1745–1804
Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Enlightened ruler and patron who sheltered Weishaupt.
- Life
- 1745–1804
- Connection
- Member and protector of Weishaupt
Ernst II ruled the duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg from 1772 and was known as a patron of science, particularly astronomy. A member of the Illuminati, he offered Adam Weishaupt refuge in Gotha after the Bavarian suppression, where Weishaupt lived for the rest of his life.
References
- René Le Forestier, Les Illuminés de Bavière et la franc-maçonnerie allemande (Paris, 1914).
- Richard van Dülmen, Der Geheimbund der Illuminaten (Stuttgart, 1975).