Ernest I

Ernest I (born Dec. 25, 1601, Altenburg, Saxony [Germany]—died March 26, 1675, Gotha, Saxe-Gotha) was the duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, who, after the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War, sought to rebuild and reform his country. An ardent Lutheran, Ernest allied himself with the Swedes from 1631, fighting in the battles of Lech, Nürnberg, Lützen, and Nördlingen. In 1635 he signed the Peace of Prague and turned to the governing of his duchy, making it eventually...