Albert de Brandebourg

Albert de Brandebourg (in German Albrecht von Brandenburg-Ansbach ), born with Ansbach in 1490 and died in Tapiau in 1568, was the main large last of the Ordre Teutonique and the first hereditary Duc of ducal Prussia (1525 -1568).

Family

Wire of Frederic Ier de Brandebourg-Ansbach and of Sophie Jagellon.

In 1526, Albert de Brandebourg married Dorothée of Denmark (1528 - 1547), (girl of Frederic Ier of Denmark)

Six children were born from this union:

  • Lucie of Prussia (1531 -1532)

  • Lucie of Prussia (1537 - 1539)

Widower, Albert de Brandebourg married Anne-Marie of Brunswick-Lunebourg (1568), (girl of Eric Ier of Brunswick-Lunebourg)

Two children were born from this union:

Biography

Albert of Prussia was Main the Grand thirty-seventh of the teutonic Ordre. He converts with the relignion Lutheran, he was the first duke of Prussia adopted the Protestant faith.

Albert de Brandebourg-Ansbach was a member of the line of Brandebourg-Ansbach of the House of Hohenzollern.

In the hope to stop the decline of the Order teutonic started in 1410, he was elected Grand Master of the Order teutonic as was elected a few years earlier the duke Frederic of Saxony (wire of Albert III of Saxony). The secularization of the duchy of Prussia caused its transmission with the margrave of Brandebourg.

Youth

Intended for the Church, Albert de Brandebourg accepted a suitable education. He lived some time at the Court of Hermann IV of Hesse, prince-voter of the archbishop's palace of Cologne.

Turning to a more active life, Albert de Brandebourg accompanied in 1508 Maximilien Ier by the Holy roman Empire in Italy. On its return, he lived a certain time at the Court of Hungary.

Large Master

In December 1510 died the Large Master of the Order teutonic, Frederic of Saxony. Albert de Brandebourg was selected like successor in 1511. This choice was made in the hope that its bonds with his/her maternal uncle would regulate the conflicts of Prussia-Eastern held by the vassal Order teuronic of the kingdom of Poland after the second treaty of Thorn in 1466.

Albert de Brandebourg informed the emperor and the pope of his new functions, but refused to subject himself to the kingdom of Poland. A war for the teutonic survival of the Order seemed inevitable. Albert de Brandebourg sought allies and continued his negotiations with Maximilien Ier of the Holy roman Empire. The devastations of the knights of the Order teutonic in Poland led to a war which began in December 1519, war devastator for the Prussia. In 1521, truce a four years was granted to Albert de Brandebourg.

Albert de Brandebourg endeavoured to obtain from the assistance because a new conflict threatened to be declared. For this purpose, in 1522, it went to the meeting Nuremberg, it is in this assembly that the Large Master will recontra the reformer Andreas Osiander. This interview had an influence on its faith: into 1525 Albert de Brandebourg will be converted with the Protestant faith.

The Large Master went to Wittenberg, in this city Martin Luther advised to him to give up the Order teutonic, to marry and convert Prussia into hereditary duchy. Previously, this question had already been the object of a debate between the members of its family. For Albert de Brandebourg it was necessary to act with prudence. It informed the pope Adrien VI of its impatience to reform the Order teutonic and to punish the knights converted with the new doctrines. For its part, Martin Luther did not stop with the councils; to facilitate conversion, he endeavoured to propagate his teaching among the Prussians. During this time, Georges Ier de Brandebourg-Ansbach, brother of Albert transmitted their arrangement to their uncle Sigismond Ier of Poland.

Duke of Prussia

With a certain delay, Sigismond Ier approved the offer with a condition: Prussia became stronghold of the kingdom of Poland. The treaty of Cracow was signed the April 5th 1525. Albert de Brandebourg installed the government of his duchy with Königsberg. However this transition caused protests. Quoted to appear before the imperial Court of justice, Albert de Brandebourg opposed a refusal. He was proscribed whereas the Order teutonic elected a new Large Master in the person of Walter von Cronberg: this last accepted Prussia during the meeting of Augsburg. The German princes, tested by the tumults of the Reform, the war of the Peasants ('' Bauernkrieg '') and the wars against the Ottoman Empire did not apply the proscription to Albert de Brandebourg, and anger against him calmed down with time.

In 1526, Albert de Brandebourg joined the Ligue of Torgau and acts as union with the Protestants. It attended the meeting of the princes eager to reverse Charles Quint following the decree of Augsburg of 1548.

The first years of the reign of Albert de Brandebourg were prosperous. Although it had some troubles with the farming community, the grounds and the treasures of the Church enabled him to face the expenditure of its court. It made the promotion of the study by creating schools in each city, it released the serfs, it made print in German Protestant catechism. In 1544, in spite of an opposition, it created the university Albertina de Königsberg, and in 1549 it named there his/her friend Andreas Osiander at the post of professor.

This time was the beginning of the difficulties for Albert de Brandebourg, they obscured the last years of its reign. Andreas Osiander had differences in opinion concerning the doctrines of Martin Luther: in this quarrel which opposed it to Philippe Melanchthon, Albert de Brandebourg took party for the second. These theological quarrels became extensive. There was no more the treasure of the Church to bring the conciliation of noble, the tax was very heavy, Albert de Brandebourg became unpopular.

After the death of Andreas Osiander in 1552, Albert de Brandebourg supported a preacher named Johann Funck which, with an adventurer of the name of Paul Skalić had a great influence on him. These religious and political conflicts were right of the health of Albert de Brandebourg. His son being still minor, it had to choose a regent. Albert de Brandebourg had to be solved to condemn sermons of Andreas Osiander. In 1566, the nobility and the Prussian clergy called upon Sigismond II of Poland, the cousin of Albert, who dispatched a commission with Königsberg. Paul Skalić saved his head but Johann Funck was carried out. The question of the regency was settled and a form of Lutheranism was adopted.

Almost private of being able, Albert de Brandebourg lived two more years. He died of the plague with Tapiau the March 20th 1568.

Genealogy

Albert de Brandebourg belongs to the fifth branch resulting from the first branch of the Maison of Hohenzollern. This fifth line died out in 1618 with died of the duke Albert Frederic of Prussia.

Internal bonds

  • Casimir IV of Poland (maternal grandfather)

External bonds and sources

en.wikipedia.org

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