Adolph I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen

Adolph I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (d. Zerbst, 28 August 1473), was German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Köthen.

He was the eldest son of Albert IV, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen by his first wife Elisabeth, daughter of Gebhard III, Count of Mansfeld.

Life

After the death of his father in 1423, Adolph succeded him in Anhalt-Köthen jointly with his second brother Waldemar V; their younger half-brother Albert VI, still a minor, was bypassed. After the death of Waldemar in 1436, Adolph became in the sole ruler as "Lord of Köthen".

His three surviving sons were ordained priests and after them, the only remaining heirs of the line were Albert VI and his infant son Philip; sure about the extinction of his family in the next generation, Adolph made a succesion contract with his cousin George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau in 1471.

Under the terms of this contract, George I inherited the half of Köthen as a "Mitherr" and the other half were given to his long-excluded half-brother Albert. Shortly after, George renounced to his rights on his oldest son Waldemar VI, who became in the co-ruler of Adolph until his death, two years later.

Thity-five years later (1508), the only two surviving males of the family, Adolph and Magnus, formally renounced to his rights over the principality, and made with this the extinction of the Anhalt-Köthen line.

Marriage and Issue

In Ruppin on 2 November 1442 Adolph married with Cordula (d. 1 June 1508), daughter of Albert III, Count of Lindau-Ruppin. They had seven children:
#Anna (d. 1 August 1485), Abbess in Derenburg.
#Magdalena (d. aft. 1481), a nun at Quedlinburg (1481).
#Bernhard (d. young).
#Melchior (d. young).
#Magnus, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. 1455 - d. 29 October 1524).
#William (b. 1457 - d. Marburg, 29 August 1504), a Franciscan monk. He renounced to all his rights in life of his father.
#Adolph II, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. 16 October 1458 - d. Merseburg, 24 March 1526).