Augustus Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen

Augustus Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. Köthen, 9 June 1697 - d. Köthen, 6 August 1755), was a German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Köthen.

He was the third but second surviving son of Emmanuel Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen by his morganatic wife Gisela Agnes of Rath, created Imperial Countess of Nienburg in 1694.

Life

After the death of his father in 1704, Augustus Louis was deprived of his rights to a joint rulership over Köthen because the late Prince installed the "Primogenitur" in his lands two years before.

When his older brother Leopold was declared adult in 1715, he tried to claim his rights, but finally Leopold forced him to renounced. In exchange, Augustus Louis received the exclave of Güsten -with his old "Schloss" build in 1547 by Prince George III- and the town of Warmsdorf with all his incomes (who by the years 1715-1716 ascended to 9,893 and before to 13,094 Thalers), as well to other concessions.

After the death of Leopold and his only son in 1728, Augustus Louis could inherited Anhalt-Köthen; but soon confronted serious problems: the disputes for money with his sister-in-law, the Dowager Princess Charlotte Fredericka (who reclamed the payment of her widow dowry) and his niece Gisela Agnes (who also reclamed his rights over the inheritance of his father).

In 1730 Charlotte Fredericka remarried with Albert Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, but until her death (in 1785) she received from Anhalt-Köthen the sum of 200,000 Thalers. In the case of Gisela Agnes, the incomes for her inheritance ascended to 335,000 Thalers. The payments left Anhalt-Köthen in deep debts. Augustus Louis, tried to solved these problems, but without success.

Marriages and Issue

About 1720, Augustus Louis fell in love with Agnes Wilhelmine of Wuthenau (b. Plötzkau, 4 December 1700 - d. Köthen, 14 January 1725), of old noblity in Anhalt and Lady-in-waiting of his mother, the Dowager Princess Gisela Agnes. Decided to marry her, on 18 November 1721 she was created Countess of Warmsdorf (German: "Gräfin von Warmsdorf") by the Emperor. The couple finally married in Dresden on 23 January 1722; these morganatic union only produced two daughters, who were recognized as princesses of Anhalt with all appertaining rights:
#Gisela Henriette (b. Warmsdorf, 16 December 1722 - d. Warmsdorf, 16 December 1728).
#Agnes Leopoldine (b. Köthen, 31 May 1724 - d. Köthen, 28 July 1766).

In Sorau on 14 January 1726 Augustus Louis married secondly with Christine Johanna Emilie (b. Sorau, 15 September 1708 - d. Köthen, 20 February 1732), daughter of Erdmann II, Count of Promnitz-Pless. They had five children:
#Christiane Anna Agnes (b. Köthen, 5 December 1726 - d. Wernigerode, 2 October 1790), married on 12 July 1742 to Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode.
#Frederick Augustus (b. Köthen, 1 November 1727 - d. Schloss Warmsdorf, 26 January 1729).
#Johanna Wilhelmine (b. Warmsdorf, 4 November 1728 - d. Carolath, 17 January 1786), married on 17 December 1749 to Frederick, Prince of Carolath-Beuthen.
#Karl George Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. Köthen, 15 August 1730 - d. Semlin, 17 October 1789).
#Frederick Erdmann, Prince of Anhalt(-Köthen)-Pless (b. Köthen, 27 October 1731 - d. Pless, 12 December 1797).

In Sorau on 21 November 1732 Augustus Louis married thirdly with Anna Fredericka (b. Sorau, 30 May 1711 - d. Köthen, 31 March 1750), daughter of Erdmann II, Count of Promnitz-Pless and younger sister of his second wife. They had two daughters:
#Charlotte Sophie (b. Köthen, 25 August 1733 - d. Köthen, 6 September 1770).
#Marie Magdalene Benedikte (b. Köthen, 22 March 1735 - d. Massenheim, 7 November 1783).

References

* [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/g_morganat.htm#Anhalt Unequal and Morganatic Marriages in German Law]
* [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/ascania/ascan9.html Complete Genealogy of the House of Ascania]
* [http://www8.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/cgi-bin/stoyan/l1/LANG=span/INDEX=I216560 Chronological dates of rulers of Anhalt]
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