JOHN (JOHN NEPOMUK MARIA JOSEPH) (1801-1873), king of Saxony, son of Prince Maximilian of Saxony and his wife Caroline of Parma (d. 1804), was born at Dresden on Dec. 12, 1801. As a boy he took a keen interest in literature and art (also in history, law and political science), and studied with the greatest ardour classical and German literature (Herder, Schiller, Goethe).
He soon began to compose poetry himself, and drew great inspira tion from a journey in Italy (1821-1822), the pleasure of which was however darkened by the death of his brother Clemens. In Pavia the prince met with Biagioli's edition of Dante, and this gave rise to his lifelong and fruitful studies of Dante. The first part of his German translation of Dante was published in 1828, and in 1833 appeared the complete work, with a valuable commen tary. Several new editions appeared under his constant super vision, and he collected a complete library of works on Dante.
By his marriage with Amalia of Bavaria, John became the brother-in-law of Frederick William IV., king of Prussia, with whom he had a deep and lasting friendship. His wife died on Nov. 8, 1877, having borne him nine children, two of whom, Albert and George, later became kings of Saxony.
On his return to Dresden, John was called in 1822 to the privy board of finance (Geheimes Finanzkollegium) and in 1825 be came its vice-president. He entered the privy council in 1830.
During the revolution in Saxony he helped in the pacification of the country, became commandant of the new national guard, the political tendencies of which he tried to check, and took part in the organization of the constitution of Sept. 4, 1831. On the death of his brother Frederick Augustus II., John became, on Aug. 9, 1854, king of Saxony. He advocated the formation of a confederation of the smaller German states independent of Prus sia and Austria. He supported Austria against Prussia at the diet of Princes in 1863, but he rallied to the North German Con federation after 1866, and dismissed Beust (q.v.), who had hith erto directed Saxon foreign policy. In the war of 187o-7I with France his troops fought with conspicuous courage. He died at Dresden on Oct. 29, 1873.
See H. Ermisch, Die Wettiner and die Landesgeschichte (Leipzig, 1902) ; 0. Kaemmel, Sachsische Geschichte (Leipzig, 1899, Sammlung Goschen). His son John George edited his correspondence with Frederick William IV. and Wilhelm I. (19n), and with George Ticknor (1920).