Duchy of Saxe-Römhild Herzogtum Sachsen-Römhild (German) | |||||||||
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| 1680–1710 | |||||||||
.svg) Saxony-Römhild (around 1680) | |||||||||
| Status | State of theHoly Roman Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Römhild | ||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Partitioned from Saxe-Gotha | 1680 1680 | ||||||||
• Extinction of line | 1710 1710 | ||||||||
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Saxe-Römhild (German:Sachsen-Römhild) was anErnestine duchy in the southern foothills of theThuringian Forest. It existed for only 30 years, from 1680 to 1710.
After the duke ofSaxe-Gotha,Ernest the Pious, died on 26 March 1675 inGotha, the duchy was divided on 24 February 1680 among his seven surviving sons. The lands of Saxe-Römhild went to the fourth son, who becameHenry, Duke of Saxe-Römhild (1650–1710). The new duchy included the Districts ofRömhild,Königsberg (which was later lost in 1683 toSaxe-Hildburghausen) andThemar, the winery ofBehrungen, the monastery estate ofMilz, and certain lands of the Echter family ofMespelbrunn that had been lost in 1665 toSaxony. But Duke Henry never had the full sovereignty of his new domains. The actual administration was left to the higher authorities in Gotha – the so-calledNexus Gothanus – because that was theresidence of Henry's oldest brother, who ruled asFrederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.
After the death of the childless Henry in 1710, his domains were divided among the four duchies –Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg,Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld,Saxe-Meiningen and Saxe-Hildburghausen. Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg took seven-twelfths of the District of Themar. Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld had five-twelfths of the District of Themar and one-third of the District of Römhild. Two-thirds of the District of Römhild went to Saxe-Meiningen. Saxe-Hildburghausen got the rest – the winery of Behrungen, the estate of Milz and the Echter properties.
With the rearrangement of the Ernestine duchies in 1826, all the territories of the former Duchy of Saxe-Römhild were solely concentrated in theDuchy of Saxe-Meiningen.
Ernestine duchies after the Division of Erfurt (1572) | ||
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