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Albert the Bear

Albert the Bear (German: Albrecht der Bär; c. 1100 – 18 November 1170) was the first margrave of Brandenburg from 1157 to his death and was briefly duke of Saxony between 1138 and 1142.

Albert the Bear
Effigy on Albert's seal
Margrave of Brandenburg
Reign1157–1170
SuccessorOtto I
Bornc. 1100
Died(1170-11-18)18 November 1170 (aged 70)
possibly Stendal
Burial
SpouseSophie of Winzenburg
Issue
more...
Otto I, Margrave of Brandenburg
Hermann I, Count of Orlamünde
Siegfried, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen
Bernhard, Count of Anhalt
Hedwig, Margravine of Meissen
HouseHouse of Ascania
FatherOtto, Count of Ballenstedt
MotherEilika of Saxony

Life edit

Albert was the only son of Otto, Count of Ballenstedt,[1] and Eilika,[2] daughter of Magnus Billung, Duke of Saxony. He inherited his father's valuable estates in northern Saxony in 1123, and on his mother's death, in 1142, succeeded to one-half of the lands of the house of Billung. Albert was a loyal vassal of his relation, Lothar I, Duke of Saxony, from whom, about 1123, he received the Margraviate of Lusatia, to the east; after Lothar became King of the Germans, he accompanied him on a disastrous expedition to Bohemia against the upstart, Soběslav I, Duke of Bohemia in 1126 at the Battle of Kulm, where he suffered a short imprisonment.[3]

Albert's entanglements in Saxony stemmed from his desire to expand his inherited estates there. After the death of his brother-in-law, Henry II, Margrave of the Nordmark, who controlled a small area on the Elbe called the Saxon Northern March, in 1128, Albert, disappointed at not receiving this fief himself, attacked Udo V, Count of Stade, the heir, and was consequently deprived of Lusatia by Lothar.[citation needed] Udo, however, was said to have been assassinated by servants of Albert on 15 March 1130 near Aschersleben. In spite of this, Albert went to Italy in 1132 in the train of the king, and his services there were rewarded in 1134 by the investiture of the Northern March, which was again without a ruler.[3]

In 1138 Conrad III, the Hohenstaufen King of the Germans, deprived Albert's cousin and nemesis, Henry the Proud, of his Saxon duchy, which was awarded to Albert if he could take it. After some initial success in his efforts to take possession, Albert was driven from Saxony, and also from his Northern March by a combined force of Henry and Jaxa of Köpenick, and compelled to take refuge in south Germany.[3] Henry died in 1139 and an arrangement was found. Henry's son, Henry the Lion, received the duchy of Saxony in 1142. In the same year, Albert renounced the Saxon duchy and received the counties of Weimar and Orlamünde.

Once he was firmly established in the Northern March, Albert's covetous eye lay also on the thinly populated lands to the north and east. For three years he was occupied in campaigns against the Slavic Wends, who as pagans were considered fair game, and whose subjugation to Christianity was the aim of the Wendish Crusade of 1147 in which Albert took part. Albert was a part of the army that besieged Demmin, and at the end of the war, recovered Havelberg, which had been lost since 983. Diplomatic measures were more successful, and by an arrangement made with the last of the Wendish princes of Brandenburg, Pribislav-Henry of the Hevelli, Albert secured this district when the prince died in 1150. Taking the title "Margrave in Brandenburg", he pressed the crusade against the Wends, extended the area of his mark, encouraged Dutch and German settlement in the Elbe-Havel region (Ostsiedlung), established bishoprics under his protection, and so became the founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1157, which his heirs — the House of Ascania — held until the line died out in 1320.

In 1158 a feud with Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, was interrupted by a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On his return in 1160, he, with the consent of his sons, Siegfried not being mentioned, donated land to the Knights of Saint John in memory of his wife, Sofia, at Werben on the Elbe.[4][5][6] Around this same time, he minted a pfennig in memory of his deceased wife.[citation needed] In 1162 Albert accompanied Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to Italy, where he distinguished himself at the storming of Milan.[3]

In 1164 Albert joined a league of princes formed against Henry the Lion, and peace being made in 1169, Albert divided his territories among his six sons. He died on 18 November 1170, and was buried at Ballenstedt.[3]

Cognomen edit

 
Foundation of the memorial to Albert at Spandau Citadel.

Albert's personal qualities won for him the cognomen of the Bear, "not from his looks or qualities, for he was a tall handsome man, but from the cognisance on his shield, an able man, had a quick eye as well as a strong hand, and could pick what way was straightest among crooked things, was the shining figure and the great man of the North in his day, got much in the North and kept it, got Brandenburg for one there, a conspicuous country ever since," says Thomas Carlyle, who called Albert "a restless, much-managing, wide-warring man."[7] He was also called "the Handsome."[7]

Marriage and children edit

Albert was married in 1124 to Sophie of Winzenburg (died 25 March 1160) and they had the following children:

  1. Otto I, Margrave of Brandenburg (1126/1128–7 March 1184)[8]
  2. Count Hermann I of Orlamünde (died 1176),[8] father of Siegfried III, Count of Weimar-Orlamünde[9]
  3. Siegfried (died 24 October 1184), Bishop of Brandenburg from 1173 to 1180, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, the first ranked prince, from 1180 to 1184[8]
  4. Heinrich (died after 1185), a canon in Magdeburg[9]
  5. Count Albert of Ballenstedt[10] (died after 6 December 1172)[citation needed]
  6. Count Dietrich of Werben (died after 5 September 1183)[8]
  7. Count Bernhard of Anhalt (1138/1142[11]–9 February 1212), Duke of Saxony from 1180 to 1212 as Bernard III[citation needed]
  8. Hedwig (d. 1203), married to Otto II, Margrave of Meissen[8]
  9. Unknown daughter, married in c. 1153[a] to Duke Děpold of Moravia[13]
  10. Unknown daughter,[b] married c. 1153 to Vladislav of Olomouc, the eldest son of Soběslav I, Duke of Bohemia[15]
  11. Adelheid (died before 1162), a nun in Lamspringe[16]
  12. Unknown daughter,[c] married before 1146 Otto the Younger, son of Otto of Salm[17]
  13. Sybille (died c. 1170), Abbess of Quedlinburg[citation needed]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Mielzarek dates the marriage between 1140 and 1156 with 1153 as the most likely candidate[12]
  2. ^ Mielzarek suggests that this daughter is identical to the one that married Děpold of Moravia and that the record of "Wladizlaus dux" marrying said daughter is a mistake.[14]
  3. ^ Mielzarek suggests that she might have been the same daughter as Adelheid if she became a nun after her husband's death in 1148 or 1149.[16]

References edit

  1. ^ Brooke 2019, p. 268.
  2. ^ Krömmelbein & Brogyanyi 2002, p. 73.
  3. ^ a b c d e Chisholm 1911.
  4. ^ Freller 2010, p. 40.
  5. ^ Freller 2010, p. 55.
  6. ^ Lyon 2013, p. 35.
  7. ^ a b Carlyle 1869, pp. 59–61.
  8. ^ a b c d e Lyon 2013, p. 241.
  9. ^ a b Mielzarek 2020, p. 320.
  10. ^ Mielzarek 2020, p. 321.
  11. ^ Mielzarek 2020, p. 293.
  12. ^ Mielzarek 2020, p. 276.
  13. ^ Mielzarek 2020, pp. 275–276.
  14. ^ Mielzarek 2020, pp. 279–281.
  15. ^ Mielzarek 2020, pp. 277–278.
  16. ^ a b Mielzarek 2020, p. 274.
  17. ^ Mielzarek 2020, pp. 274–275.

Works cited edit

  • Brooke, Z.N. (2019). A History of Europe 911–1198. Routledge.
  • Carlyle, Thomas (1869). History of Friedrich II. of Prussia: Called Frederick the Great. History of Friedrich II. of Prussia: Called Frederick the Great. Chapman and Hall. pp. 59–61. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  •   This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Albert I.". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 494.
  • Freller, Thomas (2010). The German Langue of the Order of Malta. Malta: Midsea Books. ISBN 978-99932-7-299-1.
  • Krömmelbein, Thomas; Brogyanyi, Bela, eds. (2002). Germanisches Altertum und christliches Mittelalter: Festschrift für Heinz Klingenberg zum 65. Geburtstag (in German). Kovač.
  • Lyon, Jonathan R. (2013). Princely Brothers and Sisters: The Sibling Bond in German Politics, 1100–1250. New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801451300.
  • Mielzarek, Christoph (2020). Albrecht der Bär und Konrad von Wettin: Fürstliche Herrschaft in den ostsächsichen Marken im 12. Jahrhundert (in German). Cologne: Böhlau Verlag. ISBN 978-3-412-51870-7.

General references edit

  • Carlyle, Thomas (1898). History of Frederick the Great.
  • Partenheimer, Lutz (2007). Die Entstehung der Mark Brandenburg: Mit einem lateinisch-deutschen Quellenanhang. Köln: Böhlau. ISBN 978-3-412-17106-3.
  • Partenheimer, Lutz (2003). Albrecht der Bär (in German). Cologne: Böhlau Verlag. ISBN 3-412-16302-3.
  • Schultze, Johannes (2011). Die Mark Brandenburg: (Bd. I–V in einem Band). Duncker & Humblot. ISBN 978-3428134809.

External links edit

  • Chapter iv: Albert the Bear
  • The History Files: Rulers of Brandenburg
Albert (German: Albrecht) of Ballenstedt
Born: c. 1100 Died: 18 November 1170 in Stendal?
Regnal titles
Preceded by Count of Anhalt
1123–1170
Succeeded by
Preceded by Duke of Saxony
1138–1142
Succeeded by
New title Margrave of Brandenburg
1157–1170
Succeeded by

albert, bear, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, january, 2013, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, ger. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Albert the Bear German Albrecht der Bar c 1100 18 November 1170 was the first margrave of Brandenburg from 1157 to his death and was briefly duke of Saxony between 1138 and 1142 Albert the BearEffigy on Albert s sealMargrave of BrandenburgReign1157 1170SuccessorOtto IBornc 1100Died 1170 11 18 18 November 1170 aged 70 possibly StendalBurialBallenstedtSpouseSophie of WinzenburgIssuemore Otto I Margrave of BrandenburgHermann I Count of OrlamundeSiegfried Prince Archbishop of BremenBernhard Count of AnhaltHedwig Margravine of MeissenHouseHouse of AscaniaFatherOtto Count of BallenstedtMotherEilika of Saxony Contents 1 Life 2 Cognomen 3 Marriage and children 4 Notes 5 References 5 1 Works cited 5 2 General references 6 External linksLife editAlbert was the only son of Otto Count of Ballenstedt 1 and Eilika 2 daughter of Magnus Billung Duke of Saxony He inherited his father s valuable estates in northern Saxony in 1123 and on his mother s death in 1142 succeeded to one half of the lands of the house of Billung Albert was a loyal vassal of his relation Lothar I Duke of Saxony from whom about 1123 he received the Margraviate of Lusatia to the east after Lothar became King of the Germans he accompanied him on a disastrous expedition to Bohemia against the upstart Sobeslav I Duke of Bohemia in 1126 at the Battle of Kulm where he suffered a short imprisonment 3 Albert s entanglements in Saxony stemmed from his desire to expand his inherited estates there After the death of his brother in law Henry II Margrave of the Nordmark who controlled a small area on the Elbe called the Saxon Northern March in 1128 Albert disappointed at not receiving this fief himself attacked Udo V Count of Stade the heir and was consequently deprived of Lusatia by Lothar citation needed Udo however was said to have been assassinated by servants of Albert on 15 March 1130 near Aschersleben In spite of this Albert went to Italy in 1132 in the train of the king and his services there were rewarded in 1134 by the investiture of the Northern March which was again without a ruler 3 In 1138 Conrad III the Hohenstaufen King of the Germans deprived Albert s cousin and nemesis Henry the Proud of his Saxon duchy which was awarded to Albert if he could take it After some initial success in his efforts to take possession Albert was driven from Saxony and also from his Northern March by a combined force of Henry and Jaxa of Kopenick and compelled to take refuge in south Germany 3 Henry died in 1139 and an arrangement was found Henry s son Henry the Lion received the duchy of Saxony in 1142 In the same year Albert renounced the Saxon duchy and received the counties of Weimar and Orlamunde Once he was firmly established in the Northern March Albert s covetous eye lay also on the thinly populated lands to the north and east For three years he was occupied in campaigns against the Slavic Wends who as pagans were considered fair game and whose subjugation to Christianity was the aim of the Wendish Crusade of 1147 in which Albert took part Albert was a part of the army that besieged Demmin and at the end of the war recovered Havelberg which had been lost since 983 Diplomatic measures were more successful and by an arrangement made with the last of the Wendish princes of Brandenburg Pribislav Henry of the Hevelli Albert secured this district when the prince died in 1150 Taking the title Margrave in Brandenburg he pressed the crusade against the Wends extended the area of his mark encouraged Dutch and German settlement in the Elbe Havel region Ostsiedlung established bishoprics under his protection and so became the founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1157 which his heirs the House of Ascania held until the line died out in 1320 In 1158 a feud with Henry the Lion Duke of Saxony was interrupted by a pilgrimage to the Holy Land On his return in 1160 he with the consent of his sons Siegfried not being mentioned donated land to the Knights of Saint John in memory of his wife Sofia at Werben on the Elbe 4 5 6 Around this same time he minted a pfennig in memory of his deceased wife citation needed In 1162 Albert accompanied Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to Italy where he distinguished himself at the storming of Milan 3 In 1164 Albert joined a league of princes formed against Henry the Lion and peace being made in 1169 Albert divided his territories among his six sons He died on 18 November 1170 and was buried at Ballenstedt 3 Cognomen edit nbsp Foundation of the memorial to Albert at Spandau Citadel Albert s personal qualities won for him the cognomen of the Bear not from his looks or qualities for he was a tall handsome man but from the cognisance on his shield an able man had a quick eye as well as a strong hand and could pick what way was straightest among crooked things was the shining figure and the great man of the North in his day got much in the North and kept it got Brandenburg for one there a conspicuous country ever since says Thomas Carlyle who called Albert a restless much managing wide warring man 7 He was also called the Handsome 7 Marriage and children editAlbert was married in 1124 to Sophie of Winzenburg died 25 March 1160 and they had the following children Otto I Margrave of Brandenburg 1126 1128 7 March 1184 8 Count Hermann I of Orlamunde died 1176 8 father of Siegfried III Count of Weimar Orlamunde 9 Siegfried died 24 October 1184 Bishop of Brandenburg from 1173 to 1180 Prince Archbishop of Bremen the first ranked prince from 1180 to 1184 8 Heinrich died after 1185 a canon in Magdeburg 9 Count Albert of Ballenstedt 10 died after 6 December 1172 citation needed Count Dietrich of Werben died after 5 September 1183 8 Count Bernhard of Anhalt 1138 1142 11 9 February 1212 Duke of Saxony from 1180 to 1212 as Bernard III citation needed Hedwig d 1203 married to Otto II Margrave of Meissen 8 Unknown daughter married in c 1153 a to Duke Depold of Moravia 13 Unknown daughter b married c 1153 to Vladislav of Olomouc the eldest son of Sobeslav I Duke of Bohemia 15 Adelheid died before 1162 a nun in Lamspringe 16 Unknown daughter c married before 1146 Otto the Younger son of Otto of Salm 17 Sybille died c 1170 Abbess of Quedlinburg citation needed Notes edit Mielzarek dates the marriage between 1140 and 1156 with 1153 as the most likely candidate 12 Mielzarek suggests that this daughter is identical to the one that married Depold of Moravia and that the record of Wladizlaus dux marrying said daughter is a mistake 14 Mielzarek suggests that she might have been the same daughter as Adelheid if she became a nun after her husband s death in 1148 or 1149 16 References edit Brooke 2019 p 268 Krommelbein amp Brogyanyi 2002 p 73 a b c d e Chisholm 1911 Freller 2010 p 40 Freller 2010 p 55 Lyon 2013 p 35 a b Carlyle 1869 pp 59 61 a b c d e Lyon 2013 p 241 a b Mielzarek 2020 p 320 Mielzarek 2020 p 321 Mielzarek 2020 p 293 Mielzarek 2020 p 276 Mielzarek 2020 pp 275 276 Mielzarek 2020 pp 279 281 Mielzarek 2020 pp 277 278 a b Mielzarek 2020 p 274 Mielzarek 2020 pp 274 275 Works cited edit Brooke Z N 2019 A History of Europe 911 1198 Routledge Carlyle Thomas 1869 History of Friedrich II of Prussia Called Frederick the Great History of Friedrich II of Prussia Called Frederick the Great Chapman and Hall pp 59 61 Retrieved 2 July 2023 nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Albert I Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 1 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 494 Freller Thomas 2010 The German Langue of the Order of Malta Malta Midsea Books ISBN 978 99932 7 299 1 Krommelbein Thomas Brogyanyi Bela eds 2002 Germanisches Altertum und christliches Mittelalter Festschrift fur Heinz Klingenberg zum 65 Geburtstag in German Kovac Lyon Jonathan R 2013 Princely Brothers and Sisters The Sibling Bond in German Politics 1100 1250 New York Cornell University Press ISBN 978 0801451300 Mielzarek Christoph 2020 Albrecht der Bar und Konrad von Wettin Furstliche Herrschaft in den ostsachsichen Marken im 12 Jahrhundert in German Cologne Bohlau Verlag ISBN 978 3 412 51870 7 General references edit Carlyle Thomas 1898 History of Frederick the Great Partenheimer Lutz 2007 Die Entstehung der Mark Brandenburg Mit einem lateinisch deutschen Quellenanhang Koln Bohlau ISBN 978 3 412 17106 3 Partenheimer Lutz 2003 Albrecht der Bar in German Cologne Bohlau Verlag ISBN 3 412 16302 3 Schultze Johannes 2011 Die Mark Brandenburg Bd I V in einem Band Duncker amp Humblot ISBN 978 3428134809 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Albert the Bear Thomas Carlyle History of Friedrich ii Chapter iv Albert the Bear The History Files Rulers of BrandenburgAlbert German Albrecht of BallenstedtHouse of AscaniaBorn c 1100 Died 18 November 1170 in Stendal Regnal titlesPreceded byOtto the Rich Count of Anhalt1123 1170 Succeeded byBernhardPreceded byHenry II Duke of Saxony1138 1142 Succeeded byHenry IIINew title Margrave of Brandenburg1157 1170 Succeeded byOtto I Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Albert the Bear amp oldid 1218024420, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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