Rep. n° 11/2024

Ballenstedt, September 7, 2024. Dr. Marek Sobola, Secretary-General of Servare et Manere, took part in the solemn investiture of the House Order of Albert the Bear (Askanischer Hausorden Albrecht der Bär). Dr. Sobola was the first Slovak to be awarded the Order’s Medal of Honour and Merit (Verdienst- und Ehrenmedaille des Askanischen Hausordens Albrecht der Bär), thus becoming a member of this Order founded in 1836. During the monarchy, the Order was a state award, since 1918 it is the so-called a “house order” (award) of the ducal family with (former) monarchical powers.

The Duchy of Anhalt (Herzogtum Anhalt) was a monarchy, an independent state that joined the German Empire in 1871. It consisted of 26 states (4 kingdoms, 6 grand duchies, 5 duchies, 7 principalities, 3 free hanseatic cities and 1 imperial territory). All monarchies/states ended with the fall of the Empire in 1918. The current Head of the House of Anhalt is His Highness Eduard Prinz von Anhalt, related to the British Royal Family. The Duke of Anhalt is a cousin of King Charles III and is the son of the last reigning duke, Joachim Ernst (1901 – 1947), who perished in the Soviet Buchenwald Special Camp. The 82-year-old Duke of Anhalt is the last in the male line of the House of Anhalt, as well as the last surviving German Prince whose parents were a regular head of state. The Duke is thus a pretender to the throne of the Duchy of Anhalt.