Amt Oranienbaum
and predecessor (pre-1819) Stadt, Ämter, and Gerichte
A significant number of villages south of Dessau were not owned by any of the Princes of Anhalt in 1606 when the principality was divided, but were placed under the sovereignty of Anhalt-Dessau. Rather than being placed in an Amt, the administration of those villages was the responsibility of the owners. Over time, all but Samtgericht Kleckewitz were acquired by the Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and organized into formal Ämter. I treat those entities as if the Amt had existed all along, but add the * to distinguish them from Ämter that truly did exist all along.
Stadt Oranienbaum was founded in 1673 on the site of the abandoned village of Nischwitz.
List of villages in Samtgericht Kleckewitz
- Kleckewitz 1606 - 1819
- Roßdorf 1606 - 1819
List of villages in Amt* Rehsen
- Gohrau 1606 - 1819
- Rehsen 1606 - 1819
List of villages in Amt* Retzau
- Kleinmöhlau 1606 - 1819
- Retzau 1606 - 1819
- Sollnitz 1606 - 1819
List of villages in Amt* Pötnitz
- Dellnau 1606 - 1819
- Kleutsch 1708 - 1819
- Pötnitz 1606 - 1819
- Scholitz 1606 - 1819
In 1819, all of the above villages (along with those in Amt Wörlitz) were combined with Stadt Oranienbaum to form Amt Oranienbaum. In 1837, the villages originally in Samtgericht Kleckewitz and Amt* Retzau were shifted to the new Amt Jeßnitz.
Chronological list of countries to which Stadt Oranienbaum and the above villages belonged
- Principality of Anhalt-Dessau 1606 - 1806
- Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau 1806 - 1863