Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich (15 December 1447, Munich
– 18 March 1508, Munich), , from 1467 Duke of Bavaria-Munich
, from 1503 Duke of the reunited Bavaria
.
and Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck. After the death of his older brother John IV, Duke of Bavaria
he gave up his spiritual career and returned from Pavia
to Munich. When his brothers Christoph and Wolfgang had resigned Albert became sole duke, but a new duchy Bavaria-Dachau
was created from Bavaria-Munich for his brother Duke Sigismund
in 1467. After Sigismund's death in 1501, it reverted to Bavaria-Munich.
The marriage of Kunigunde of Austria
to Albert IV, was a result of intrigues and deception, but must be counted as a defeat for emperor Frederick III
. Albert illegally took control of some imperial fiefs and then asked to marry Kunigunde (who lived in Innsbruck
, far from her father), offering to give her the fiefs as a dowry. Frederick agreed at first, but after Albert took over yet another fief, Regensburg
, Frederick withdrew his consent. On January 2, 1487, however, before Frederick's change of heart could be communicated to his daughter, Kunigunde married Albert. A war was prevented only by intermediation by the Emperor's son, Maximilian
. Albert finally decided to return territorial acquisitions in Swabia
in 1492 to avoid a war with the Habsburg
and the Swabian League
. He then also had to release Regensburg which had been reunited with Bavaria in 1486 and had to renounce Further Austria
when Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
tried to make it over to Albert.
After the death of the last duke of Bavaria-Landshut
George
in 1503, Albert managed to reunite the whole of Bavaria in a dreadful war
against George's heirs, the Palatinate line of his Wittelsbach
family but had to transfer the most southern districts of Bavaria-Landshut to his brother-in-law Emperor Maximilian as compensation for his support: Kufstein
, Kitzbühel
and Rattenberg
passed to Maximilian in 1506 and were united with Tyrol
. For the Palatinate branch a new duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg
was created.
To avoid any future division of Bavaria, Albert edicted the everlasting succession of the firstborn prince in 1506. Nevertheless his oldest son and successor William IV, Duke of Bavaria
had to share his power from 1516 onwards with his younger brother Louis X, Duke of Bavaria
. After the death of Louis in 1545, the edict became effective until the end of Bavarian monarchy in 1918.
Albert is buried in the Frauenkirche
in Munich.
, daughter of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
and his wife Eleonore of Portugal.
They had eight children:
For Albert's wedding the Grünwald Castle
was extended in 1486/87 by Jörg von Weikertshausen.
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
– 18 March 1508, Munich), , from 1467 Duke of Bavaria-Munich
Bavaria-Munich
-History:After the death of Stephen II in 1375, his sons Stephen III, Frederick, and John II jointly ruled Bavaria-Landshut. After seventeen years, the brothers decided to formally divide their inheritance. John received Bavaria-Munich, Stephen received Bavaria-Ingolstadt, while Frederick kept...
, from 1503 Duke of the reunited Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
Biography
Albert was a son of Albert III, Duke of BavariaAlbert III, Duke of Bavaria
Albert III the Pious of Bavaria-Munich , , since 1438 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. He was born to Ernest, Duke of Bavaria and Elisabetta Visconti, daughter of Bernabò Visconti.-Life:Albert was born in Munich....
and Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck. After the death of his older brother John IV, Duke of Bavaria
John IV, Duke of Bavaria
John IV. of Bavaria-Munich , was duke of Bavaria-Munich from 1460 until his death.-Biography:...
he gave up his spiritual career and returned from Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
to Munich. When his brothers Christoph and Wolfgang had resigned Albert became sole duke, but a new duchy Bavaria-Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
was created from Bavaria-Munich for his brother Duke Sigismund
Sigismund of Bavaria
Sigismund of Bavaria was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty. He ruled as Duke of Bavaria-Munich from 1460 to 1467, and then as Duke of Bavaria-Dachau until his death.-Biography:...
in 1467. After Sigismund's death in 1501, it reverted to Bavaria-Munich.
The marriage of Kunigunde of Austria
Kunigunde of Austria
Kunigunde of Austria was an Austrian Archduchess member of the House of Habsburg and by marriage Duchess of Bavaria-Munich and since 1503 over all Bavaria....
to Albert IV, was a result of intrigues and deception, but must be counted as a defeat for 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...
. Albert illegally took control of some imperial fiefs and then asked to marry Kunigunde (who lived in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, far from her father), offering to give her the fiefs as a dowry. Frederick agreed at first, but after Albert took over yet another fief, Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, Frederick withdrew his consent. On January 2, 1487, however, before Frederick's change of heart could be communicated to his daughter, Kunigunde married Albert. A war was prevented only by intermediation by the Emperor's son, 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...
. Albert finally decided to return territorial acquisitions in Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
in 1492 to avoid a war with the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
and the Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
. He then also had to release Regensburg which had been reunited with Bavaria in 1486 and had to renounce Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
when Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
Sigismund of Austria, Duke, then Archduke of Further Austria was a Habsburg archduke of Austria and ruler of Tirol from 1446 to 1490....
tried to make it over to Albert.
After the death of the last duke of Bavaria-Landshut
Bavaria-Landshut
-History:The creation of the duchy was the result of the death of Emperor Louis IV the Bavarian. In the Treaty of Landsberg 1349, which divided up Louis's empire, his sons Stephen, William, and Albert were to receive jointly Lower Bavaria and the Netherlands. Four years later the inheritance was...
George
George of Bavaria
George of Bavaria referred to as the Rich , was the last Duke of Bavaria-Landshut...
in 1503, Albert managed to reunite the whole of Bavaria in a dreadful war
Landshut War of Succession
The Landshut War of Succession resulted from an agreement between the duchies of Bavaria-Munich and Bavaria-Landshut . The agreement concerned the law of succession when one of the two Dukes should die without a male heir...
against George's heirs, the Palatinate line of his Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
family but had to transfer the most southern districts of Bavaria-Landshut to his brother-in-law Emperor Maximilian as compensation for his support: Kufstein
Kufstein
Kufstein is a city in Tyrol, Austria, located along the river Inn, in the lower Inn valley, near the border with Bavaria, Germany, and is the site of a post World War II French sector United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons camp.Kufstein is the second largest city...
, Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel
-Demographic evolution:-Personalities:*Karl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre , entomologist and botanist*Alfons Walde , expressionist painter and architect*Peter Aufschnaiter , mountaineer and geographer...
and Rattenberg
Rattenberg
Rattenberg, Austria is a town on the Inn River, near Rattenberg mountain and Innsbruck. With a population of 440, it is the smallest town in the country....
passed to Maximilian in 1506 and were united with Tyrol
German Tyrol
German Tyrol is a historical region in the Alps now divided between Austria and Italy. It includes largely ethnic German areas of historical County of Tyrol: the Austrian state of Tyrol and the province of South Tyrol but not the largely Italian-speaking province of Trentino .-History:German...
. For the Palatinate branch a new duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg is a former territory of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 1505. Its capital was Neuburg an der Donau. Its area was about 2,750 km², with a population of some 100,000.-History:...
was created.
To avoid any future division of Bavaria, Albert edicted the everlasting succession of the firstborn prince in 1506. Nevertheless his oldest son and successor William IV, Duke of Bavaria
William IV, Duke of Bavaria
William IV of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria from 1508 to 1550, until 1545 together with his younger brother Louis X, Duke of Bavaria....
had to share his power from 1516 onwards with his younger brother Louis X, Duke of Bavaria
Louis X, Duke of Bavaria
Louis X , was Duke of Bavaria , together with his older brother William IV, Duke of Bavaria...
. After the death of Louis in 1545, the edict became effective until the end of Bavarian monarchy in 1918.
Albert is buried in the Frauenkirche
Munich Frauenkirche
The Frauenkirche is a church in the Bavarian city of Munich that serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and seat of its Archbishop. It is a landmark and is considered a symbol of the Bavarian capital city.The church towers are widely visible because of local height...
in Munich.
Family and children
On 3 January 1487 he married to Archiduchess Kunigunde of AustriaKunigunde of Austria
Kunigunde of Austria was an Austrian Archduchess member of the House of Habsburg and by marriage Duchess of Bavaria-Munich and since 1503 over all Bavaria....
, daughter 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...
and his wife Eleonore of Portugal.
- Sidonie (1 May 1488 – 27 March 1505)
- Sibylle (16 June 1489 – 18 April 1519), married in 1511 to Louis V, Elector PalatineLouis V, Elector PalatineLouis V, Count Palatine of the Rhine ; a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was prince elector of the Palatinate....
- SabinaSabina of BavariaSabina of Bavaria-Munich was born Duchess of Bavaria and became wife of Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg.-Family:...
(24 April 1492 – 30 April 1564), married in 1511 to Duke Ulrich I of WürttembergUlrich, Duke of WürttembergHerzog Ulrich von Württemberg succeeded his kinsman Eberhard II as Duke of Württemberg in 1498, being declared of age in 1503.-Early life:... - William IV, Duke of BavariaWilliam IV, Duke of BavariaWilliam IV of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria from 1508 to 1550, until 1545 together with his younger brother Louis X, Duke of Bavaria....
(13 November 1493 – 7 March 1550) - Louis X, Duke of BavariaLouis X, Duke of BavariaLouis X , was Duke of Bavaria , together with his older brother William IV, Duke of Bavaria...
(18 September 1495 – 22 April 1545) - Susanne (1499 – 1500)
- Ernest of BavariaErnest of Bavaria (1500–1560)Duke Ernest of Bavaria was Administrator of the dioceses of Passau and Salzburg and pledge Lord of Glatz.- Background and education :Ernest was a member of the Bavarian noble Wittelsbach family...
(13 June 1500 – 1560), an eclassiastical official in PassauPassauPassau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
(1517–40), Cologne, ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
in SalzburgSalzburg-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
(1540–54) and EichstädtEichstädtEichstädt is a village in Brandenburg, Germany. It is not to be confused with Eichstätt, Bavaria....
, also administrator and owner of the County of KladskoCounty of KladskoThe County of Kladsko was a historical administrative unit in the Kingdom of Bohemia and later in the Kingdom of Prussia with its capital at Kłodzko on the Nysa river...
(1549–1560) - SusanneSusanna of BavariaSusanna of Bavaria was a German noblewoman. Born in Munich, she was the daughter of Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria, and Kunigunde of Austria, herself the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal...
(2 April 1502 – 23 April 1543), married:- in 1518 to Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-BayreuthCasimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-BayreuthCasimir of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Margrave of Bayreuth from 1515 to 1527.- Family background :...
- in 1529 to Otto Henry, Elector PalatineOtto Henry, Elector PalatineOtto-Henry, Elector Palatine, a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Count Palatine of Palatinate-Neuburg from 1505 to 1559 and prince elector of the Palatinate from 1556 to 1559...
- in 1518 to Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
For Albert's wedding the Grünwald Castle
Grünwald, Bavaria
Grünwald is a municipality in the district of Munich, in Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the right bank of the Isar, 12 km southwest of Munich...
was extended in 1486/87 by Jörg von Weikertshausen.
Ancestors
| Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria | Father: Albert III, Duke of Bavaria Albert III, Duke of Bavaria Albert III the Pious of Bavaria-Munich , , since 1438 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. He was born to Ernest, Duke of Bavaria and Elisabetta Visconti, daughter of Bernabò Visconti.-Life:Albert was born in Munich.... |
Paternal Grandfather: Ernest, Duke of Bavaria Ernest, Duke of Bavaria Ernest of Bavaria-Munich , , from 1397 Duke of Bavaria-Munich.-Biography:Ernest was a son of John II and ruled the duchy of Bavaria-Munich together with his brother William III.... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: John II, Duke of Bavaria John II, Duke of Bavaria Duke John II of Bavaria-Munich , , since 1375 Duke of Bavaria-Munich. He was the third son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:... |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Catherine of Gorizia Catherine of Gorizia Catherine of Gorizia was a daughter of Count Meinhard VI of Gorizia and his first wife Catherine of Pfannberg.In 1372, she married Duke John II of Bavaria-Munich... |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Elisabetta Visconti Elisabetta Visconti Elisabetta Visconti , also known as Elisabeth or Elizabeth, was a younger child of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Bernabò Visconti Bernabo Visconti Bernabò Visconti was an Italian soldier and statesman, who was Lord of Milan.-Life:He was born in Milan, the son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria. From 1346 to 1349 he lived in exile, until he was called back by his uncle Giovanni Visconti... |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Beatrice della Scala |
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| Mother: Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck was a daughter of Duke Eric I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen and his wife, Elisabeth of Brunswick-Göttingen.Anna's first marriage was with Duke Albert III of Bavaria... |
Maternal Grandfather: Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen nicknamed the winner , ruled the Principality of Grubenhagen, a part of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg.- Life :... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen Albert I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen was a Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and Prince of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Salzderhelden. He reigned from 1361 until his death.... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Elisabeth of Brunswick-Göttingen |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Göttingen Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Göttingen Otto the Evil was a member of the House of Guelph. He was a Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1367 Duke in the Principality of Göttingen.- Life :... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Margareta of Berg |