Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 19:39, 16 August 2008
Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (b. 1215 - d. 12 June 1266), was a German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Aschersleben.
He was the eldest son of Henry I, Cout of Anhalt -who was raised to the rank of Prince in 1218- by his wife Irmgard, daughter of Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia.
Life
Henry was co-ruler with is father since 1244 and after his death in 1252 the Anhalt state was divided between him and his brothers. He took over the old family areas of Aschersleben, Hecklingen, Ermsleben and Wörbzig.
Through his mother, Henry was related with the Landgraves of Thuringia; in 1247 he intervened in the Thuringian War of Succesion and spoke out in support of an alliance with Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (also his brother-in-law), who in return promise him give some Thuringian lands. He was defeated and captured in battle near Besenstedt (1263), but was released shortly after. Nevertless, he reanuded his war against Thuringia; in 1265 was arrested again and forced to renounce completely his land claims.
In 1257 Henry chose King Alphonse X of Castile as German King and led feuds against the monasteries and archbishops of Magdeburg and bishops of Halberstadt, also against the brothers and cousins. In 1266 he raised Aschersleben to the rank of City.
Marriage and Issue
In 1245 Henry married with Matilda (d. Gernrode?, 25 October / 1 December? 1297), daughter of Otto the Child, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and, through her mother and namesake Matilda, a great-grandaughter of Otto I of Brandenburg, older brother of Bernhard of Anhalt, grandfather of Henry; in consecuence, she was his second cousin once removed. They had two sons:
- Otto I, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (d. 25 June 1304).
- Henry III, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (d. 9 November 1307).
On Henry's death his sons were still minors, for this, his widow Matilda took the regency of the Principality until 1275 were they reached adulthood. Shortly after, she took the veil and became Abbess of Gernrode for almost twenty years, until 1296.