Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt

Frederick II (German: Leopold Friedrich II. Eduard Karl Alexander Herzog von Anhalt; 19 August 1856 – 21 April 1918) was the Duke of Anhalt from 1904 until 1918.

Frederick II
Duke of Anhalt
Reign24 January 1904 – 21 April 1918
PredecessorFrederick I
SuccessorEduard
Born(1856-08-19)19 August 1856
Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt
Died21 April 1918(1918-04-21) (aged 61)
Ballenstedt, Duchy of Anhalt
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1889)​
Names
  • Leopold Frederick Edward Carl Alexander
  • German: Leopold Friedrich Eduard Karl Alexander
HouseHouse of Ascania
FatherFrederick I, Duke of Anhalt
MotherPrincess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg

Early life

He was born in Dessau in 1856, he was the second son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Anhalt-Dessau and his wife Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg.[1]

His father succeeded as Duke of Anhalt on 22 May 1871 and Frederick became heir apparent and Hereditary Prince following the death of his elder brother Leopold on 2 February 1886.

Marriage

Frederick was married on 2 July 1889 at Karlsruhe to Princess Marie of Baden (26 July 1865 – 29 November 1939). She was a daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Baden and his wife Princess Maria of Leuchtenberg, as well as an elder sister of Prince Maximilian of Baden, 8th Chancellor of Germany. The marriage produced no issue.[2]

Reign

On 24 January 1904, Frederick succeeded his father as Duke of Anhalt.[3]

During his reign he was known for his love of music and maintained a Court Theatre which became celebrated throughout Europe.[4]

He was Grand Master of the Order of Albert the Bear and a Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle. In 1914, during World War I, he instituted the Friedrich Cross as a decoration for merit in time of war.

He died at Ballenstedt Castle on 22 April 1918. As his marriage to Marie of Baden was without issue, he was succeeded as duke by his younger brother Eduard.

Honours and arms
Royal monogram.
Coin of Frederick II of Anhalt, Struck 1914
Obverse: (German) FRIEDRICH II MARIE HERZOG UND HERZOGIN VON ANHALT, 1889-1914, in English: "Frederick II, Marie, Duke and Duchess of Anhalt, 1889-1914" Reverse: (German) DEUTSCHES REICH, 1914, DREI MARK, in English: "The German Reich, 1914, Three Marks."
German orders and decorations[5]
Foreign orders and decorations[5]

Ancestry

References
  1. Almanach de Gotha. 1858. p. 3.
  2. Almanach de Gotha. 1910. p. 2.
  3. "Duke of Anhalt is dead". New York Times. 1904-01-25. p. 7.
  4. "Music-Loving Duke dead". New York Times. 1918-04-23. p. 13.
  5. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt (1894) "Genealogie des Herzoglichen Hauses" pp. 3-4
  6. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt (1894) "Herzoglicher Haus-orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 15
  7. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1896), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 63, 77
  8. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern (1906), "Königliche Orden" p. 7
  9. "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen". Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Mecklenburg-Strelitz: 1878 (in German). Neustrelitz: Druck und Debit der Buchdruckerei von G. F. Spalding und Sohn. 1878. p. 11.
  10. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1896), "Königliche Orden" p. 28
  11. "Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1918, p. 56, retrieved 2 November 2019
  12. Jørgen Pedersen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 463. ISBN 978-87-7674-434-2.
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