Frederick Albert, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg

Frederick Albert of Anhalt-Bernburg (15 August 1735 – 9 April 1796), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and reigning prince of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg from 1765 to 1796.^[1]

Frederick Albert
Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Reign	18 May 1765–9 April 1796
Predecessor	Victor Frederick
Successor	Alexius Frederick Christian
Born	(1735-08-15)15 August 1735 Bernburg, Anhalt-Bernburg, Holy Roman Empire
Died	9 April 1796(1796-04-09) (aged 60) Ballenstedt, Anhalt-Bernburg, Holy Roman Empire
Spouse	Louise Albertine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön ​ ​ (m. 1763; died 1769)​
Issue	Alexius Frederick Christian, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg Pauline, Princess of Lippe-Detmold
Names Frederick Albert German: Friedrich Albrecht
House	House of Ascania
Father	Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
Mother	Albertine of Brandenburg-Schwedt

Life

Frederick Albert was born in Bernburg on 15 August 1735 as the only son of Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, by his second wife Albertine of Brandenburg-Schwedt, daughter of Margrave Albert Frederick of Brandenburg-Schwedt.^[2]

Frederick Albert succeeded his father as ruler of Anhalt-Bernburg when he died in 1765 and immediately changed his main residence from Bernburg to Ballenstedt.^[3]

On 22 December 1785 he confirmed the entrance of his state into the Fürstenbund.

In 1788 a classical theater was built under his orders. He was considered as "Father of the Country" by the citizens of his principality, primarily for his good works: one of his reforms was to give women legal influence over their inheritance. Frederick Albert was also the founder of the Anhaltische Mineraliensammlung.

He died at Ballenstedt on 9 April 1796. It is unclear whether he died as a result of a hunting accident, or if he committed suicide.

Marriage and issue

Louise Albertine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön

Royal monogram.

In Augustenburg on 4 June 1763 Frederick Albert married Princess Louise Albertine (b. Plön, 21 July 1748 - d. Ballenstedt, 2 March 1769), daughter of Frederick Carl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön and a princess of Denmark by birth as a descendant in the male line of King Christian III. They had two children:

1. Alexius Frederick Christian, Prince and from 1807 Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg (b. Ballenstedt, 12 June 1767 - d. Ballenstedt, 24 March 1834).
2. Pauline Christine Wilhelmine (b. Ballenstedt, 23 February 1769 - d. Detmold, 29 December 1820), married on 2 January 1796 to Leopold I, Prince of Lippe-Detmold.

Frederick Albert also had an illegitimate daughter:

1. Auguste von Gröna (d. 8 April 1841), married to Hans August Baron von Bissing (d. 8 April 1841).