George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau

George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. ca. 1390 - d. Dessau, 21 September 1474), was a German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Dessau.

He was the second son of Sigismund I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau by his wife Judith, daughter of Gebhard XI, Count of Querfurt.

Life

In 1405, after the death of his father, George inherited the principality of Anhalt-Dessau alongisde with his older brother Waldemar IV and his younger brothers Sigismund II and Albert V. By 1435, he used the title of "Lord of Zerbst and Dessau" as the over-ruler of his principality and since 1460 he styled himself as "Lord of Köthen "

In 1468 he inherited the Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg and two years later (1471) signed a succesion contract with the branch of Anhalt-Köthen, who left him as co-ruler ("Mitherr") of the Prince Adolph I over a half of Köthen; but George renounced to his rights in favor of his eldest son Waldemar VI, who became in the new co-ruler of Anhalt-Köthen.

The deaths of his brothers between 1417-1469 without male heirs left him as the sole ruler of Dessau until his own death.

Marriages and Issue

After 1413, George married firstly with Matilda (d. Coswig, bef. 1432), daughter of Otto III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg. Both spouses are related as a direct descendants of Henry I, Count of Anhalt through his sons Bernhard I of Anhalt-Bernburg (ancestor of Matilda) and Siegfried I of Anhalt-Zerbst (ancestor of George). The marriage was childless.

In 1432 George married secondly with Euphemia (b. ca. 1404? - d. 27 November 1442), daughter of Conrad III, Duke of Öls (from the Piast dinasty) and widow of Albert II, Elector of Saxony. They had six daughters:
#Anna (d. 8 April 1492), married firstly on 22 June 1461 to Henrry II, Count of Plauen and Burgrave of Meissen (later were divorced) and secondly in 1467 to John I, Count of Honstein-Heldrungen .
#Margarete (d. bef. 1516).
#Hedwig (d. young).
#Marie, nun at Brehna.
#Hedwig (d. bef. 1516), nun at Brehna.
#Barbara, nun at Brehna.

After 1442, George married thirdly with Sophie (d. 1451), possibly a member of the House of Hohnstein. They had three children:
#Agnes (b. 1445 - d. Kaufungen, 15 August 1504), Abbess of Gandersheim (1485), of Neuenheerse (1486-1492) and of Kaufungen (1495).
#Waldemar VI, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (b. 1450 - Köthen, 1 November 1508).
#Scholastica (b. 1451 - d. Gernrode, 31 July 1504), Abbess of Gernrode (1469).

Before 25 July 1452 George married fourtly with Anna (b. ca. 1430 - d. Lippehne, 9 July 1513), daughter of Albert VIII, Count of Lindau-Ruppin. They had nine children:
#Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (d. Dessau, 12 June 1516).
# George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. 1454 - d. 25 April 1509).
#Sigismund III, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (d. 1456 - d. Dessau, 27 November 1487).
#Anna (d. 10 October 1531), married on 20 June 1498 to John V, Count of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst.
#Rudolph IV, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (d. 7 September 1510).
#Bernhard (d. young).
#John (d. young).
#Henry (d. young).
#Lorenz (d. young).