Saxe-gotha

Herzogtum Sachsen-Gotha Duchy of Saxe-Gotha State of the Holy Roman Empire ←   ← 1553 – 1572 1640 – 1680 ↓ Thuringia, showing the combined territory of Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Altenburg, before it was again divided (1672–80) Capital Gotha Government Principality Historical era Middle Ages  - Partitioned from     Saxe-Thuringia   1553  - Partitioned into S-Coburg     and S-Eisenach   1572  - Partitioned from S-Weimar 1640  - Partitioned in seven 1680 Preceded by Succeeded by Saxe-Thuringia Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Coburg Saxe-Eisenach Saxe-Eisenburg Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Saxe-Hildburghausen Saxe-Meiningen Saxe-Römhild Saxe-Saalfeld

Saxe-Gotha (German: Sachsen-Gotha) was a historical state in today\'s Thuringia, Germany. It was created in 1640 for Duke Ernest I and ended in 1680 when his lands were divided after his death in 1675. The area around Gotha passed to Ernest\'s eldest surviving son, Frederick of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, who also inherited Altenburg (which Ernest had inherited through his wife Elisabeth Sophie) and became Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Dukes of Saxe-Gotha

• Ernest I the Pious (1640–75, also Duke of Saxe-Altenburg from 1672)
• Divided into Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Römhild, Saxe-Eisenberg, Saxe-Hildburghausen and Saxe-Saalfeld in 1680

When the house of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg became extinct in 1825, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was split. Saxe-Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who in turn gave Saalfeld to Saxe-Meiningen. The Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen received Saxe-Altenburg, and gave the district of Hildburghausen to Saxe-Meiningen.

After the abolition of German monarchies at the end of the First World War it became a part of the newly created state of Thuringia in 1920.

References

• Saxe-Gotha, Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press (2001–05), accessed January 27 2007

See also

• Ernestine duchies

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