John Philip, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

John Philip, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (b. Torgau, 25 January 1597 - d. Altenburg, 1 April 1639), was a duke of Saxe-Altenburg.

He was the eldest (but fourth in order of birth) surviving son of Frederick William I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Anna Marie of Bavaria-Neuburg, his second wife.

Childhood

When his father died (1602), John Philip and his younger brothers Frederick, John William and Frederick William are underage. For this, his uncle John (more interested in natural sciences and art than politics) took his guardianship and the regency of hih inheritance; but shortly after he took all the duchy of Saxe-Weimar on his own hands.

The next year (1603), the young princes of Saxe-Weimar demanded his own inheritance, but his uncle John opposed to this. But finally, both parts make a divisionary treaty of the family lands: John Philip and his brothers took Altenburg and some towns, and John retained Weimar and Jena.

Because they still underage, the regency of his duchy was taken by Christian II, Elector of Saxony (1603-1611) and later by his brother and next Elector, John George I (1611-1618).

Adulthood

In 1618, John Philip, as elder son, was declared adult and assumed the government of the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. Also, he took the guardianship of his younger siblings. The four brothers co-ruled the duchy, but two of then died soon and childless: Frederick, who was killed in action in 1625, and John William, died in Brieg on 1632.

John Philip and his only surviving brother, Frederick William II, continued as co-rulers; but, in fact, was JJohn Philip who really assumed the supreme and full control of the government until his death.

In 1613, John Philip was appointed Dean of the University of Leipzig. Also, he was an active member of the Fruitbearing Society.

In 1638, he received the towns of Coburg, Rodach, Römhild, Hildburghausen and Neustadt, according to the divisionary treaty between him and the branch of Saxe-Weimar after the death of the duke John Ernest of Saxe-Eisenach without surviving issue.

Before his death, he made a will, when he declared his daughter the general heiress of the branch of Saxe-Altenburg, only in case of extinction of the male issue of the family. This will later originated a dispute between the branches of Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Weimar.

John Philip was succeeded by his younger and only surviving brother, Frederick William II.

Ancestry

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1= 1. John Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
2= 2. Frederick William I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
3= 3. Anna Marie of Bavaria-Neuburg
4= 4. John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
5= 5. Dorothea Susanne of Simmern
6= 6. Philipp Ludwig of Pfalz-Neuburg
7= 7. Anna of Cleves
8= 8. John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
9= 9. Sybille of Cleves
10= 10. Frederick III, Elector Palatine
11= 11. Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
12= 12. Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
13= 13. Anna of Hesse
14= 14. Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
15= 15. Maria of Habsburg, Archduchess of Austria
16= 16. John, Elector of Saxony
17= 17. Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
18= 18. John III, Duke of Cleves
19= 19. Maria of Jülich-Berg
20= 20. John II of Pfalz-Simmern
21= 21. Beatrice of Baden
22= 22. Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
23= 23. Susanna of Bavaria
24= 24. Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
25= 25. Elisabeth of Hesse
26= 26. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
27= 27. Christine of Saxony
28= 28. John III, Duke of Cleves (= 18)
29= 29. Maria of Jülich-Berg (= 19)
30= 30. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
31= 31. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary

Marriage and Issue

In Altenburg on 25 October 1618 John Philip married Elisabeth of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel (dowager sister-in-law of his former regents, the Electors of Saxony Christian II and Johann Georg I). They had only one daughter:
# Elisabeth Sophie (b. Halle, 10 October 1619 - d. Gotha, 20 December 1680), married on 24 October 1636 to Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha.