Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym

Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym (b. Bernburg, 28 June 1669 - d. Bad Ems, 17 May 1727), was a German prince member of the House of Ascania in the branch of Anhalt-Bernburg and the first ruler of the Principality of Anhalt(-Bernburg)-Zeitz-Hoym (later renamed as Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym).

He was the second son of Victor Amadeus, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg by his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken.

Life

Excluded of the government for the Primogenitur, Lebrecht adquired in 1707 the towns of Belleben and Hoym (his castle was only purchased by him in 1720) and when his father died in 1718, inherited the town of Zeitz.

Marriages and Issue

By a contract made on 1 September 1690 between his father, Prince Victor Amadeus and Elisabeth Charlotte Melander, Countess of Holzappel, Lebrecht was betrothed with Charlotte (b. Schaumburg, 28 September 1673 - d. Bernburg, 31 January 1700), the youngest of the three surviving daughters of the Countess with her husband, Adolph of Nassau-Dillenburg. Under the terms of that contract, Charlotte was declared the only and general heiress of the County of Holzappel (who included the county of Schaumburg with the towns of Esterau and Charlottenberg) . The marriage was performed in Schaumburg on 12 April 1692. They had five children:

1. Victor I Amadeus Adolph, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (b. Schaumburg, 7 September 1693 - d. Schaumburg, 15 April 1772).
2. Frederick William (b. Schaumburg, 12 April 1695 - killed in action, 24 July 1712).
3. Elisabeth Charlotte (b. Bernburg, 4 December 1696 - d. Schaumburg, 14 June 1754).
4. Christian (b. Bernburg, 27 November 1698 - killed in action, Palermo, 29 April 1720).
5. Victoria Hedwig (b. Bernburg, 30 January 1700 - d. Schaumburg, 10 February 1701).

Widower, Lebrecht was serving in the Netherlands when he fell in love with Baroness Eberhardine Jacobine Wilhelmine of Weede (b. Grave, 9 August 1685 - d. Grave, 13 February 1724), daughter of Baron Johann Georg von Weede, Governor of Grave (created a Baron by the Emperor in 1675; a Protestant himself, but married to a Catholic who raised their daughter in that religion). The couple were married in Grave on 27 June 1702. They had six children:

1. Victoria Sophie (b. Zeitz, 10 January 1704 - d. Zeitz, 18 May 1704).
2. Charlotte Wilhelmine (b. Schaumburg, 24 November 1704 - d. Barchfeld, 11 November 1766), married on 31 October 1724 to William, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld.
3. John George (b. 30 October 1705 - d. Zeitz, 18 May 1707).
4. Joseph Karl (b. Zeitz, 26 December 1706 - d. Zeitz, 18 February 1737).
5. Sophie Christine Eberhardine (b. Zeitz, 6 February 1710 - d. Neustadt an der Orla, 26 October 1784), married on 10 November 1728 to Christian, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
6. Victor Lebrecht (b. 7 November 1711 - d. Zeitz, 5 December 1737).

By contract of 23 February 1703, he explained that after the death of his wife he had wished not to remarry so as not to diminish the House of Anhalt through further partitions; but he had found a way to reconcile his conscience with this intention by marrying a person who only looked for companionship in marriage and had no desire for the Princely rank and its advantages. Remarriages with persons of unequal rank after a first equal marriage leaving posterity were not unusual in Germany, and under these conditions he had obtained the consent of his father to this union.

The contract, signed by a notary and two witnesses, specified that the Baroness of Weede would not usurp the rank of Princess of seek to be raised to that rank but should remain as a baroness under the name of "Baroness of Bähringen", and never use the name, title or arms of Anhalt for herself. A sum of 45,000 Thalers was set for her upkeep and that of her children, which would be used to purchase a suitable estate. Should she die without heirs, or at the extinction of her issue, the sum or the estate purchased with it would return to her husband and his heirs.

This contract notwithstanding, Lebrecht sought and obtained from the Emperor her elevation under the name of Countess of with the style of "Hoch- und Wohlgebohren" and new arms (1 August 1705). Lebrecht's father fought in vain to have this elevation reversed.

After the death of Lebrecht, the two surviving sons from his marriage with the Countess of Weede obtained the Bailiwick of Zeiz, but both died unmarried and childless .

In 14 September 1725 Lebrecht married thirdly and again morganatically with Sophie of Ingersleben (d. Hoym, 31 March 1726), a lady at his court and daughter of Just Adam of Ingersleben, of well-known Anhalt nobility. Despite all the efforts of her husband, the Reichshofrat denied Sophie the right to the styles "Princely" and "Durchlaucht". Lebrecht survive her only fourteen months .