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Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Altenburg, 11 April 1598 - d. Weimar, 17 May 1662), was a duke of Saxe-Weimar.

He was the fifth but third surviving son of Johann, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Dorothea Maria of Anhalt.

Like his brothers Johann Ernst and Frederick, Wilhelm studied at the University of Jena. Later, he accompanied his brothers in their study tour. This began at the end of August 1613, and the brothers visited France, Great Britain and the Netherlands before returning home in 1614.

Some years later, on 24 August 1617, during his mother's funeral, the Fruitbearing Society was created and Wilhelm took part. In 1651 he became the second head of the Society.

In 1620 he became regent of all the estates of his older brother, after the latter was subject to the ban of the Empire for refusing to submit to the emperor. When he died in 1626, Wilhelm assumed the title of Duke of Saxe-Weimar.

At the age of 23 years Wilhelm was created member of the Order of the Stability together with his friends. In turn, by the years 1622-1623, he created a patriotic federation, the German Friedbund, for the keeping of the german states and religious liberties. This Friedbund was supported financially in extremely generosity by his maternal uncle, the Prince Ludwig I of Anhalt-Köthen.

In this time Wilhelm followed his brothers into the Bohemian War. He served under Peter Ernst II of Mansfeld and Georg Frederick, Margrave of Baden-Durlach. Later he was promoted under the service of Christian of Halberstadt.

During the division of the paternal states, in 1640, Wilhelm retained Weimar and Jena, and his younger brother Albrechts receive Eisenach. When Albrecht died childless in 1644, Wilhelm assumed control of the entire inheritance.

King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden was responsible for Wilhelm's fast rise through the ranks of the military. But after the death of the King, Count Axel Oxenstierna successfully prevented Wilhelm from taking an appropriate command as a lieutenant general. Therefore it is unsurprising that he acceded to the Peace of Prague in 1635.

When on 7 January 1650 Prince Ludwig I of Anhalt-Köthen died, the members of the Fruitbearing Society decided that Wilhelm should become his successor as head of the society. After the obligatory mourning year, on 8 May 1651 he became the new head for life. In contrast to his predecessor, however, he was essentially limited to representative tasks.

In Weimar on 23 May 1625, Wilhelm married Eleonore Dorothea of Anhalt-Dessau. They had nine children:

1. Wilhelm (b. Weimar, 26 March 1626 - d. Weimar, 1 November 1626).
2. Johann Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Weimar, 11 September 1627 - d. Weimar, 15 May 1683).
3. Johann Wilhelm (b. Weimar, 16 August 1630 - d. Weimar, 16 May 1639).
4. Adolf Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (b. Weimar, 14 May 1632 - d. Eisenach, 22 November 1668).
5. Johann Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Marksuhl, later of Saxe-Eisenach (b. Weimar, 12 July 1634 - d. on hunt accident, Eckhartshausen, 19 September 1686).
6. Wilhelmine Eleonore (b. Weimar, 7 June 1636 - d. Weimar, 1 April 1653).
7. Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Jena (b. Weimar, 14 October 1638 - d. Jena, 3 May 1678).
8. Frederick (b. Weimar, 19 March 1640 - d. Weimar, 19 August 1656).
9. Dorothea Marie (b. Weimar, 14 October 1641 - d. Moritzburg, 11 June 1675), married on 3 July 1656 to Moritz, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz.