The House of Wettin is a dynasty of German counts, dukes, prince-electors (Kurfürsten) and kings that once ruled the area of today's German states of Saxony, the Saxon part of Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia for more than 800 years. The family divided into two ruling branches in 1485 when the sons of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, divided the territories that had previously been ruled jointly.