GEORGE III. OF ANHALT: Prince of
Anhalt-Dessau; b. at Dessau Aug. 13 or 15, 1507; d. there
Oct. 17, 1553. He was brought up with his brothers
mainly by his devout mother Margaret; Duchess of
Milnsterberg. At the instance of his kinsman,
Bishop Adolphus of Merseburg, he was elevated to
the rank of canon in that see in 1518, and attended
the University of Leipsic, where Georg Held of
Forchheim was his "highly beloved master." In
1524 Adolphus consecrated him as priest. That
he might be able the better to refute the Lutheran
sect, he made a thorough study of the Bible, the
Church Fathers, and church history. The extreme
tension of mind and the qualms of conscience into
which his investigations brought him induced a
violent illness, which left its mark upon him for the
rest of his life.
It was only after his mother's death (June, 1530)
that he could see his way to entire clearness of
faith; but from the time of the Diet of Augsburg
(1530) both George and his brothers are found allied
with the Reformers. After the first Evangelical
celebration of the Lord's Supper at Dessau, on
Maundy Thursday, 1534, George visited the district churches, making the fewest possible changes
in the church practises, in accordance with his
natural disposition and with Luther's acquiescence.
Loving peace, he sought to deter Luther, in 1538,
from publishing the tract
Wider den Bischof zu
Magdeburg;
and persuaded him, in 1542, not to
circulate his sharply worded tract on the feud of
Wurzen. In 1544 the protector of Merseburg
Cathedral, Maurice of Saxony, appointed his
brother, Duke Augustus, administrator, but be
cause the latter was not a cleric, designated George
of Anhalt as his "coadjutor in spiritual affairs."
In this capacity he forthwith proceeded, in com
pany with Antonius Musa, just then appointed
cathedral preacher at Merseburg, upon a visitation
of all the cathedral parishes, exhibiting great
patience, tactful discretion, and forbearance. He
next conferred with Maurice in the matter of a
prospective liturgy, which, in accordance with his
suggestions and in virtue of the deliberations of the
consistories of Merseburg and Meissen, was offi
cially completed at Altenzelle in 1545. Thence
forth twice a year George convened the cathedral
clergy to a synod in Merseburg Cathedral, and on
such occasions discoursed upon the questions and
evils of the time, and upon proper official conduct.
He based these
concimles eynodica
upon outlines
furnished him by Melanchthon. Of the sermons
which he delivered in the cathedral before many
hearers, only a few have been preserved. They are
distinguished by temperate and lucid exposition.
When, in spite of his efforts to the contrary, the
Schmalkald War broke out, George received under
his roof the fugitive Camerarius and his family;
interceded for Jonas, who had incurred Maurice's
anger; and sought to restrain the clergy from " sus
picious and frivolous words that might serve to
cause discord." Although he " hated " the Augsburg
Interim, he felt that he ought to lend a hand
in the preparation of the Leipsic Interim, in order
to preclude still worse results (see
Interim).
In
1549 the emperor's candidate Michael Heldingk
(Sidonius) was postulated by the chapter as bishop
of Merseburg. Until his arrival, George was to
continue administering the diocese. To strengthen
the
Evangelical confession as firmly as possible be
fore the threatening storm, he now delivered his
powerful sermons "On the False Prophets," and
" On the Right Worthy Sacrament of the Body
and Blood of 'Christ," which are directed both
against Rome and against the fanatics. Afterward
he retired to his Anhalt estates. Sojourning mostly
in
Warmsdorf he continued to preach there, and
when occasion offered sought to adjust the Osian
drian dispute. He died unmarried after lingering
sickness. His unfeigned piety, his gentleness and
love of peace, his benevolence and freedom of serv
ice, gained him the honorable title of the "devout"
or "pious." His theology was that of Luther.
Wilhelm Walther.
Bibliography:
His writings in German were edited by
Melanchthon, Wittenberg, 1555, 7th ed., 1741, Latin edition
containing the Conciones
synodico, 157o; the Cc,
ciones were edited by G. Stier in Germ. tranal_ 1895.
For his life consult: Leben der Aitvdter der iulheried.
%%rche, iv. 63 sqq., Leipsic, 1864 (contains lists of the
older literature); M. Steffenhagen, Georg von Anbalt,
Mereeburg, 1893; A.
Romelin, Die Reformation in Des
saa, Halls. 1895.
