Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar


Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar was a Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Jena.

Biography

Johann was the second son of Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Dorothea Susanne of Simmern.
Johann Wilhelm died in 1573 when his son was only three years old. Since at the time Johann's older brother Frederick William I was also under age, the duchy of Saxe-Weimar was governed by a regency. In 1586 Frederick William reached adulthood and took full control of the duchy, including Weimar. However, he died in 1602 and the full duchy was inherited by Johann, because Frederick William's sons were underage.
Johann was more interested in natural sciences and art than politics, and therefore only against his will took over the regency of the duchy on behalf of his nephews. But when they demanded their own inheritance in 1603, he resisted their demands. Finally, Johann and his nephews made a treaty dividing the duchy: Altenburg was taken by the sons of Frederick William I, and Weimar-Jena was retained by Johann.
This line of Saxe-Altenburg became extinct in 1672, and all the inheritance passed to the line of Saxe-Weimar, Johann's descendants.

Family

In Altenburg on 7 January 1593, Johann married Dorothea Maria of Anhalt. They had twelve children in just twelve years:
  1. John Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar.
  2. Christian William died at birth.
  3. Frederick.
  4. John, died in childhood.
  5. William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar.
  6. Stillborn son, twin of William.
  7. Albert IV, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach.
  8. John Frederick.
  9. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha.
  10. Frederick William, died unmarried and without issue.
  11. Bernhard, Count of Franken.
  12. Johanna, died in childhood.