Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Joseph (Joseph Georg Friedrich Ernst Karl; 27 August 1789 – 25 November 1868) was Duke of Saxe-Altenburg from 1834 to 1848.

Joseph was born on 27 August 1789 as the second but first surviving son of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (of Saxe-Altenburg from 1826) and Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The birth of Joseph was greeted with cannon fire in Hildburghausen. He was educated by Friedrich August Scheler, the Coburg court lawyer. in 1806, at his mother's request, Joseph began his studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. On 9 January 1814, Joseph was enlisted as a volunteer officer in the Prussian army and assigned to Lieutenant General, Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf. Together with his brother Georg, he fought in the Wars of Liberation against France. On 19 August 1816, Joseph left active service as a major in the Guard Uhlan Regiment. He later held the rank of General Major in Saxon services.

In 1826, following the extinction of the senior line of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Ernestine duchies were reorganized. As part of the territorial adjustment, Joseph's father, Frederick, Duke Saxe-Hildburghausen left the Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen on 17 November 1826, and became Duke of the newly created Saxe-Altenburg. Joseph thus became the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg instead.

In 1830, he was made co-regent to his father. In 1833, on his father's behalf, Joseph renewed the Ducal of Saxe-Ernestine House Order together with Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Joseph succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Altenburg after his death in 1834.

During his reign, he carried out several building projects in Altenburg. In 1841, he established a new princely crypt in the cemetery of Altenburg. The restoration of the residential palace, which had begun under his father, was continued under Joseph. He ruled conservatively and was unwilling to implement reforms. State parliament sessions were not open to public, and guild restrictions remained in place, which hindered industry and trade. he was forced to abdicate during the Civil Revolution of 1848, 2 days after the death of his wife, and his younger brother Georg succeeded him.

After his abdication, Joseph lived primarily at the Fröhliche Wiederkunft Castle in Wolfersdorf. He supported artistic and scientific projects and had several paintings in Altenburg Town Hall restored at his expense.

On 30 June 1866, after the Battle of Langensalza, he welcomed his son-in-law, the recently deposed George V of Hanover to Fröhliche Wiederkunft Castle. Joseph died on 25 November 1868 in Altenburg at the age of 79. ^[1]

In Kirchheim unter Teck on 24 April 1817, Joseph married Amelia of Württemberg, a daughter of Duke Louis of Württemberg. They had six daughters:^[2]

• Marie (b. Hildburghausen, 14 April 1818 – d. Gmunden, 9 January 1907), married on 18 February 1843 to King George V of Hanover.
• Pauline (b. Kirchheim unter Teck, 24 November 1819 – d. Hildburghausen, 11 January 1825) died in childhood.
• Therese (b. Hildburghausen, 9 October 1823 – d. Altenburg, 3 April 1915) died unmarried without issue.
• Elisabeth (b. Hildburghausen, 26 March 1826 – d. Oldenburg, 2 February 1896), married on 10 February 1852 to Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg.
• Alexandra (upon her marriage, she took the name Alexandra Iosifovna in a Russian Orthodox baptism) (b. Altenburg, 8 July 1830 – d. St. Petersburg, 6 July 1911), married on 11 September 1848 to Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia.
• Luise (b. Altenburg, 4 June 1832 – d. Hummelshain, 29 August 1833) died in infancy.

He received the following orders and decorations:^[3]