Ernst August I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (German: Ernst August I; 19 April 1688 – 19 January 1748), was a duke of Saxe-Weimar and, from 1741, of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
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Biography
He was the second but eldest surviving son of Johann Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and his first wife Sophie Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst.
When his father died in 1707, Ernst August became co-ruler (Mitherr) of Saxe-Weimar, along with his uncle Wilhelm Ernst, but his title was only nominal, since Wilhelm Ernst was the actual ruler of the duchy. Only when Wilhelm Ernst died in 1728 did Ernst August begin to exercise true authority over Saxe-Weimar.
Excesses
Ernst August was a splendor-loving ruler, and his extravagances contributed to the eventual financial ruin of his duchy. Desperately in need of funds, he resorted to the practice of arresting wealthy subjects without cause, and setting them free only after they had renounced their fortunes to the duke, or had paid exorbitant ransoms. Some of the victims, who considered this behaviour illegal, made claims against the duke at the Imperial Court in Vienna or in the Imperial Chamber Court of Appeal in Wetzlar. Ernst August lost all the legal proceedings mounted against him. The process lasted for many years and eventually led to the duchy's bankruptcy.