Henry, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen

Henry, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen (b. Schloss Pless, 30 July 1778 - d. Köthen, 23 November 1847), was German prince member of the House of Ascania, ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Pless and the last ruler of the Duchy of Anhalt-Köthen.

He was the fourth but third surviving son of Frederick Erdmann, Prince of Anhalt-Pless by his wife Louise Ferdinande, daughter of Henry Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode.

Life

In 1796 he joined to the Prussian army. During the campaign of 1806, he obtain the rank of Major. Before his departure to the active service, Henry was elevated to the rank of "Generalmajor".

After his older brother Frederick Ferdinand inherited Anhalt-Köthen in 1818, Henry asumed the government over Pless. When the Duke died in 1830, he succeeded him in Köthen and left Pless to his younger brother Louis, who died in 1841 without heirs. Since them, Henry reasumed the rulership over Pless until his death.

In Trebschen on 18 May 1819 Henry married with Auguste Fredericka Espérance (b. Brunswick, 3 August 1794 - d. Köthen, 13 July 1855), daughter of Henry XLIV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz, "jüngere Linie". The union was childless.

Since his youth, Henry was a strong supporter of the Homeopathy. In 1821 he took under his protection his creator, Samuel Hahnemann, who remained with his large family in Köthen for the next fourteen years as Henry's personal physician.

In 1830 Henry was made a knight of the Order of the Black Eagle. Since 1841 he reasumed his service into the Prussian army, and by the time of his death he was General of Infantry.

With him the line of Anhalt-Köthen became extinct. On his death, the Duchy was inherited by his kinsmans Alexander Karl of Anhalt-Bernburg and Leopold IV of Anhalt-Dessau; but Alexander renounced to his rights over Köthen in behalf of Leopold IV, because his eventual inheritance over all the Anhalt lands was inevitable.

The principality of Pless, because was ruled by a Semi-Salic Law, passed to his nephew Hans Henry X, Count of Hochberg-Fürstenstein, son of his sister Anna Emilie, who was the only of his siblings who had children.