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Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (1215 – 12 June 1266) was a German prince of theHouse of Ascania and ruler of the principality ofAnhalt-Aschersleben.
He was the eldest son ofHenry I, Count of Anhalt (who was raised to the rank of prince in 1218), by his wife Irmgard, daughter ofHermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia.
Henry was co-ruler of the principality of Anhalt with his father from 1244. After his father's death in 1252 the Anhalt state was divided between him and his brothers. Henry took over the old family areas ofAschersleben,Hecklingen,Ermsleben andWörbzig.
Through his mother, Henry was related to the Landgraves of Thuringia; in 1247 he intervened in theWar of the Thuringian Succession and spoke out in support of an alliance withAlbert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (his brother-in-law), who in return promised to give him some Thuringian lands. He was defeated and captured in battle nearBesenstedt in 1263, but was released shortly after. He soon renewed his war against Thuringia. In 1265 he was captured again and forced to renounce completely his claims to lands in Thuringia.
In 1257, Henry supported KingAlfonso X of Castile as German King and led military actions against the monasteries and archbishops ofMagdeburg and bishops ofHalberstadt as well as his brothers and cousins. In 1266 he raised Aschersleben to the rank of a city.
In 1245 Henry married Matilda (d. Gernrode?, 25 October / 1 December? 1297), daughter ofOtto the Child, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, andMatilda of Brandenburg and great-granddaughter ofOtto I of Brandenburg, older brother ofBernhard of Anhalt, Henry's grandfather.They had two sons:
On Henry's death his sons were still minors and his widow Matilda assumed the regency of the principality until 1270, when they reached adulthood. Shortly after, Matilda took the veil and became Abbess ofGernrode for almost twenty years, from 1275 to 1296.
| Preceded by | Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben 1252–1266 | Succeeded by |