August, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig

August, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig (Merseburg, 15 February 1655 – Zörbig, 27 March 1715), was a German prince and member of the House of Wettin.

He was the third but second surviving son of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg and Christiana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

Life

In order to give his three younger sons a proper land to live, Duke Christian I, before his death assigned to them in each case his own small territories as appanages; however, the allowances of them remained in the Saxe-Merseburg main line and with this, their powers over that lands were strongly limited. August received the town of Zörbig in 1691 and founded the line of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig.

Shortly after, August shifted his household from to Zörbig to Alt-Stargard, who he received from his father-in-law as a dowry. His dominion there led to an exceptional flourish. So the reconstruction measures of his father were continued in the region damaged by the Thirty Years' War.

Since 1694 he began the arrangements of the Schloss Zörbig into a new and comfortable residence; however, August died before the finishing of the constructions. After his death his wife Hedwig and their only surviving daughter Caroline used the Schloss as a widow's seat.

Marriage and issue

In Güstrow on 1 December 1686 August married with Hedwig of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. They had eight children:

  1. Christiane Magdalene (b. Zörbig, 11 March 1687 - d. Merseburg, 21 March 1689).
  2. Stillborn daughter (Alt-Stargard, Mecklenburg, 30 December 1689).
  3. Caroline Auguste (b. Zörbig, 10 March 1691 - d. Zörbig, 23 September 1743).
  4. Hedwig Eleonore (b. Zörbig, 26 February 1693 - d. Zörbig, 31 August 1693).
  5. Gustav Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig (b. Zörbig, 28 October 1694 - d. Zörbig, 24 May 1695).
  6. August, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig (b. Zörbig, 26 February 1696 - d. Zörbig, 26 March 1696).
  7. Stillborn twin sons (1707).

Because he died without surviving male issue, Zörbig mas merged by the duchy of Saxe-Merseburg.

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