Alexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg
Alexius Friedrich Christian, Prince ( Duke from 1807 ) of Anhalt- Bernburg ( born June 12, 1767 in Ballenstedt, † March 24, 1834 ) was a German reigning sovereign of the race of Ascanians.
Life
Alexius was born the only son of Prince Friedrich Albrecht and his wife Louise Albertine of Holstein- Plön and received as his only sister Pauline an excellent education.
After the death of his father in 1796, he joined to the government. The territory of Anhalt- Bernburg enlarged in 1797 by one third of the extinct Zerbst line offices Coswig and Mühlingen in 1809 by confiscation of the German Order Coming Buro and 1812 after extinction of Anhalt- Bernburg - Hoymer line by the Office Hoym as well as some in Prussia lying enclaves.
Alexius was responsible for the improvement of the school system, built and enlarged many churches and schools. Special interest he showed for the expansion of the road network, especially in the areas newly acquired. Mining and metallurgy, he turned also to a lot of attention. He had run several major construction projects, such as the later destroyed Saalebrücke in Bernburg (Saale ), as well as 1826/27 today Bernburger Carl -Maria -von- Weber- theater. Next he founded in 1810 the Alexisbad in the Selke valley and later lying in Gernrode on Prussian territory Beringer bathroom.
Religiously he was tolerant and enlightened, reaching in his country in 1820, the Union of the two Protestant creeds. In 1826, his country joined the German Zollverein. In 1828 he began the separations and basic relief, and in 1829 he established a general officer, widows and orphans fund.
From François II, the German king and Holy Roman Emperor, he received the ducal title for himself and his descendants in 1806. After the end of the Holy Roman Empire, he entered, as his cousins in Dessau and Köthen, in 1807 the Confederation of the Rhine at. A contingent of his troops fought for Napoleon in Tyrol, Spain, Russia, Gdansk and at Kulm. On 1 December 1813, he resigned from the Confederation of the Rhine, and sent his troops to the allies in 1814 and 1815 to Belgium and France. On 8 June 1815 he joined the German Confederation.
After the death of Duke Leopold Friedrich Franz of Anhalt- Dessau in 1817, the senior of the house, he took over at the same time the guardianship of the minor Duke Ludwig August von Anhalt- Köthen and managed it until his death in 1818.
Marriages and descendants
On November 29, 1794 Alexius married the daughter of the Elector of Hesse -Kassel, Marie Friederike of Hesse- Kassel ( 1768-1839 ). With her he had four children, two of which already died shortly after birth:
- Katharine Wilhelmine (* / † 1796)
- Luise (1799-1882)
- Frederick Amadeus (* / † 1801)
- Alexander Carl (1805-1863), Duke of Anhalt- Bernburg
Because of the progressive mental illness of his wife, which she inherited also the two surviving children to Duke Alexius divorced on August 6, 1817. In the same year he married Dorothea Louise morganatic with Friederike von Sonnenberg (1781-1818), the name " of Hoym " wore since their marriage. After the early death in 1819 he joined again in a left-handed marriage with her sister Ernestine Charlotte von Sonnenberg ( 1789-1845 ), which was also called then wife of Hoym.