Background
He was the third but second surviving son of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg and Christiana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
He was the third but second surviving son of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg and Christiana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
In order to give his three younger sons a proper land to live, Duke Christian I, before his death assigned to them in each case his own small territories as appanages. However, the allowances of them remained in the Saxe-Merseburg main line and with this, their powers over that lands were strongly limited. August received the town of Zörbig in 1691 and founded the line of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig.
Shortly after, August shifted his household from to Zörbig to Alternate-Stargard, who he received from his father-in-law as a dowry.
His dominion there led to an exceptional flourish. So the reconstruction measures of his father were continued in the region damaged by the Thirty Years" War.
Since 1694 he began the arrangements of the Schloss Zörbig into a new and comfortable residence. However, August died before the finishing of the constructions.