Ascanian Germany

Russian Germany

The House of Ascania first emerged early in the 11th century in Ballenstedt and ruled over Anhalt until 1918. At various times, it ruled Brandenburg and Saxony, but between 1467 and 1667, the only territories it ruled were Anhalt (between Saxony and Brandenburg) and Lauenburg (south of Holstein, except for the autonomous exclave of Hadeln on the north Sea coast).

 

Anhalt underwent numerous partitions beginning in 1252, but only those occurring in 1606 or later are accounted for in the database. The princes of the partitioned countries were considered co-sovereign over Anhalt. For a few decades after the 1606 partition, certain Ämter (called “Senioratsämter”) that were governed by the senior prince of the partitioned countries for the benefit of all of them are treated here as if they had constituted a country. Partitioned countries that survived into the 19th century were eventually raised from principalities to duchies.

 

Each of the partitioned countries generated one or more nonsovereign spinoff countries that lasted anywhere between 10 and 105 years. In one case, administration of a village (Großbadegast) was outsourced by one partitioned country (Köthen) to a neighboring partitioned country (Dessau).

 

After 1667, the Ascanians lost Lauenburg (to Welfian Germany) and Hadeln (to Imperial Germany), but gained sovereignty over two small countries that were far removed from Anhalt, namely Jever (previously Oldenburgian) and Holzappel-Schaumburg (previously Nassuvian). Jever eventually passed to the Czarina of Russia (Catherine the Great, who was herself Ascanian), placing it in Russian Germany—the only country to land there.

 

In the following list of countries in Ascanian and Russian Germany, countries and dates outside the chronological scope of the database are shown in italics.

 

Ascanian Germany

 

Early countries lost before 1500
  • County of Weimar-Orlamünde (1112-1467)
  • Margraviate of Brandenburg (1157-1320)
  • Principality of Lüneburg (1371-1388)

 

Countries in Saxony (with partitions and outsourcings)

Duchy of Saxony (1180-1296)

 

Countries in Anhalt (with partitions and spin-offs)

 

Small, remote countries (with personal unions)

 

Russian Germany

 

  • Lordship of Jever (1793-1807)
  • The last two Dukes of Gottorp (in Schleswig-Holstein) served as Russian czars, but the first served only six months—too short a time to recognize—and the second served after the demise of Gottorp itself.