How did the Treaty of Leipzig divide the Wettin family’s Saxon lands in 1485?

In 1485, the Treaty of Leipzig established a permanent partition of the Wettin family’s lands between the brothers Albert and Ernest, the sons of Elector Frederick II. This division created two distinct lines of the dynasty:123

• The Albertine Line (Eastern): Albert received the margravate of Meissen, with Dresden serving as his capital, as well as northern Thuringia.1
• The Ernestine Line (Western): Ernest retained the electoral title, which granted him the right to participate in choosing the Holy Roman emperor. His possessions included lands in Thuringia that later became known as the Saxon duchies.32

This partition fundamentally shaped the political landscape of the region, as the two lines remained separate entities with varying fortunes in the centuries that followed.21