House of Wettin

The House of Wettin (German: Haus Wettin) is a dynasty which included Saxon kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts, who once ruled territories in the present-day German federated states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and 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 family became the rulers of several medieval states, starting with the Saxon Eastern March in 1030. Other states they gained were the March of Meissen in 1089, the Landgraviate of Thuringia in 1263, the Palatinate of Saxony in 1350, and the Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg with the Saxon electoral dignity in 1423.

The family was divided into two ruling lines in 1485 by the Treaty of Leipzig: the senior Ernestine and junior Albertine branches. The Ernestine branch initially held the Electorate of Saxony (1485-1547), and played a key role during the Protestant Reformation, while many ruling monarchs outside Germany were later tied to its cadet branch, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The Albertine branch, while initially less prominent, later took over the Electorate of Saxony (1547-1806) and ruled in the Kingdom of Saxony (1806-1918), also giving two monarchs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1697-1763).

Later Agnates of the House of Wettin have, at various times, also ascended the thrones of the United Kingdom, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Belgium. Only the Belgian line retains their throne today.