Background
Joachim Ernest was born on 29 August 1595 in Sonderborg, the second youngest son of Duke John of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg and Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt.
Joachim Ernest was born on 29 August 1595 in Sonderborg, the second youngest son of Duke John of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg and Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt.
As a teenager he went on an educational tour of Europe, as was typical for young noblemen at that time. This took him to Holland, England, France and Italy. In 1617 he participated in the Uskok War.
When his father, the first of the so-called abgeteilte Herren (titular dukes who were not recognised by local landlords), died in 1622, the duchy was divided amongst the sons, resulting in five even smaller dukedoms.
Joachim Ernest received Schleswig-Holstein-Plön. In addition to the new residence town of Plön his estate included Ahrensbök and Reinfeld.
On 1 January 1671, shortly before his death, he was honoured in Copenhagen by the King of Denmark as a Knight of the Elephant (122nd bearer). He died on 5 October 1671 in Plön.
Joachim Ernest and Dorothea Augusta (born 12 May 1602.
Died 13 March 1682) had six children:
John Adolphus, also known as Hans Adolf (b 1634. Doctorate 1704), Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, married Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Augustus (b 1635. Doctorate 1699), Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Norburg
Ernestine (b 10 October 1636.
Doctorate 18 March 1696)
Joachim Ernest II (b 5 October 1637.
Doctorate 5 October 1700), Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Rethwisch m Isabella of Merode-Westerloo (b 1649. Doctorate 5 January 1701)
Bernard (b 31 January 1639.
Doctorate 13 January 1676), Danish general
Agnes Hedwig (b 29 September 1640. Doctorate 20 November 1698), married Christian, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Charles Henry (b 20 March 1642.
Doctorate 20 January 1655 in Vienna)
Sophia Eleonora (b 30 July 1644.
Doctorate 22 January 1688/9), married Wolfgang Julius, Count of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein.
Fruitbearing Society.
