Albert II, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Encyclopedia
Albert II, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (died 17 July 1362) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst
.
He was the third son of Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, but the eldest child born to his second wife Agnes, daughter of Conrad, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal.
were put under the custody of their maternal uncle, Waldemar, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal
. When both brothers were proclaimed adults, they decided to ruled jointly without a territorial division of their inheritance, but with separated residences: Waldemar I decided to live in Dessau
and Albert in Zerbst
or Köthen.
Together, the brothers acquired full sovereignty over Zerbst, the Margraviate of Landsberg
, and the Palatine County of Saxony
after the extinction of the Ascanian line of Brandenburg (Frankfurt-am-Main, 27 September 1320), but the Margraviate of Brandenburg
was taken by the Emperor Louis IV
on behalf of his son. Three years later, in 1323, Albert was granted the title "Princeps Ascaniae" (Prince of Ascania).
In ca. 1337 Albert married for a second time to Beatrix (d. aft. 26 February 1345), daughter of Rudolf I, Elector of Saxony and Duke of Saxe-Wittemberg. Her paternal grandmother Agnes of Habsburg
was a daughter of Rudolph I, Holy Roman Emperor. The spouses were distantly related: Beatrix's great-grandfather Albert I, Duke of Saxony
, was a brother of Henry I, Count of Anhalt
, Albert's great-great-grandfather. They had five children:
Anhalt-Zerbst
Anhalt-Zerbst was a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is bounded by the districts Potsdam-Mittelmark and Wittenberg, the city of Dessau and the districts of Köthen, Schönebeck and Jerichower Land.- History :...
.
He was the third son of Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
, but the eldest child born to his second wife Agnes, daughter of Conrad, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal.
Life
Still a minor when his father died in 1316, Albert and his younger brother and co-ruler Waldemar IWaldemar I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Waldemar I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
were put under the custody of their maternal uncle, Waldemar, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal
Waldemar, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal
Waldemar of Brandenburg was Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal, the last from the Ascanian House.-Life:He was a son of Conrad, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal and Constance, daughter of Przemysł I of Greater Poland...
. When both brothers were proclaimed adults, they decided to ruled jointly without a territorial division of their inheritance, but with separated residences: Waldemar I decided to live in Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
and Albert in Zerbst
Zerbst
Zerbst is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until the administrative reform of 2007, Zerbst was the capital of the Anhalt-Zerbst district. Since the 1 January 2010 local government reform, Zerbst has about 24,000 inhabitants.It is not clear when was it founded;...
or Köthen.
Together, the brothers acquired full sovereignty over Zerbst, the Margraviate of Landsberg
Margraviate of Landsberg
The Margraviate of Landsberg was a march of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the 12th to the 14th century. It was named after Landsberg Castle in present-day Saxony-Anhalt...
, and the Palatine County of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
after the extinction of the Ascanian line of Brandenburg (Frankfurt-am-Main, 27 September 1320), but the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
was taken by the Emperor Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
on behalf of his son. Three years later, in 1323, Albert was granted the title "Princeps Ascaniae" (Prince of Ascania).
Marriages and Issue
On 2 September 1324 Albert married Agnes (d. bef. 25 January 1337), daughter of Wizlaw III, Duke of Rügen. The union was childless.In ca. 1337 Albert married for a second time to Beatrix (d. aft. 26 February 1345), daughter of Rudolf I, Elector of Saxony and Duke of Saxe-Wittemberg. Her paternal grandmother Agnes of Habsburg
Agnes of Habsburg
Agnes of Habsburg was a daughter of Emperor Rudolph I of Germany and his first wife Countess Gertrude of Hohenberg. She was a member of the House of Habsburg.- Marriage :In 1273 she was married to Elector Albert II of Saxony...
was a daughter of Rudolph I, Holy Roman Emperor. The spouses were distantly related: Beatrix's great-grandfather Albert I, Duke of Saxony
Albert I, Duke of Saxony
Albert I was a Duke of Saxony, Angria, and Westphalia; Lord of Nordalbingia; Count of Anhalt; and Prince-elector and Archmarshal of the Holy Roman Empire...
, was a brother of Henry I, Count of Anhalt
Henry I, Count of Anhalt
Henry I, Count of Anhalt was a German prince of the House of Ascania and Count of Anhalt.He was the oldest son of Bernhard III, Duke of Saxony and Count of Anhalt, by his wife Brigitte a daughter of Canute V of Denmark....
, Albert's great-great-grandfather. They had five children:
- A daughter (d. ca. 1353), who married Albert VII, Count of Barby-Mühlingen.
- Judith (d. 23 February 1381), married on 11 March 1358 to Burkhard XII, Burggrave of MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Count of Retz, and Lord of Kaya. - Albert III, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstAlbert III, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstAlbert III, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
(d. ca. 1 August 1359). - Rudolph (II) (d. 3 September 1365), Bishop of SchwerinSchwerinSchwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
(1365). - John II, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstJohn II, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstJohn II, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
(d. 11 April 1382).