Amt Dornburg

Dornburg was geographically separate from the rest of Anhalt in 1606. (Amt Walternienberg later provided a bridge to Amt Zerbst.) It was under Anhalt sovereignty, but was not included in the division of the principality because it was owned and administered by Statius von Münchhausen, the Drost of Grohnde (hence, the simplified name of Anhalt-Grohnde). Von Münchhausen’s son relinquished administrative responsibility in 1667, and Dornburg became an Amt in Anhalt-Zerbst, consisting of a single village of the same name. Between 1685 and 1742, it was spun off as a subordinate principality. When the territory of Anhalt-Zerbst was partitioned in 1797, Dornburg was assigned to Anhalt-Köthen. It remained there until Anhalt-Köthen was absorbed into Anhalt-Dessau in 1853.