Emmanuel, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen

Emmanuel, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. Plötzkau, 6 October 1631 - d. Köthen, 8 November 1670), was a German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Plötzkau and since 1665, ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Köthen.

He was the third and youngest son of Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau by his wife Sibylle, daughter of John George I, Count of Solms-Laubach.

Life

In 1653 Emmanuel inherited Plötzkau after the death of his father, jointly with his older brothers Ernest Gottlieb and Lebrecht. Also, their father let him the regency over Anhalt-Köthen on behalf of the infant Prince William Louis. Emmanuel and Lebrecht held the regency and Ernest Gottlieb remained as sole ruler of Plötzkau for only seven months until his own death, who let both Emmanuel and Lebrecht as co-rulers. Their regency over Köthen lasted until 1659, when William Louis was proclamed adult and began his government over his states.

Nevertless, the death without heirs of William Louis in 1665 change the current distribution of the Anhalt principalities: Emmanuel and Lebrecht received Köthen and his former principality of Plötzkau returned to Anhalt-Bernburg, from where was originally extracted in order to created a new principality.

The death of Lebrecht without heirs in 1669 left Emmanuel as a sole ruler of Anhalt-Köthen until his death, almost exactly one year later.

Marriage and Issue

In Ilsenburg on 23 March 1670 Emmanuel married with Anna Eleonore (b. Ilsenburg, 26 March 1651 - d. Köthen, 27 January 1690), daughter of Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode and niece of Sophie Ursula, the widow of his brother Lebrecht.

On Emmanuel's death, his wife was three months pregnant. She was declared regent over Köthen until the birth of the child; if she had a boy, he could succeeded his father, but, in case was a girl, the other principalities were able to divided the lands.

On 20 May 1671, six months after the death of her husband, the Dowager Princess Anna Eleonore gave birth a son, called Emmanuel Lebrecht, who inmediately became in the new ruler of Anhalt-Köthen under the regency of his mother.