Principality of Anhalt

County (Principality) of Anhalt Grafschaft (Fürstentum) Anhalt
1218–1806
Lesser arms of Anhalt
Map of Anhalt (Zerbst, Dessau, Köthen, Bernburg) in 1793
Status	Principality
Capital	Dessau (when united)
Religion	Roman Catholic (until 1520s) Lutheran (from 1520s)
Government	Principality
Prince of Anhalt
• 1218–1252	Henry I
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Partitioned from Saxony	1212
• Elevated to principality	1218
• Partitioned¹	1252–1570
• Joined Council of Princes	1582
• Partitioned²	1603–1863
• Principalities³ raised to duchies	1806
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Saxony Duchy of Anhalt
Today part of	Germany
1: 13th-century partition into Anhalt-Aschersleben, Anhalt-Bernburg and Anhalt-Zerbst. 2: 17th-century partition into Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Plötzkau and Anhalt-Zerbst. 3: Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen.

The Principality of Anhalt (German: Fürstentum Anhalt) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, located in Central Germany, in what is today part of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Under the rule of the House of Ascania, the Anhalt territory was split off the German stem duchy of Saxony in 1212 and granted to Count Henry I, who was raised to the rank of a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire in 1218. Ruled by Ascanian princes from the High Middle Ages to the Early modern period, Anhalt was divided several times amongst various lines of the dynasty until the dissolution of the Empire in 1806, when Napoleon elevated the remaining states of Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen to duchies.