House of Ascania: Map & History
The House of Ascania is a reigning family historically documented since the 11th century.
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The House of Ascania is a reigning family historically documented since the 11th century. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession. Their ancestral seats, Ballenstedt, Anhalt, Aschersleben, and Bernburg, are located in the present-day Anhalt region in Saxony-Anhalt. The ruins of Anhalt Castle are situated in the Harz Mountains northeast of Harzgerode. The name "Askanier" derives from the Latinization of their seat at Aschersleben. Since the late 17th century, only the Anhalt branch has survived. Albert the Bear became Duke of Saxony in 1138 and, with the control of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1150, the first Margrave in the formerly Slavic settlement area. In 1180, eastern parts of the Stem Duchy of Saxony passed to the Askanier Bernhard of Saxony. As Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg, the family received hereditary electoral dignity in 1356. The family ruled Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Zerbst, Anhalt-Plötzkau, and Anhalt-Aschersleben. Alexius Friedrich Christian of Anhalt-Bernburg was the first of the Anhalt princes to gain the title of Duke in April 1806. The ducal title was adopted in Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Dessau in 1807. Since 1863, only the Dessau line has existed, with Aribert of Anhalt abdicating in 1918 due to the November Revolution in the Duchy of Anhalt. Since 1963, Eduard, Prince of Anhalt has been the head of the family.
Modern Countries Once Part of House of Ascania
At its mapped extent, House of Ascania covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside House of Ascania's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
House of Ascania in Depth
History
The Askanier are documented as Counts of Ballenstedt, originating from an area now part of the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt. From the outset, the family held possessions in the present-day districts of Salzlandkreis and Anhalt-Bitterfeld. Ballenstedt, Aschersleben, and ultimately Anhalt Castle were the most significant ancestral seats, with Ballenstedt as the eponymous seat in the 11th and the 12th centuries. Those possessions, along with further holdings in present-day Anhalt, led to the emergence of several Anhalt principalities in the 13th century. Numerous land divisions caused concentrated ownership in a single hand to be the exception over the centuries.
The earliest-known Askanier, Esico of Ballenstedt, is reported in older literature to have built Anhalt Castle.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: House of Ascania (CC BY-SA 4.0).
House of Ascania: Key Facts
| Founded | 1036 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1918 |
Facts from Wikidata Q168352 (CC0).
House of Ascania Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which House of Ascania appears, with the other states of the time.
House of Ascania Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 34,934 km² in 1435 CE.
House of Ascania: Frequently Asked Questions
When did House of Ascania exist?
House of Ascania is dated to 1260 CE – 1486 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
How large was House of Ascania at its peak?
At its peak in 1435 AD House of Ascania covered about 34,934 km².
How did the map of House of Ascania change over time?
House of Ascania appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1300 CE to 1400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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