Johann III of Saxe-Weimar

Johann was the second son of the Saxe-Weimar Duke Johann Wilhelm and Dorothea Susanna of Pfalz . When his father died in 1573, Friedrich Wilhelm was still too small, so regency was appointed; to isolate children from the influence of the mother, the elector of Saxony Augustus became regent. The older brother Friedrich Wilhelm began to rule on his own since 1586. Johann waived the right to co-op in exchange for the annual amount of money and the counties of Altenburg , Eisenberg and Ronneburg . He preferred to engage in science and art, but according to the laws of the Ernestine line, Vettinov was introduced into the government of the duchy.

In 1591, the elder brother became regent under the minor elector of Saxony Christian II and moved to Torgau , completely transferring the control of the duchy to Johann. In 1602, Friedrich Wilhelm died, and his children were still small, and Johann had to become the ruler of the duchy as regent with young nephews. In 1603, the nephews demanded their own destinies, but Johann refused to meet them. Nevertheless, they eventually agreed on the division of family lands: part of the duchy with Weimar remained with Johann, and the sons of Friedrich Wilhelm received Saxe-Altenburg .

On January 7, 1593, Johann married Dorothea Maria of Anhalt in Altenburg. They had twelve children:

• Johann Ernst (1594-1626), Duke of Saxe-Weimar
• Christian Wilhelm (1595)
• Frederick (1596-1622)
• Johann (1597-1604)
• Wilhelm (1598-1662) - Duke of Saxe-Weimar, married to Eleanor Dorothea of ​​Anhalt-Dessau
• stillborn (1598), Wilhelm's twin
• Albrecht (1599-1644), married to Dorothea of ​​Saxe-Altenburg
• Johann Friedrich (1600-1628)
• Ernst I (1601–1675), married to Elizabeth Sofia of Saxe-Altenburg , after dividing the inheritance in 1640, the Duke of Saxe-Gotha
• Friedrich Wilhelm (1603-1619)
• Bernhard (1604-1639), Duke of Franconia, commander
• Johann (1606-1609).

• Johann III of Saxe-Weimar at the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie