Sachsen-Altenburg

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DUCHY OF SACHSEN-ALTENBURG

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

The Duchy of Sachsen-Altenburg was created in 1826 from the Duchies of Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg and Sachsen-Weimar. It existed until 1918, when it was transformed into the Free State (Freistaat) of Sachsen-Altenburg, which became part of Thüringen in 1920.

The Duchy used both large arms (shown above) and small arms, shown below:

The first quarter shows the arms of the County of Altenburg. The County Altenburg became a possession of the Wettin family in 1328.
The second quarter shows the arms of the Eisenberg Estate. The area was ruled by a different branch of the Wettin family, the Lords of Sachsen-Eisenberg, but it still belonged to Sachsen-Gotha (-Altenburg).
The third quarter shows the arms of the County Orlamünde. Orlamünde became a possession of the family in 1344.
The fourth the arms of the Estate of Pleissen. This was originally a much larger territory, of which the County of Altenburg was part. It became a possession of the Wettin family in 1328.
The escutcheon shows the arms of Sachsen proper. The four quarters covered the largest part of the newly formed duchy in 1826.

The 21 fields in the large arms include a number of territoeries outside the actual Duchy, but which were claimed by the dukes as part of their history:

County Thüringen
Duchy of Kleve
Margraviate of Meissen
Duchy of Jülich
Margraviate Landsberg (combined with 8 and with the historical arms of Sachsen as inecutcheon)
Duchy of Berg
Pfalz Sachsen
Margraviate Landsberg
Pfalz Thüringen
County Orlamünde
County Altenburg
Lordship of Pleissen
Lordship of Eisenberg
Duchy of Westfalen
County Brena
County of the Mark
County Ravenstein
County Ravensberg
Lordship of Römhild
Principality of Henneberg
(empty red)

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Literature : Ströhl, 1897