Albert I, Duke of Saxony
Encyclopedia
Albert I (c. 1175 – 7 October 1260) was a Duke of Saxony
, Angria
, and Westphalia
; Lord of Nordalbingia
; Count of Anhalt
; and Prince-elector
and Archmarshal of the Holy Roman Empire
. Even though his grandfather Albert the Bear had held the Saxon dukedom between 1138 and 1142, this Albert is counted as the first.
. After his father's death in 1212, the surviving sons of the late duke divided his lands according to the laws of the House of Ascania: The elder Henry
received Anhalt and the younger Albert the Saxon duchy. Albert supported Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
, in his wars against the Hohenstaufen
.
In 1218 Albert's maternal uncle Prince-Archbishop Valdemar of Denmark
, who had been deposed from his Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, found refuge in Saxony, before he joined the Loccum Abbey
as monk.
On 22 July 1227 Albert I asserted as fellow victor in the Battle of Bornhöved
, commanding the Holy Roman left flank, his earlier disputed rank as liege lord
of the Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein
, a privilege, however, lost by his successor John V
in 1474. After Bornhöved Albert reinforced and extended his fortress and castle in Lauenburg upon Elbe
, which his father Bernard had erected in 1182.
Albert came into conflict with Ludolph I
, Prince-Bishop of Ratzeburg, and duly imprisoned Ludolph, where he was badly beaten, and later sent into exile.
After Albert's death at Lehnin Abbey
, his sons, the elder John I
and the younger Albert II
, ruled together as Dukes of Saxony, with John succeeded by his three sons Albert III, Eric I and John II, until before 20 September 1296 they split Saxony into Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg
, with the brothers jointly ruling the former, and Albert II ruling the latter.
In 1238 Albert married Agnes of Thuringia (*1205–1246*), daughter of Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia
In 1247 Albert married Helene of Brunswick-Lüneburg (*1231–6 September 1273*), daughter of Duke Otto the Child
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
, Angria
Angria
Angria or Angaria is a historical region in the present-day German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. The chronicler Widukind of Corvey in his Res gestae saxonicae sive annalium libri tres denoted it as the central region of the mediæval Duchy of Saxony lying along the middle...
, and Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
; Lord of Nordalbingia
Nordalbingia
Nordalbingia was one of the four administrative regions of the medieval Duchy of Saxony, the others being Angria, Eastphalia, and Westphalia....
; Count of Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
; and Prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
and Archmarshal of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. Even though his grandfather Albert the Bear had held the Saxon dukedom between 1138 and 1142, this Albert is counted as the first.
Life
A member of the House of Ascania, Albert was a younger son of Bernard III, Duke of Saxony, and Brigitte of Denmark, daughter of Canute V of DenmarkCanute V of Denmark
Canute V of Denmark was a Swedish prince and King of Denmark from 1146 to 1157, as co-regent in shifting alliances with his Sweyn III and Valdemar I. Canute was killed at the so-called Bloodfeast of Roskilde in 1157. Nothing certain is known about his person and character.-Biography:Canute was...
. After his father's death in 1212, the surviving sons of the late duke divided his lands according to the laws of the House of Ascania: The elder Henry
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....
received Anhalt and the younger Albert the Saxon duchy. Albert supported Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
, in his wars against the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
.
In 1218 Albert's maternal uncle Prince-Archbishop Valdemar of Denmark
Valdemar of Denmark (bishop)
Valdemar Knudsen was a Danish clergyman and statesman. His mother gave birth to him as the posthumous illegitimate son of Canute V of Denmark...
, who had been deposed from his Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, found refuge in Saxony, before he joined the Loccum Abbey
Loccum Abbey
Loccum Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the town of Rehburg-Loccum, Lower Saxony, near Steinhude Lake.-History:...
as monk.
On 22 July 1227 Albert I asserted as fellow victor in the Battle of Bornhöved
Battle of Bornhöved (1227)
The Battle of Bornhöved took place on 22 July 1227 near Bornhöved in Holstein. Count Adolf IV of Schauenburg and Holstein — leading an army consisting of troops from the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg, about 1000 Dithmarsians and combined troops of Holstein next to various north German nobles —...
, commanding the Holy Roman left flank, his earlier disputed rank as liege lord
Liege Lord
Liege Lord was an American speed/power metal band, active in the 1980s and considered to be a pioneer of the genre. It was formed by Matt Vinci, Anthony Truglio and Frank Cortese....
of the Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein
Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein
The Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein were titles of the Holy Roman Empire. The dynastic family came from Schauenburg near Rinteln on the Weser in Germany...
, a privilege, however, lost by his successor John V
John V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
John V of Saxe-Lauenburg was the eldest son of Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg and Adelheid of Pomerania-Stolp , daughter of Duke Bogislaus VIII of Pomerania-Stolp...
in 1474. After Bornhöved Albert reinforced and extended his fortress and castle in Lauenburg upon Elbe
Lauenburg/Elbe
Lauenburg/Elbe is a town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated at the northern bank of the river Elbe, east of Hamburg. It is the southernmost town of Schleswig-Holstein. Lauenburg belongs to the Kreis of Herzogtum Lauenburg and had a population of 11,900 as of 2002...
, which his father Bernard had erected in 1182.
Albert came into conflict with Ludolph I
Ludolph of Ratzeburg
-Religious Life:In 1236, Ludolph was appointed to the see of the newly formed Prince-Bishopric of Ratzeburg. Ludolph came into conflict with Duke Albert I of Saxony and was duly imprisoned, where he was badly beaten, and later sent into exile...
, Prince-Bishop of Ratzeburg, and duly imprisoned Ludolph, where he was badly beaten, and later sent into exile.
After Albert's death at Lehnin Abbey
Lehnin Abbey
Lehnin Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Lehnin in Brandenburg, Germany. Since 1911 it has accommodated the Luise-Henrietten-Stift, a Protestant women's community.-History:...
, his sons, the elder John I
John I, Duke of Saxony
Duke John I of Saxony was the elder son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child...
and the younger Albert II
Albert II, Duke of Saxony
Albert II of Saxony was a son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child. He supported Rudolph I of Germany at his election as Roman king and became his son-in-law...
, ruled together as Dukes of Saxony, with John succeeded by his three sons Albert III, Eric I and John II, until before 20 September 1296 they split Saxony into Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg
Saxe-Wittenberg
The Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
, with the brothers jointly ruling the former, and Albert II ruling the latter.
Marriages and issue
In 1222 Albert married Agnes of Austria (*1206–before 29 August 1238*) daughter of Duke Leopold VI of AustriaLeopold VI, Duke of Austria
Leopold VI , called the Glorious, from the House of Babenberg, was Duke of Austria from 1198 to 1230 and of Styria from 1194 to 1230....
- Bernard (d. after 1238)
- Judith of SaxonyJutta of SaxonyJutta of Saxony was a Danish Queen consort, spouse of King Eric IV of Denmark. Jutta was the daughter of Albert I, Duke of Saxony. She married king Erik in 1239, and became junior queen consort, since her husband was junior king, even though there were no senior queen at the time...
, (1) ∞ 17 November 1239 King Eric IV of DenmarkEric IV of DenmarkEric IV, also known as Eric Ploughpenny , was king of Denmark from 1241 until his death in 1250. He was the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark by his wife, Infanta Berengária of Portugal, and brother to King Abel and King Christopher I.-Early life:...
(*1216–1250*); and (2) ∞ Burchard VIII of Querfurt-RosenburgGroß RosenburgGroß Rosenburg is a village and a former municipality in the district Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Barby....
, Burgrave of Magdeburg (1273–1313 recorded) - Ann Mary (Anna Marie; d. 7 January 1252), ∞ Duke Barnim IBarnim I, Duke of PomeraniaBarnim I the Good from the Griffin dynasty was a Duke of Pomerania from 1220 until his death.-Life:...
of PomeraniaDuchy of PomeraniaThe Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania .... - Bridget (Brigitte Jutta) (d. 4 April 1266), fiancée of Otto of Brunswick and Lunenburg, ∞ before 1255 Margrave John I of Brandenburg [founder of the Johannean line Brandenburg-Stendal]
- Mathilde (Mechthild) (d. 28 July 1266), ∞ ca. 1241 Count John I of Schauenburg and Holstein-Kiel
In 1238 Albert married Agnes of Thuringia (*1205–1246*), daughter of Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia
- Agnes, ∞ Duke Henry of Silesia-Breslau
- Jutta, ∞ m. 1255, Johann I Margrave of Brandenburg; 2m: Burkhard VIII von Rosenburg, Bggf von Magdeburg
- Margaret (d. 1265), ∞ 1264 Count Helmold III of Schwerin
In 1247 Albert married Helene of Brunswick-Lüneburg (*1231–6 September 1273*), daughter of Duke Otto the Child
- Helene (*1247–12 June 1309*), (1) ∞ in 1266 Duke Henry III the White of Silesia-Breslau, and (2) ∞ in 1275 Burgrave Frederick III of NurembergFrederick III, Burgrave of NurembergFrederick III of Nuremberg , Burgrave of Nuremberg from the House of Hohenzollern, was the eldest son of Conrad I of Nuremberg and Adelheid of Frontenhausen.-Life:...
- Elisabeth (d. before 2 February 1306), (1) ∞ in 1250 Count John I of Schauenburg and Holstein-Kiel, (2) ∞ in 1265 Count Conrad I of Brehna
- John IJohn I, Duke of SaxonyDuke John I of Saxony was the elder son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child...
(* after 1248–30 July 1285*, in Wittenberg upon Elbe), co-ruling Duke of Saxony with his younger brother Albert II, resigned in 1282, John I married in 1257 Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland (*1247/or ca. 1253–1302*), daughter or grandchild of Birger jarlBirger jarl, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have... - Albert (Albrecht) IIAlbert II, Duke of SaxonyAlbert II of Saxony was a son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child. He supported Rudolph I of Germany at his election as Roman king and became his son-in-law...
(*1250–25 August 1298*), co-ruling Duke of Saxony with his elder brother John II (till 1282), then with the sons of the latter (till 1296), then as the sole duke of the partitioned branch duchy Saxe-WittenbergSaxe-WittenbergThe Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
, ∞ in 1273 Agnes (aka Hagne)Agnes of HabsburgAgnes 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...
(*c. 1257–11 October 1322*, in Wittenberg), daughter of King Rudolph I of GermanyRudolph I of GermanyRudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties... - Rudolf (d. after 1269), ∞ Anna, daughter of Count Palatine Louis of Bavaria