Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

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When the Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen wrote about Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: "I quite love the young duke, he is the first of all princes that I really find attractive"

I wanted to know more about this Duke.

Youth

Charles Alexander August Johann was born on 24 June 1818 in Weimar. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Karl Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. 

His mother engaged as tutor for Karl the Swiss scholar Frédéric Soret who became a close acquaintance to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Reign


On 8 July 1853 his father died, and Charles Alexander became Grand Duke; but he stopped his constitutional accession until Goethe's birthday, on 28 August 1853. Charles Alexander renovated Wartburg Castle, and left his traces in many places in Eisenach.  He was the protector of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt, retained the tradition of Weimar's classical period, and gave the old
part of Weimar a new and better appearance with the establishment of the Herder monument, and the double monument for Goethe and Schiller. 

In 1860, he founded the Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School (with Arnold Böcklin, Franz von Lenbach and the plastic artist Reinhold Begas). 

As Grand Duke he was automatically rector, president of Jena University where he supported especially the collections among them prominently the Oriental Coin Cabinet.

In the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), Charles Alexander participated only in "Samaritan"; stressed, however, for his war entrance in favor of Schleswig in 1849. 

The Weimar Congress of the Goethe Federation (opposing the Lex Heinze) occurred towards the end of his reign, in November 1900 - that congress described his government as the Silver Age of Weimar.

Grand Duke Charles Alexander, married to Sophie van Oranje-Nassau was a regular guest of the Kurhaus during the summer season. He also stayed there for official visits, for example in 1898 in
connection with the accession to the throne of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, then accompanied by his daughter Elisabeth.



Love and Marriage

At Kneuterdijk Palace in The Hague, on 8 October 1842, Charles Alexander married with his first cousin, Princess Sophie of the Netherlands, daughter of William II and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia, sister of his mother. They had four children:

1/ Karl August , Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach 
2/ Marie Anna Alexandrine Sophie Auguste Helene known as Marie; married on 6 February 1876 to
Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz.
3/ Maria Anna Sophia Elisabeth Bernhardine Ida Auguste Helene, known as Anna.
4/ Elisabeth Sibylle Maria Dorothea Anna Amalie Luise  known as Elisabeth; married on 6 November 1886 to Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Death

He died at Weimar in 1901. Following his death, he was succeeded as Grand Duke by his grandson Wilhelm Ernst, his only son Carl August having predeceased him.
Location: Weimar, Duitsland

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