Rulers of Saxony

Ottonian or Liudolfing dynasty

Billung Dynasty

Supplinburg Dynasty

Welf Dynasty

Ascanian Dynasty

Welf Dynasty

With the final removal of the Welfs in 1180, the Duchies of Brunswick and Lüneburg, which fell to their descendants, passed out of the control of the Duchy of Saxony. The Ascanians, who now took control, had their base further east, near the Elbe.

Ascanian Dynasty

Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg

Ascanian Dynasty

Electors of Saxony

Ascanian Dynasty

The last Ascanian Elector of Saxony died in 1422. There succeeded Margrave Frederick of Meissen and Thuringia, of the Wettin Dynasty.

Wettin Dynasty

• Frederick I, the Warlike 1422-1428
• Frederick II, the Gentle 1428-1464
  (On Frederick II's death his sons divided the Wettin territories between them. The elder, Ernest, became elector and inherited Northern Meissen, Southern Thuringia, and Wittenberg, along with the Electoral title. Albert, the younger son, became duke and received Northern Thuringia and Southern Meissen)

Albertine Dukes of Saxony

In 1547, following Emperor Charles V's victory at the Battle of Mühlberg, Wittenberg and the Electoral dignity passed to the Albertine line. The Ernestine line continued to rule in southern Thuringian, but their lands eventually split up into many different tiny duchies, of which Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, and Saxe-Altenburg lasted until 1918. This article does not list the subsequent Ernestine dukes.

Albertine Electors of Saxony

Kings of Saxony

House of Wettin

Heads of the House of Wettin since 1918