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The House of Wettin is a dynasty of German counts, dukes, prince-electors and kings that once ruled territories of present-day German states of Saxony and Thuringia for 953 years. The royal house is one of the oldest of Europe. Its origins can be traced back to the town of Wettin, Saxony-Anhalt. The Wettins gradually rose to power within the Holy Roman Empire. Members of the royal family became the monarchs of several medieval states, starting with Saxon Eastern March in 1030. Other states they gained were Meissen in 1089, Thuringia in 1263 and Saxony in 1423. The family divided into two ruling branches in 1485 by Treaty of Leipzig: the Ernestine and Albertine branches. The treaty finally ruined a chance for an emergence of a great power in Central Germany, thus helping Brandenburg-Prussia gain influence within the Empire. The older Ernestine branch played a predominant role during the Protestant Reformation. Many ruling monarchs outside Germany were tied to its cadet branch Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The Albertine branch, while less prominent, ruled the most of Saxony and played a part in Polish history. The Austrian Holy Roman Emperor preferred the Albertine branch over the Ernestine branch, thus transferring the electoral dignity to the Albertines in 1547. Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various times, ascended the thrones of Great Britain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Poland-Lithuania, Saxony, and Belgium. Only the British and Belgian lines retain their thrones today. == Origins: Wettin of Saxony == The oldest member of the House of Wettin who is known for certain is Theodoric I of Wettin, also known as Dietrich, Thiedericus, and Thierry I of Liesgau (died c. 982). He was most probably based in the Liesgau (located at the western edge of the Harz). Around 1000, the family acquired Wettin Castle which was originally built by the local Slavic tribes ( See Sorbs), after which they named themselves. Wettin Castle is located in Wettin in the Hosgau on the Saale River. Around 1030, the Wettin family received the Eastern March as a fief.〔''Lexikon des Mittelalters'', vol. IX, col. 50, Munich 1969–1999〕 The prominence of the Wettins in the Slavic Saxon Eastern March or Ostmark caused Emperor Henry IV to invest them with the March of Meissen as a fief in 1089. The family advanced over the course of the Middle Ages: in 1263 they inherited the landgraviate of Thuringia (although without Hesse), and in 1423 they were invested with the Duchy of Saxony, centred at Wittenberg, thus becoming one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. == Ernestine and Albertine Wettins == (詳細はFrederick II, Elector of Saxony, divided the territories hitherto ruled jointly. The elder son Ernest, who had succeeded his father as Prince-elector, received the territories assigned to the Elector (''Electorate of Saxony'') and Thuringia, while his younger brother Albert obtained the March of Meissen, which he ruled from Dresden. As Albert ruled under the title of "Duke of Saxony", his possessions were also known as ''Ducal Saxony''. File:1441 Ernst.jpg|Ernest, Elector of Saxony (1441–1486) File:Herzog-Albrecht-der-Beherzt.jpg|Albert, Duke of Saxony (1443–1500) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「House of Wettin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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