site covers an area of 51 x 33 metres, the tower has a diameter at its base of about 9 metres and a wall thickness of 3 metres. The only easily accessible, western, side of the castle was also protected by a ditch. The inner and outer shell is made of horizontal layers of brick, whilst the core is lined with cut stone laid in a herringbone pattern ( opus spicatum ). The recommended way to visit

1443-501: Was expelled from the House of Wettin, and Prince Alexander because he is not of agnatic noble descent (his father was Roberto Afif from Lebanon). Consequently, the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin is officially treated by the German nobility as extinct in its legal succession-line. The senior (Ernestine) branch of the House of Wettin lost the electorship to the Albertine line in 1547, but retained its holdings in Thuringia, dividing

1482-807: Was most probably based in the Liesgau (located at the western edge of the Harz ). Around 1000, the family acquired Wettin Castle , which was originally built by the local Slavic tribes (see Sorbs ), after which they named themselves. Wettin Castle is located in Wettin in the Hassegau (or Hosgau) on the Saale River . Around 1030, the Wettin family received the Eastern March as a fief . The prominence of

1521-549: Was never rebuilt. Its ruins were probably used from the 15th to 17th centuries as shelters for the local population during times of conflict. Around 1750, the remains of the castle were demolished to build the stone church in Wildbach. In 1934 the remains of the ramparts were exposed by the Reich Labour Service . The foundations of the ramparts and the remains of the round bergfried were restored in 1993. An outer, lower and upper bailey can be made out and there

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