Joachim Ernest, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön


Joachim Ernest of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, also Joachim Ernest of Schleswig-Holstein-Plön, was the first Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, which emerged from a division of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.

Life

Joachim Ernest was born on 29 August 1595 in Sonderborg, the second youngest son of Duke John of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg and Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt. As a teenager he went on an educational tour of Europe, as was typical for young noblemen at that time. This took him to Holland, England, France and Italy. In 1617 he participated in the Uskok War. When his father, the first of the so-called Partitioned-off duke, died in 1622, the duchy was divided amongst the sons, resulting in five even smaller dukedoms. Joachim Ernest received Schleswig-Holstein-Plön. In addition to the new residence town of Plön his estate included Ahrensbök and Reinfeld.
On the occasion of his marriage to Princess Dorothea Augusta, a daughter of John Adolphus of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, Joachim Ernest commissioned the demolition of the old castle in 1632 and had Plön Castle built between 1633 and 1636 as a residence and seat of government.
On 1 January 1671, shortly before his death, he was honoured in Copenhagen by the King of Denmark as a Knight of the Elephant. He died on 5 October 1671 in Plön.

Family

Joachim Ernest and Dorothea Augusta had eight children: