Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
| Johann Wilhelm | |
|---|---|
Anonymous portrait of Johann Wilhelm (c. 1550–1573) | |
| Duke of Saxony | |
| Reign | November 1566–1572 |
| Predecessor | Johann Friedrich II |
| Duke of Saxe-Weimar | |
| Reign | 1572 – 2 March 1573 |
| Successor | Friedrich Wilhelm I |
| Born | 11 March 1530 Torgau, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 2 March 1573 (aged 42) Weimar, Saxe-Weimar, Holy Roman Empire |
| Spouse | Dorothea Susanne of Simmern |
| Issue among others | |
| House | Wettin (Ernestine Line) |
| Father | Johann Friedrich I, Elector of Saxony |
| Mother | Sibylle of Cleves |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Johann Wilhelm (11 March 1530 – 2 March 1573) was a duke of Saxe-Weimar who became heavily involved in Imperial politics after his brother Johann Friedrich II was imprisoned. Although expected to defend Protestant interests, he alienated both the Emperor and his subjects by serving as a general for the Catholic king Charles IX of France in campaigns against the Huguenots. His political missteps led to Imperial distrust and resulted in the Division of Erfurt (1572), which split the duchy into three parts between him and his brother's two sons. Johann Wilhelm retained Weimar and gained Altenburg, Gotha, and Meiningen, but lost other territories.