The Principality of Ansbach (in German, Fürstentum Ansbach) was established at the death of Burgrave Friedrich V of Nürnberg on 21 January 1398, when his lands were partitioned between his two sons. The younger son, Friedrich VI, received Ansbach and the elder, Johann III , received Bayreuth. The two principalities were reunited under the younger son, Friedrich, after Johann's death on 11 June 1420. Friedrich had become Margrave of Brandenburg as Friedrich I in 1415, and on his death, 21 September 1440, his territories were divided between his sons; the eldest, Johann , received Bayreuth, the second, Friedrich, Brandenburg, while Ansbach passed to the third son Albrecht Achilles. Thereafter Ansbach was held by cadet branches of the house of the Margraves of Brandenburg, and its rulers were thus commonly called Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach (though Ansbach is nowhere near Brandenburg). On 2 December 1791, the reigning Prince and Margrave of Ansbach (Fürst und Markgraf von Ansbach), Christian Friedrich , who had also succeeded to Bayreuth, sold the sovereignty of his principalities to the King of Prussia, and Ansbach was formally annexed to the Royal Prussian States on 28 January 1792.
Princes and Margraves of Ansbach
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