Victor I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym


Victor I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, was a German prince of the House of Ascania who belonged to a cadet branch of the princely house of Anhalt-Bernburg.
Through his mother, he inherited the County of Holzappel and Lordship of Schaumburg and founded the cadet branch of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym.

Life

Victor was born at Schaumburg Castle on 7 September 1693 as the eldest son of Lebrecht, Prince of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym by his first wife Charlotte of Nassau-Schaumburg, heiress of the County of Holzappel and Lordship of Schaumburg as a daughter of Elisabeth Charlotte, Countess of Holzappel in her marriage with Adolph, Prince of Nassau-Schaumburg.
The death of his mother in 1700 made Victor Amadeus Adolph the heir apparent of Holzappel and Schaumburg under the terms of a contract made between his paternal grandfather and namesake Prince Victor Amadeus of Anhalt-Bernburg and his maternal grandmother Countess Elisabeth Charlotte. When the Countess died in 1707, Victor Amadeus Adolph succeeded her as Count of Holzappel and Schaumburg.
When his father died in 1727, Victor Amadeus Adolph succeeded him as "Prince of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym," but shortly after changed the name of his principality to "Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym."

Marriages and Issue

First marriage

In Birstein on 22 November 1714 Victor Amadeus Adolph married firstly with Charlotte Louise, daughter of William Maurice, Count of Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein. She was fourteen years older than he was; nevertheless, the union produced six children:
  1. Victoria Charlotte, married on 26 April 1732 to Frederick Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. They divorced in 1764.
  2. Louise Amalie.
  3. Lebrecht.
  4. Christian, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym.
  5. Karl Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym.
  6. Franz Adolph.

    Second marriage

In Pölzig on 14 February 1740 Victor Amadeus Adolph married for a second time to Hedwig Sophie, daughter of Count Wenzel Louis Henckel of Donnersmarck. The Henckels of Donnersmarck were an old family in Silesia only raised in 1651 to the rank of counts; in consequence, this marriage was legally morganatic. The union was nonetheless considered equal by the rest of the House of Anhalt. They had six children:
  1. Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym.
  2. Sophie Charlotte Ernestine, married on 20 September 1760 to Wolfgang Ernest II, Prince of Isenburg-Birstein.
  3. Victor Amadeus.
  4. Karl.
  5. Hedwig Auguste.
  6. George Augustus.