Albert, Duke of Saxony
Encyclopedia
Albert III (27 January 1443 – 12 September 1500) was a Duke of Saxony
. He was nicknamed Albert the Bold or Albert the Courageous and founded the Albertine line of the House of Wettin.
Albert was born in Grimma
as the third and youngest son (but fifth child in order of birth) of Frederick II the Gentle, Elector of Saxony
, and Margarete of Austria, sister of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
. Later, he was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece
.
After escaping from the hands of Kunz von Kaufungen
, who had abducted him together with his brother Ernest
, he spent some time at the court of the emperor Frederick III
in Vienna
.
In Eger (Cheb)
on 11 November 1464 Albert married Zdenka (Sidonie), daughter of George of Podebrady
, King of Bohemia
; but failed to obtain the Bohemian Crown on the death of George in 1471.
After the death of his father in 1464, Albert and Ernest ruled their lands together, but in 1485 a division was made by the Treaty of Leipzig
, and Albert received the Meissen, together with some adjoining districts, and founded the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin.
Regarded as a capable soldier by the emperor, Albert (in 1475) took a prominent part in the campaign against Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy
, and in 1487 led an expedition against Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, which failed owing to lack of support on the part of the emperor.
In 1488 he was appointed Stadtholder
of the Netherlands
(until 1493) and marched with the imperial forces to free the Roman king Maximilian
from his imprisonment at Bruges, and when, in 1489, the King returned to Germany, Albert was left as his representative to prosecute the war against the rebels. He was successful in restoring the authority of Maximilian in Holland, Flanders
and Brabant, but failed to obtain any repayment of the large sums of money which he had spent in these campaigns.
His services were rewarded in 1498 when Maximilian bestowed upon him the title of Hereditary governor (potestat) of Friesland
, but he had to make good his claim by force of arms. He had to a great extent succeeded, and was paying a visit to Saxony, when he was recalled by news of a fresh rising. Groningen was captured, but soon afterwards the duke died at Emden
. He was buried at Meissen.
Albert, who was a man of great strength and considerable skill in feats of arms, delighted in tournaments and knightly exercises. His loyalty to the emperor Frederick, and the expenses incurred in this connection, aroused some irritation among his subjects, but his rule was a period of prosperity in Saxony.
Rulers of Saxony
This article lists Dukes, Electors, and Kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918.-Dukes of Saxony:...
. He was nicknamed Albert the Bold or Albert the Courageous and founded the Albertine line of the House of Wettin.
Albert was born in Grimma
Grimma
Grimma is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany on the left bank of the Mulde, southeast of Leipzig. Founded in c. 1170, it is part of the Leipzig district.- Location :...
as the third and youngest son (but fifth child in order of birth) of Frederick II the Gentle, Elector of Saxony
Frederick II, Elector of Saxony
Frederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:...
, and Margarete of Austria, sister of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
. Later, he was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
.
After escaping from the hands of Kunz von Kaufungen
Kunz von Kaufungen
Kunz von Kaufungen , was a German knight and military commander. A veteran of the Hussite wars, he also fought for Frederick II, Elector of Saxony against Frederick's brother Duke William III during the Saxon Fratricidal War...
, who had abducted him together with his brother Ernest
Ernest, Elector of Saxony
Ernst, Elector of Saxony was Elector of Saxony from 1464 to 1486.-Biography:Ernst was founder of the Ernestine line of Saxon princes, ancestor of George I of Great Britain, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as well as his wife and cousin Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and their...
, he spent some time at the court of the emperor Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
In Eger (Cheb)
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
on 11 November 1464 Albert married Zdenka (Sidonie), daughter of George of Podebrady
George of Podebrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...
, King of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
; but failed to obtain the Bohemian Crown on the death of George in 1471.
After the death of his father in 1464, Albert and Ernest ruled their lands together, but in 1485 a division was made by the Treaty of Leipzig
Treaty of Leipzig
The Treaty of Leipzig was signed on August 26, 1485 between Elector Ernest of Saxony and his younger brother Albert III, sons of Elector Frederick II of Saxony from the House of Wettin....
, and Albert received the Meissen, together with some adjoining districts, and founded the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin.
Regarded as a capable soldier by the emperor, Albert (in 1475) took a prominent part in the campaign against Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
, and in 1487 led an expedition against Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, which failed owing to lack of support on the part of the emperor.
In 1488 he was appointed Stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands
The Habsburg Netherlands was a geo-political entity covering the whole of the Low Countries from 1482 to 1556/1581 and solely the Southern Netherlands from 1581 to 1794...
(until 1493) and marched with the imperial forces to free the Roman king Maximilian
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
from his imprisonment at Bruges, and when, in 1489, the King returned to Germany, Albert was left as his representative to prosecute the war against the rebels. He was successful in restoring the authority of Maximilian in Holland, Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Brabant, but failed to obtain any repayment of the large sums of money which he had spent in these campaigns.
His services were rewarded in 1498 when Maximilian bestowed upon him the title of Hereditary governor (potestat) of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, but he had to make good his claim by force of arms. He had to a great extent succeeded, and was paying a visit to Saxony, when he was recalled by news of a fresh rising. Groningen was captured, but soon afterwards the duke died at Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
. He was buried at Meissen.
Albert, who was a man of great strength and considerable skill in feats of arms, delighted in tournaments and knightly exercises. His loyalty to the emperor Frederick, and the expenses incurred in this connection, aroused some irritation among his subjects, but his rule was a period of prosperity in Saxony.
Ancestry
| Albert, Duke of Saxony | Father: Frederick II, Elector of Saxony Frederick II, Elector of Saxony Frederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:... |
Paternal Grandfather: Frederick I, Elector of Saxony Frederick I, Elector of Saxony Frederick IV of Meissen and Elector of Saxony was Margrave of Meissen and Elector of Saxony from 1381 until his death. He is not to be confused with his cousin Frederick IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, the son of Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia Frederick III, the Strict , Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, was the son of Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen and Mathilde of Bavaria.... |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Catherine of Henneberg Catherine of Henneberg Catherine of Henneberg was a Countess of Henneberg by birth and from 1347 by marriage Margravine of Meissen, Landgravine of Thuringia, etc. She was the wife of Margrave Frederick the Severe of Meissen... |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Catherine of Brunswick Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg was a member of the House of Welf, a princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg and by marriage, the Electress of Saxony.- Life :... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called Henry the Mild, was prince of Lüneburg from 1388 to 1409 jointly with his brother Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, from 1400 to 1409 also of Wolfenbüttel, and from 1409 until his death sole prince of Lüneburg.Henry was the... |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Sophie of Pomerania |
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| Mother: Margaret of Austria Margaret of Austria, Electress of Saxony Margaret of Austria was the elder daughter of Ernest, Duke of Austria and his second wife Cymburgis of Masovia. From her marriage she was Electress of Saxony... |
Maternal Grandfather: Ernest, Duke of Austria Ernest, Duke of Austria Ernest the Iron was Duke of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola from 1406 until his death. He was a member of the Habsburg dynasty, of the Leopoldian line, whose head of the family he was from 1411 to 1424.-Biography:... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Leopold III, Duke of Austria Leopold III, Duke of Austria Duke Leopold III of Austria from the Habsburg family, was Duke of Austria from 1365 to 1379, and Duke of Styria and Carinthia in 1365–1386.-Life:... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Viridis Visconti Viridis Visconti Viridis Visconti was an Italian noblewoman, a daughter of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala. By her marriage to Leopold III, Duke of Austria, Viridis was Duchess consort of Austria, Styria and Carinthia, she was also Countess consort of Tyrol.- Family :Viridis was born in... |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Cymburgis of Masovia Cymburgis of Masovia Cymburgis of Masovia in January 1412 became the second wife of the Habsburg Duke Ernest the Iron of Austria and thus a Duchess/Archduchess of the Inner Austrian line in Styria, Carinthia and Carniola.Cimburgis was born at Warsaw in the Duchy of Masovia to Duke... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia Siemowit IV was one of the Dukes of Masovia of the old Polish Piast royal family. His domain included the lands of Czersk, Rawa, Sochaczew, Płock and Gostynin. In 1381 he inherited Wisz and in 1387 Bełz.-Life:Siemowit IV was a son of Siemowit III... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Alexandra of Lithuania Alexandra of Lithuania Alexandra was the youngest daughter of Grand Duke of Lithuania Algirdas and his second wife Uliana of Tver. In 1387 Alexandra married Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia... |
Family and children
With his wife Sidonie, Albrecht had nine children:- Katharina (b. Meissen, 24 July 1468 - d. Göttingen, 10 February 1524), married firstly on 24 February 1484 in Innsbruck to Duke Sigismund of Austria, and secondly on 1497 to Duke Eric I of Brunswick-CalenbergEric I, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgEric I, the Elder was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1495 and the reigning prince of Calenberg-Göttingen.- Ancestry :Eric I was born on 16 February 1470 in Neustadt am Rübenberge at the castle of Rovenburg....
. - Georg "der Bärtige"George, Duke of SaxonyGeorge the Bearded, Duke of Saxony , was duke of Saxony from 1500 to 1539.Duke George was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece.-Early life:...
(b. Meissen, 27 August 1471 - d. Dresden, 17 April 1539). - Heinrich V "der Fromme"Henry IV, Duke of SaxonyHenry IV the Pious, Duke of Saxony was a Duke of Saxony from the House of Wettin.-Biography:Heinrich was the second son of Albert, Duke of Saxony and his wife Sidonie Podiebrad, princess of Bohemia...
(b. Dresden, 16 March 1473 - d. Dresden, 18 August 1541). - Frederick (b. Torgau, 26 October 1474 - d. Rochlitz, 14 December 1510), Grand Master of the Teutonic KnightsTeutonic KnightsThe Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
. - Anna (b. Dresden, 3 August 1478 - d. Dresden, 1479).
- Stillborn child (1479).
- Louis (b. Torgau, 28 September 1481 - d. Torgau?, some days later / d. Torgau?, young after 1498) [?].
- John (b. and d. Torgau, 24 June 1484).
- John (b. Torgau, 2 December 1498 - d. Torgau?, some days later / d. Torgau?, young in September of the same year as his brother Louis) [?].