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Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg (b. Bernburg, 11 May 1568 – d. Bernburg,17 April 1630) was a German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the unificated Principality of Anhalt and, since 1603, ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg.

He was the second son of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Wolfgang I, Count of Barby-Mühlingen

Life

Since 1570 Christian was trained in Dessau by Caspar Gottschalk in Latin, Italian and French. Already as a child he might participate in diplomatic missions (among other places to Constantinople). High-gifted and widely-travelled, he developed himself into an ambitious, urbane diplomat.

In the early months of 1586 he went to Dresden and remained there several years as the closest friend of his namesake, the Elector Christian I, whose calvinist sympathies he shared, although he suffered from the alcohol excesses during his stay in the Electoral court.

Taking possession of his family lands in December of that year after the death of his father, Christian remained as a devoted Calvinist and later became in an advisor of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine. In 1591 he led the Palatine army to the aid of the French king, Henry IV. When the quarrel for the possession of the Diocese of Strasbourg began in 1592, he supported Brandenburg against Lorraine. In 1595 was appointed Governor of the Upper Palatinate by Frederick IV and settled his residence in Amberg.

In 1603 was made the formal division of the Principality of Anhalt between Christian and his surviving brothers. He received Bernburg, and with this revived the old Principality of the same name extinct in 1468.

As a diplomat, in 1608 Christian played an important role in the formation of the Protestant Union. With the death of the Elector Frederick IV, Christian served his son, Frederick V, and was appointed to command the Protestant forces to defend Bohemia against Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II and his allies when that country's nobles elected Frederick as their king in 1619; that year, Christian was accepted in the Fruitbearing Society. When his forces were defeated at the 1620 Battle of White Mountain Christian advised Frederick against making another stand in Prague. In response to his affiliation with the Palatines, Christian was subjected to the imperial ban in 1621, which effectively made him an outlaw within the Holy Roman Empire and stripped him of his lands.

Christian fled first to Sweden, and then became a guest of King Christian IV in Denmark. He appealed to Emperor Ferdinand's mercy in 1624 and was allowed to return to his principality, where he died six years later.

Marriage and Issue

In Lorbach on 2 July 1595 Christian married with Anna (b. 4 January 1579 - d. 9 December 1624), daughter of Arnold III, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt-Tecklenburg-Limburg. They had sixteen children:

Frederick Christian (b. and d. Amberg, 2 May 1596).
Amalie Juliane (b. Amberg, 10 September 1597 - d. Neinburg, Hannover, 11 August 1605).
Christian II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg (b. Amberg, 11 August 1599 - d. Bernburg, 22 September 1656).
Eleonore Marie (b. Amberg, 7 August 1600 - d. Strelitz, 17 July 1657), married on 7 May 1626 to John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.
A daughter (b. and d. Amberg, April? 1601).
Sibylle Elisabeth (b. Amberg, 10 February 1602 - d. Strelitz, 15 August 1648).
Anna Magdalene (b. Amberg, 8 March 1603 - d. 30 October 1611).
Anna Sophie (b. Amberg, 10 June 1604 - d. Bernburg, 1 September 1640).
Louise Amalie (b. Amberg, 14 January 1606 - d. Bernburg, 17 October 1635).
Amöena Juliane (b. Amberg, 13 November 1609 - d. Bernburg, 31 July 1628).
Agnes Magdalene (b. Amberg, 8 October 1612 - d. Wildungen, 17 July 1629).
Sophie Margarete (b. Amberg, 16 September 1615 - d. Dessau, 27 December 1673), married on 14 July 1651 to John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.
Dorothea Matilde (b. Amberg, 11 August 1617 - d. Bernburg, 7 May 1656).
Frederick Louis (b. Amberg, 17 August 1619 - d. Harzgerode, 29 January 1621).

References

Pursell, Brennan C. The Winter King. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003.
Yates, Frances. The Rosicrucian Enlightenment. London; New York: Routledge, 1972. ISBN 0-415-26769-2

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 [[Image:Christian I Anhalt Bernburg.jpg|thumb|Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, in an engraving of 1615]]
-'''Christian I. of Anhalt''' ([[May 11]] [[1568]] – [[April 17]] [[1630]]) was the Prince of [[Anhalt-Bernburg]] (1603–1630) and advisor to the Electors Palatine [[Frederick IV, Elector Palatine|Frederick IV]] as well as [[Frederick V, Elector Palatine|Frederick V]].
+'''Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg''' (b. Bernburg, [[11 May]] [[1568]] – d. Bernburg,[[17 April]] [[1630]]) was a German prince member of the [[House of Ascania]] and ruler of the unificated Principality of [[Anhalt]] and, since [[1603]], ruler of the Principality of [[Anhalt-Bernburg]].
+He was the second son of [[Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt]] by his first wife Agnes, daughter of [[Wolfgang I, Count of Barby-Mühlingen]]
-Taking possession of his family lands in 1586, Christian was a devoted [[Calvinism|Calvinist]] and advisor to Frederick IV, the Elector Palatinate.  In 1591 he led the Palatine army to the aid of the French king, [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]]. As a diplomat, in 1608 Christian played an important role in the formation of the [[Protestant Union]].  With the death of the Elector, Christian served his son, Frederick V, and was appointed to command the Protestant forces to defend [[Bohemia]] against [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Ferdinand II of Germany|Ferdinand II]] and his allies when that country's nobles elected Frederick as their king in 1619.  When his forces were defeated at the 1620 [[Battle of White Mountain]] Christian advised Frederick against making another stand in [[Prague]].  In response to his affiliation with the Palatines, Christian was subjected to the [[imperial ban]] in 1621, which effectively made him an outlaw within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and stripped him of his lands.
+==Life==
-Christian fled first to [[Sweden]], and then became a guest of King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]] in [[Denmark]].  He appealed to Emperor Ferdinand's mercy in 1624 and was allowed to return to his patrimonial estates.  He was succeeded by his son [[Christian II]].
+Since [[1570]] Christian was trained in [[Dessau]] by Caspar Gottschalk in Latin, Italian and French. Already as a child he might participate in diplomatic missions (among other places to [[Constantinople]]). High-gifted and widely-travelled, he developed himself into an ambitious, urbane diplomat.
+In the early months of [[1586]] he went to [[Dresden]] and remained there several years as the closest friend of his namesake, the [[Elector Christian I]], whose calvinist sympathies he shared, although he suffered from the alcohol excesses during his stay in the Electoral court.
+Taking possession of his family lands in December of that year after the death of his father, Christian remained as a devoted [[Calvinism|Calvinist]] and later became in an advisor of [[Frederick IV, Elector Palatine]]. In [[1591]] he led the Palatine army to the aid of the French king, [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]]. When the quarrel for the possession of the Diocese of [[Strasbourg]] began in [[1592]], he supported [[Brandenburg]] against [[Lorraine]]. In [[1595]] was appointed Governor of the [[Upper Palatinate]] by Frederick IV and settled his residence in [[Amberg]].
+In [[1603]] was made the formal division of the Principality of Anhalt between Christian and his surviving brothers. He received [[Bernburg]], and with this revived the old Principality of the same name extinct in [[1468]].
+As a diplomat, in [[1608]] Christian played an important role in the formation of the [[Protestant Union]]. With the death of the Elector Frederick IV, Christian served his son, [[Frederick V, Elector Palatine|Frederick V]], and was appointed to command the Protestant forces to defend [[Bohemia]] against [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Ferdinand II of Germany|Ferdinand II]] and his allies when that country's nobles elected Frederick as their king in [[1619]]; that year, Christian was accepted in the [[Fruitbearing Society]]. When his forces were defeated at the [[1620]] [[Battle of White Mountain]] Christian advised Frederick against making another stand in [[Prague]]. In response to his affiliation with the Palatines, Christian was subjected to the [[imperial ban]] in [[1621]], which effectively made him an outlaw within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and stripped him of his lands.
+Christian fled first to [[Sweden]], and then became a guest of King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]] in [[Denmark]]. He appealed to Emperor Ferdinand's mercy in [[1624]] and was allowed to return to his principality, where he died six years later.
+==Marriage and Issue==
+In [[Lorbach]] on [[2 July]] [[1595]] Christian married with Anna (b. [[4 January]] [[1579]] - d. [[9 December]] [[1624]]), daughter of [[Arnold III, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt-Tecklenburg-Limburg]]. They had sixteen children:
+#Frederick Christian (b. and d. Amberg, [[2 May]] 1596).
+#Amalie Juliane (b. Amberg, [[10 September]] 1597 - d. Neinburg, Hannover, 11 August 1605).
+#[[Christian II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg]] (b. Amberg, [[11 August]] [[1599]] - d. Bernburg, [[22 September]] [[1656]]).
+#Eleonore Marie (b. Amberg, [[7 August]] [[1600]] - d. Strelitz, [[17 July]] [[1657]]), married on [[7 May]] [[1626]] to [[John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow]].
+#A daughter (b. and d. Amberg, [[April]]? [[1601]]).
+#Sibylle Elisabeth (b. Amberg, [[10 February]] [[1602]] - d. Strelitz, [[15 August]] [[1648]]).
+#Anna Magdalene (b. Amberg, [[8 March]] [[1603]] - d. [[30 October]] [[1611]]).
+#Anna Sophie (b. Amberg, [[10 June]] [[1604]] - d. Bernburg, [[1 September]] [[1640]]).
+#Louise Amalie (b. Amberg, [[14 January]] [[1606]] - d. Bernburg, [[17 October]] [[1635]]).
+#Amöena Juliane (b. Amberg, [[13 November]] [[1609]] - d. Bernburg, [[31 July]] [[1628]]).
+#Agnes Magdalene (b. Amberg, [[8 October]] [[1612]] - d. Wildungen, [[17 July]] [[1629]]).
+#Sophie Margarete (b. Amberg, [[16 September]] [[1615]] - d. Dessau, [[27 December]] [[1673]]), married on [[14 July]] [[1651]] to [[John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau]].
+#Dorothea Matilde (b. Amberg, [[11 August]] [[1617]] - d. Bernburg, [[7 May]] [[1656]]).
+#Frederick Louis (b. Amberg, [[17 August]] [[1619]] - d. Harzgerode, [[29 January]] 1621).
 == References ==