{{Royal house|
|surname =House of Ascania
|estate =Anhalt
|coat of arms =[[Image:Wappen Deutsches Reich - Herzogtum Anhalt (Großes).png|150px]]
|country =[[Anhalt]], [[Duchy of Saxony|Saxony]], [[Margravate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]], [[Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg|Saxe-Lauenburg]], [[ Principality of Lüneburg|Lüneburg]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]]
|titles =Count, Prince, Duke, Margrave, Empress
|founder =[[Esiko, Count of Ballenstedt]]
|final ruler =[[Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt]]
|current head = [[Eduard, Prince of Anhalt]]
|founding year =1036
|dissolution =1918
|nationality =German
}}
The '''House of Ascania''' ({{lang-de|Askanier}}) was a [[dynasty]] of German rulers. It was also known as the '''House of Anhalt''', after [[Anhalt]], its longest possession.

The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, which is located near and named after [[Aschersleben]]. The castle was seat of the County of Ascania, a title that was later subsumed into the titles of the princes of Anhalt.

The oldest known member of the House is [[Esiko, Count of Ballenstedt]]. He was first mentioned in [[1036]], and is assumed to have been a grandson (through his mother) of [[Odo I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark]]. From Odo, the Ascanians inherited large properties in the [[Saxon Eastern March]].

Esiko's grandson was [[Otto, Count of Ballenstedt]], who died in [[1123]]. By Otto's marriage to [[Eilika of Saxony|Eilika]], daughter of [[Magnus, Duke of Saxony]], the Ascanians became heirs to half of the property of the House of [[Billung]], former dukes of [[Duchy of Saxony|Saxony]].

Otto's son, [[Albert the Bear]], became, with the help of his mother's inheritance, the first Ascanian duke of Saxony in [[1139]]. But he lost control of Saxony soon to the rival [[House of Guelph]].

However, Albert inherited the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] from its last [[Wends|Wendish]] ruler, [[Pribislav of Brandenburg|Pribislav]], in [[1150]], and became the first Ascanian margrave. Albert, and his descendants of the House of Ascania, then made considerable progress in [[Christianity|Christianizing]] and [[Germany|Germanizing]] the lands. As a borderland between German and [[Slavs|Slavic]] cultures, the country was known as a [[marches|march]]. In [[1320]] the Brandenburg Ascanian line came to an end.

After the Emperor had deposed the Guelph rulers of Saxony in [[1180]], Ascanians returned to rule the Duchy of Saxony, which had been reduced to its eastern half by the Emperor. However, even in eastern Saxony, the Ascanians could establish control only in limited areas, mostly near the River Elbe. In the [[13th century]], the Principality of [[Anhalt]] was split off from the Duchy, and later, the remaining state was split into [[Saxe-Lauenburg]] and [[Saxe-Wittenberg]]. The Ascanian dynasties in the two Saxon states became extinct in [[1689]] and in [[1422]], respectively, but Ascanians continued to rule in the smaller state of Anhalt and its various subdivisions until monarchy was abolished in [[1918]].

==List of states ruled by the House of Ascania==

* County, Principality, and Duchy of [[Anhalt]]: c. 1100-1918
* [[Duchy of Saxony]]: 1112, 1139-1142, 1180-1422
* County of [[Weimar-Orlamünde]]: 1112-1486
* [[Margravate of Brandenburg]]: 1150-1320
* [[Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg]]: 1269-1689
* [[Principality of Lüneburg]]: 1369-1388
* Principality and Duchy of [[Anhalt-Bernburg]]: 1252-1468 and 1603-1863
* Principality of [[Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst|Anhalt-Zerbst]]: 1252-1396 and 1544-1796
* Principality of [[Anhalt-Aschersleben]]: 1252-1315
* Principality and Duchy of [[Anhalt-Köthen]]: 1396-1561 and 1603-1847
* Principality and Duchy of [[Anhalt-Dessau]] 1396-1561 and 1603-1863
* Principality of [[Anhalt-Plötzkau]] 1544-1553 and 1603-1665
* Principality of [[Anhalt-Harzgerode]] 1635-1709
* Principality of [[Anhalt-Mühlingen]]: 1667-1714
* Principality of [[Anhalt-Dornburg]]: 1667-1742
* Principality of [[Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym]]: 1718-1812
* [[Russian Empire]]: 1762-1796

==External links==
*[http://www.anhalt-askanien.de/index.php?id=8&L=1 Official website of the House of Ascania]
*[http://genealogy.euweb.cz/ascania/ascan1.html Genealogy of the House of Ascania]

==References==
* [http://susi.e-technik.uni-ulm.de:8080/Meyers2/seite/werk/brockhaus/band/50/seite/0992/brockhaus_b50_s0992.html ''Askanien'', Meyers Konversationslexikon, 1888]
* Trillmich, Werner, ''Kaiser Konrad II. und seine Zeit'', Bonn, 1991

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ascania, House of}}
[[Category:House of Ascania|*]]
[[Category:European royal families]]

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[[cs:Askánci]]
[[de:Askanier]]
[[es:Ascania]]
[[fr:Maison d'Ascanie]]
[[it:Ascanidi]]
[[nl:Ascaniërs]]
[[nds:Askanier]]
[[pl:Dynastia askańska]]
[[sv:Askanien]]