European Heraldry

House of Ascania

• Otto, called Otto the Rich (d. 1123),Count of Ballenstedt, the first Ascanian prince to call himself Count of Anhalt.

• Albert the Bear (c.1100–1170), the first Margrave of Brandenburg (as Albert I) from 1157 to his death and was briefly Duke of Saxony between 1138 and 1142.

Sons of Albert the Bear:

• Otto I (c. 1128- 1184), Margrave of Brandenburg, from 1170.

Line extinct 1320.

• Bernhard, (c. 1140-), Count of Anhalt and Ballenstedt and Lord of Bernburg. Duke of Saxony as Bernhard III from 1180.

Sons of Bernhard, (c. 1140-), Count of Anhalt:

• Henry I, (1170-1252), Count of Anhalt. Prince of Anhalt from 1218.

Ancestor of all the Princes of Anhalt.

• Albert I (1175- 1260), Duke of Saxony, Angria, and Westphalia; Lord of Nordalbingia; Count of Anhalt; and Prince-elector and Archmarshal of the Holy Roman Empire.

Ancestor of the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg Line extinct 1689.

Sons of Henry Prince of Anhalt:

• Henry II, (1215-1266), Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben

Line extinct 1315.

• Bernhard I, (1218-1287),Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg

Line extinct 1468.

• Siegfried I, (1230-1298), Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst

Princes of Anhalt-Aschersleben 1252–1315
To Anhalt-Bernburg
Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg 1252–1468
To Anhalt-Zerbst


Princes of Anhalt-Zerbst 1252-1396
Princes of Anhalt-Dessau 1396-1561
Partitioned fromAnhalt-Zerbst to Anhalt-Zerbst
Princes of Anhalt-Köthen 1396–1561
Partitioned fromAnhalt-Zerbst to Anhalt-Zerbst

• Joachim Ernest, ( 1536-1586), Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and Prince of Anhalt from 1570, sole ruler of the Anhalt lands.

Sons of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt:

• John George I, ( 1567-1618), Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
• Christian I, (1568-1630), Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
• Augustus, ( 1575-1653), Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau
• Rudolph, (1576-1621), Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
• Louis I, ( 1579 -1650), Prince of Anhalt-Köthen

Descendants of John George I, ( 1567-1618), Prince of Anhalt-Dessau:

Princes of Anhalt-Dessau
1603-1807
Dukes of Anhalt-Dessau
1807-1863
Dukes of Anhalt
1863–1918

• Leopold IV Frederick, ( 1794-1871),Duke of Anhalt-Dessau from 1814 and from 1863 the first ruler of the united Duchy of Anhalt. Co-founder of the Order of Albert the Bear in 1836.

Descendants of Christian I, (1568-1630), Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg:

Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg
1603–1807
Dukes of Anhalt-Bernburg
1803–1863
To Anhalt-Dessau

• Alexander Karl, (1805-1863), Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg. Co-founder of the Order of Albert the Bear in 1836.

Cadets of Anhalt-Bernburg
Princes of Anhalt-Harzgerode
1630-1709
Princes of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym
1718-1727
Princes of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
1727-1812

Descendants of Augustus, ( 1575-1653), Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau :

Princes of Anhalt-Plötzkau
1603-1665
To Anhalt-Bernburg

Descendants of Rudolph, (1576-1621), Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst:

Princes of Anhalt-Zerbst
1603-1796

Cadets of Anhalt-Zerbst
Princes of Anhalt-Mühlingen
1667-1714 to Anhalt-Zerbst
Princes of Anhalt-Dornburg
1667–1742 united with Anhalt-Zerbst
Divided between Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Bernburg and Anhalt-Köthen

• Christian August, ( 1690-1747), Prince of Anhalt-Dornburg from 1704 and Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst from 1742. Knight of the Black Eagle. Father of Sophie Auguste Fredericka ( 1729- 1796), became Catherine II the Great, Empress of Russia.

Descendants of Louis I, ( 1579 -1650), Prince of Anhalt-Köthen:

Princes of Anhalt-Köthen
1603–1806
Princes of Anhalt-Pless
1774-1847
Dukes of Anhalt-Köthen
1806-1847
To Anhalt-Dessau

• Henry, (-1847), Prince of Anhalt-Pless and last Duke of Anhalt-Köthen. Knight of the Black Eagle. Co-founder of the Order of Albert the Bear in 1836.

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.