Victor Amadeus, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg

Victor Amadeus
Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Reign	22 September 1656–14 February 1718
Predecessor	Christian II
Successor	Karl Frederick
Born	(1634-10-06)6 October 1634 Harzgerode, Anhalt-Bernburg
Died	14 February 1718(1718-02-14) (aged 83) Bernburg, Anhalt-Bernburg
Spouse	Elizabeth of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Issue	Karl Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym Princess Sophie Juliane Prince John George Prince Christian
House	Ascania
Father	Christian II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Mother	Eleonore Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg

Victor Amadeus of Anhalt-Bernburg (6 October 1634 in Harzgerode – 14 February 1718 in Bernburg), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg.

He was the sixth (but second surviving) son of Christian II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, by his wife Eleonore Sophie, daughter of John the Younger, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.

Life

The death of his older brother, the Hereditary Prince Erdmann Gideon (4 April 1649), made Victor Amadeus the new heir of his father, whom he succeeded seven years later, in 1656. Four years after that, the death of his younger and only surviving brother Karl Ursinus left him as the only living agnate of the main line of Anhalt-Bernburg; the next heirs, until the birth of his children, were his uncle Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode, and his only son William Louis. In 1665, upon the death without heirs of William Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, the territories and title of the latter were taken over by his cousins Emmanuel and Lebrecht, the co-rulers of Anhalt-Plötzkau, whose territories were returned to Anhalt-Bernburg (from which they had originally been extracted) under Victor Amadeus. In 1709, he inherited the territories of the principality of Anhalt-Harzgerode upon the death of William Louis, who had been its ruler.

Marriage and issue

His wife Elizabeth of Palatinate-Zweibrücken

In Meisenheim am Glan on 16 October 1667 Victor Amadeus married Elisabeth (b. Meisenheim, 22 March 1642 - d. Bernburg, 18 April 1677), daughter of Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. They had six children:

1. Karl Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg (b. Bernburg, 13 July 1668 - d. Ballenstedt, 22 April 1721).
2. Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym, later Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (b. Bernburg, 28 June 1669 - d. Bad Ems, 17 May 1727).
3. Sophie Juliane (b. Bernburg, 26 October 1672 - d. Bernburg, 21 August 1674).
4. John George (b. Bernburg, 14 February 1674 - killed in battle at Leuze, 9 September 1691).
5. Christian (b. Bernburg, 15 March 1675 - d. Bernburg, 30 December 1675).
6. A son (b and d. Bernburg, 18 April 1677).

After the death of his wife during her sixth childbirth, Victor Amadeus remained a widower for the next forty-one years, until his death.