John George II | |
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Prince of Anhalt-Dessau | |
John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
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Prince of Anhalt-Dessau | |
Reign | 1660–1693 |
Predecessor | John Casimir |
Successor | Leopold I |
Born |
Dessau |
17 November 1627
Died | 7 August 1693 Berlin |
(aged 65)
Spouse | Henriette Catherine of Nassau |
Issue | Amalie Ludovika Henriette Amalie Frederick Casimir, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Elisabeth Albertine, Countess of Barby Henriette Amalie, Princess of Nassau-Dietz Louise Sophie Marie Eleonore, Duchess of Olyka Henriette Agnes Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau Johanna Charlotte, Margravine of Brandenburg-Schwedt |
House | House of Ascania |
Father | John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau |
Mother | Agnes of Hesse-Kassel |
John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (17 November 1627 – 7 August 1693) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau from 1660 to 1693.
A member of the Fruitbearing Society, he also served as a Field marshal of Brandenburg-Prussia.
John George was born on 17 November 1627 at Dessau, the second (but eldest and only surviving) son of John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.
In Groningen on 9 September 1659 John George married Henriette Katharina (b. The Hague, 10 February 1637 – d. Schloss Oranienbaum, 3 November 1708), daughter of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. The marriage was happy and was even said by some to be a love match. They had ten children.
After the death of his father on 15 July 1660, John George took over the government of Anhalt-Dessau. He also inherited his family's claim on Aschersleben, which had been controlled by Brandenburg-Prussia since 1648.
John George made his military career in the service of the Prussian army; the Elector Frederick William named him a Generalfeldmarschall in 1670. After France invaded Frederick William's Duchy of Cleves, John George negotiated a treaty in Vienna in June 1672 between Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Frederick William, by which each pledged to provide 12,000 troops to uphold the borders of the Peace of Westphalia in the face of French aggression. John George was chosen to lead the largely unsuccessful campaign, which led Georg von Derfflinger to temporarily resign in protest.