The Albertine branch is a German princely family of the
House of Wettin. The name derives from the progenitor of the line,
Albert III, Duke of Saxony. The Albertine branch ruled from 1485 to 1918 as dukes, electors and kings in Saxony.
History of the Albertine Branch
Ernest and Albert of Saxony, the two sons of
Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, initially ruled their paternal inheritance for a long time, with Ernest as the eldest being the elector. In 1485, the two brothers divided their countries (
Treaty of Leipzig). Albert and his descendants received their own territory with Dresden as the center, which they ruled from now on as the dukes of Saxony.
Although
Maurice, Elector of Saxony was also a Protestant, in 1546 he sided with Emperor
Charles V against the Protestant princes of the
Schmalkaldic League under the leadership of his cousin
John Frederick I. After the defeat of the Protestants in the
Schmalkaldic War, in 1547 he received the electoral dignity and large parts of the Ernestine lands as a reward for his services. Since then, the Albertine branch have been the leading line of the
House of Wettin.
The common minting agreed between the Ernestines and Albertine branch in the main division of Leipzig in 1485 was finally abandoned. The new Albertine Elector Moritz only coins in his own name (Saxon coin separation).[1]
Konrad Sturmhoefel: Illustrated history of Saxony and their authorities. Volume 2: Illustrated History of Albertine Saxony. Hübel & Denck, Leipzig 1909.
References
^Paul Arnold: Kurfürst August (1553–1586) und das sächsische Münzwesen. In Numismatische Hefte. Nr. 20, Dresden 1986, P. 13. (German)