SACHSEN - COBURG
See also EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF SACHSEN - COBURG
ROMAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY IN SACHSEN - COBURG 1871 - 1920
DUCHY OF SACHSEN - COBURG
See here for a general overview of thze Ernestine Saxon Duchies
A first Duchy of Sachsen-Coburg was founded in 1596. It existed until 1633 when it
was divided between Sachsen-Eisenach and Sachsen-Weimar. The Duchy was restored in
1680 but it once again disappeared as a separate entity in 1699. It then became a
contested territory until 1735 when it was united with Sachsen-Saalfeld.
Following the general reorganization of the Saxon Duchies in 1826, Sachsen-Coburg
once again became a separate Duchy (1), united in a personal union with the Duchy
of Sachsen-Gotha (forming Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha).
Sachsen-Coburg(-Saalfeld) was successively a member of :
- the German Confederation 1815 - 1848 and 1849 - 1866
- the German Empire 1848 - 1849
- the Confederation of Northern Germany 1867 - 1871
- the German Empire since 1871
(1) The new state covered :
- the Duchy of Coburg
- Königsberg - an exclave in Bavaria - and Sonnefeld, both acquired from
Sachsen-Hildburghausen
In the period 1819 - 1834 the Dukes of Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha also were
heads of state of the Principality of Lichtenberg.
This principality had been founded in 1819 out of territories on the west
bank of the Rhine ceded to Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld by Prussia in 1816.
It was restored to Prussia (Rheinprovinz) in return for an nnual pension
in 1834.
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HEADS OF STATE
Dukes
Herzöge
Full style (as at the end of the monarchy) :
... By the Grace of God Duke of Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha, of Jülich, Cleve and Berg,
of Engern and Westphalen, Landgrave in Thüringen, Margrave of Meissen, Princely
Count of Henneberg, Count of the Mark and Ravensberg, Lord of Ravenstein and Tonna,
etc
... von Gottes Gnaden Herzog zu Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, Jülich, Cleve und Berg,
Engern und Westphalen, Landgraf in Thüringen, Markgraf zu Meissen, Gefürsteter Graf
zu Henneberg, Graf zu der Mark und Ravensberg, Herr zu Ravenstein und Tonna, usw (2)
(2) Most of these titles were nominal as :
- Engern und Westphalen were part of the original style of the ancient Dukes
of Sachsen
- Jülich, Berg, Cleve, Mark, Ravensberg and Ravenstein were titles based on
a claim made on these territories ca 1609
- except for a frontier region in Sachsen-Gotha (Zella St. Blasii), Sachsen-
Coburg and Sachsen-Gotha had no longer an actual part in the administration
of the Henneberg territories since 1826 when they ceded their parts of the
Princely County (Römhild and Themar) to Sachsen-Meinngen.
House of Wettin - Ernestine Line - Branch of Gotha - Subbranch of Sachsen-Coburg und
Gotha (named Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld until 1826)
(ruled Sachsen-Coburg since 1735 and Sachsen-Gotha since 1826.
Members of the family later also ruled Belgium since 1831, Bulgaria 1887 - 1946,
Great Britain since 1901 and Portugal 1853 - 1910)
1844 - 1893 Ernst II (Ernst August Karl Johann
Leopold Alexander Eduard) 1818 - 1893
After his death members of the related British royal family became dukes
1893 - 1900 Alfred (Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke
of Edinburgh, Earl of Ulster and
of Kent), nephew of Ernst II and son
of Queen Victoria of Great Britain
(1819 - 1901, r. 1837 - 1901),
became Duke after his brother Edward,
Prince of Wales (1841 - 1910, King
1901 - 1910) renounced all rights
to Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha 1844 - 1900
1900 - 1918 Karl Eduard (Leopold Charles Edward
George Albert, Prince of Great Britain
and Ireland, Duke of Albany, Earl of
Clarence, Baron Arklow until 1919 when
he was deprived of all British titles
for having served in the German army),
nephew of Alfred, grandson of Queen
Victoria of Great Britain (s.a.),
deposed in both duchies at the
outbreak of the November Revolution. 1884 - 1954
Regent during the minority of the Duke
1900 - 1905 Lt. Ernst Wilhelm Friedrich
Karl Maximilian Erbprinz von
Hohenlohe-Langenburg 1863 - 1950
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CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
The common Ministry of State (Staatsministerium) of Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha - whose
members will be listed under Sachsen-Gotha as its seat was in Gotha - was divided
into two sections :
- Section A in charge of Sachsen-Coburg.
- Section B in charge of Sachsen-Gotha and of common affairs
Presidents of the Section A for Coburg of the Ministry of State
Vorstände der Abteilung A für Coburg des Staatsministeriums
1870 - 1886 Ernst Albert Wilhelm Leonhard
Hermann Rose (*1870 - 1873)
1886 - 1891 Robert Oscar Vredeber Freiherr
von Ketelhodt
1891 - 1902 Carl Hermann Edmund von Wittken
1902 - 1911 Ernst Franz August Schmidt
1911 - 1914 Hans Barthold von Bassewitz 1867 - 1949
1914 - 1918 Karl Hermann Quarck 1873 - 1932
FREE STATE OF COBURG
In November 1918 a Soldiers' and Workers' Council seized power and ended Ducal rule.
(1)
At the same time all links with Gotha were severed and in 1919 Coburg was formally
organized as a separate Free State (Freistaat) of the German Empire.
Unlike the other Thüringian states, Coburg did not join the new land of Thüringen,
but rather merged with the Free State of Bavaria in 1920.
(1) Karl Eduard (s.a.) - now deprived of his British titles - continued as head
of the House of Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha until his death in 1954.
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CHIEF OFFICIALS
Provisional Leading Official
(exact style not known)
1918 - 1919 Karl Hermann Quarck s.a.
State Goevernment
Staatsregierung
[Consisted of 3 State Councillors (Staatsräte)]
1919 -Karl Hermann Quarck (Chairman/
Vorsitzender), also head of the
Ministry s.a.
-Reinhold Artmann
-Franz Klingler
1919 - 1920 -Franz Klingler (Chairman/Vorsitzender) s.a.
-Reinhold Artmann s.a.
-Hans Waldemar Schack
Ministerial Director - Chairman of the Ministry of State
Ministerialdirektor - Vorsitzender des Staatsministeriums
1919 - 1920 Ernst Fritsch, after the union with Bavaria
also head of the Bavarian Liquidation Office
(Bayerische Abwicklungsstelle)
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