Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frederick II
Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Reign	2 August 1691 – 23 March 1732
Predecessor	Frederick I
Successor	Frederick III
Regent	Bernhard I and Heinrich
Born	(1676-07-28)28 July 1676 Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Died	23 March 1732(1732-03-23) (aged 55) Altenburg
Spouse	Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst
Issue among others...	Frederick III Prince William Prince John August Fredericka, Duchess of Saxe-Weisselfels Augusta, Princess of Wales Prince John Adolf
House	Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Father	Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Mother	Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels
Religion	Lutheran

Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (born 28 July 1676 – died 23 March 1732) was a powerful ruler. He was the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, a small state in Germany.

Frederick was born in Gotha, a town within the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He was the fifth child but the first son of Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels.

When his father died in 1691, Frederick II became the Duke. He was still quite young at the time.

Becoming a Ruler

Because Frederick was not yet an adult, his uncles helped him rule. These were Duke Bernhard I and Duke Heinrich. They acted as his guardians and co-rulers.

In 1693, Frederick returned from trips to Holland and England. He then asked the Emperor for permission to rule on his own. The Emperor agreed, and Frederick took full control of his duchy.

Life as a Duke

Frederick II loved grand and fancy things, typical of the Baroque period. He spent a lot of money on his court and his army. He had inherited the army from his father and even made it bigger.

To pay for these expenses, Frederick rented out his soldiers to other princes. This caused problems in 1702. King Louis XIV of France hired Frederick's troops and used them in a war against the Emperor.

Helping His People

Frederick continued many of his father's policies. He cared about the people in his duchy. He opened an orphanage in Altenburg in 1715. This was a home for children who had lost their parents.

He also created a workhouse and a mental asylum in Kahla in 1726. These places helped people who needed support. In 1705, he founded the Magdalenenstift. This was a special place for noble women who were not married. He named it after his mother and wife, who both shared the name Magdalena.

Frederick also bought a famous collection of old coins. He paid 100,000 thaler from his own money for it. This collection became the start of the coin museum at Schloss Friedenstein.

Expanding His Duchy

Frederick worked to make his country bigger. He added parts of other small states that no longer existed. These included parts of Saxe-Coburg in 1699, Saxe-Eisenberg in 1707, and Saxe-Römhild in 1710.

However, gaining these lands led to long arguments with other ruling families. These arguments lasted until 1735. Finally, the Emperor made a decision that gave Frederick's country more land. Frederick II died in Altenburg.

Family and Children

Frederick II married his cousin, Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. They got married at Friedenstein Castle in Gotha on 7 June 1696.

They had twenty children together:

1. Sophie (born 30 May 1697 – died 29 November 1703)
2. Magdalena (born 18 July 1698 – died 13 November 1712)
3. Frederick III (born 14 April 1699 – died 10 March 1772)
4. Stillborn son (born 22 April 1700)
5. Wilhelm (born 12 March 1701 – died 31 May 1771)
6. Karl Frederick (born 20 September 1702 – died 21 November 1703)
7. Stillborn daughter (born and died 8 May 1703)
8. Johann August (born 17 February 1704 – died 8 May 1767)
9. Christian (born 27 February 1705 – died 5 March 1705)
10. Christian Wilhelm (born 28 May 1706 – died 19 July 1748). He married Luise Reuss of Schleiz. They did not have children.
11. Ludwig Ernst (born 28 December 1707 – died 13 August 1763)
12. Emanuel (born 5 April 1709 – died 10 October 1710)
13. Moritz (born 11 May 1711 – died 3 September 1777)
14. Sophie (born 23 August 1712 – died 12 November 1712)
15. Karl (born 17 April 1714 – died 10 July 1715)
16. Fredericka (born 17 July 1715 – died 12 May 1775). She married Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels.
17. Stillborn son (born 30 November 1716)
18. Magdalena Sibylle (born 15 August 1718 – died 9 November 1718)
19. Augusta (born 30 November 1719 – died 8 February 1772). She married Frederick, Prince of Wales. They had nine children. Their second child later became King George III of Great Britain.
20. Johann Adolf (born 18 May 1721 – died 29 April 1799)

See also

In Spanish: Federico II de Sajonia-Gotha-Altemburgo para niños