Duke Of Saxegothaaltenburg Friedrich Iv

Notable

Family

German nobleman and the last duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He was the third but second surviving son of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Charlotte de Saxe-Meiningen. After the death of his older brother August without sons (1822), Friedrich (the only surviving male of the house) inherited the duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Friedrich fought - after military training - in the Napoleonic campaigns and was heavily wounded. As a consequence of these injuries, he was constantly ill until his death (in Gotha on 11 February 1825). Because of his illness, he travelled for a long time seeking a cure. During these stays outside of his duchy, he left the government in the hands of his secret advisor Bernhard August von Lindenau. He only reigned for three years and died unmarried; with him, the line of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg ended. After his death, his lands were repartitioned among his Wettin relations. Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld received Gotha, and changed his title to Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, although the two duchies remained technically separate in a personal union. Altenburg was thereafter ruled by the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, whose dukedom was transferred to Saxe-Meiningen along with Saxe-Saalfeld, which Saxe-Coburg gave up in return for receiving Saxe-Gotha. Link to Wikipedia biography