Joachim I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau

Joachim I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. Dessau, 7 August 1509 - d. Dessau, 6 December 1561), was a German prince member of the House of Ascania and ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Dessau and after 1544 the first ruler of the re-created Anhalt-Dessau.

He was the fourth but third surviving son of Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau by his wife Margarete, daughter of Henry I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels and grandaughter of George of Poděbrady (Podiebrad), King of Bohemia.

Life

After the death of his father in 1516, Joachim and his older brothers John V and George III became in the new rulers of the Anhalt-Dessau; during the first years of their reign, his mother acted as regent.

In 1544 the brothers decided to made the formal division of the principality. Joachim retained Dessau, this time as a sole ruler; nevertless, this re-created Anhalt-Dessau was extremely reduced by the towns received by John V and George III.

After his death unmarried and childless, Joachim was succeded by his nephew Karl I and his brothers, rulers of Anhalt-Zerbst.

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|style="width:30%;" rowspan="1"|Preceded by

Principality (re-)created

| style="width: 40%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"| Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau
1544–1561

| style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"| Succeeded by

Karl I

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