Albert,_Duke_of

{{ redirect3|Albert of Prussia|For the 19th century prince, see [[Prince Albert of Prussia (1809-1872)]]}}
[[Image:Albrecht von Hohenzollern.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Albert of Prussia]]

'''Albert''' ({{lang-de|Albrecht}}; {{lang-la|Albertus}}; [[16 May]] [[1490]] – [[20 March]] [[1568]]) was the 37th [[Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights|Grand Master]] of the [[Teutonic Knights]] and, after converting to [[Lutheranism]], the first [[duke]] of the [[Duchy of Prussia]], which was the first state to adopt the Lutheran faith.

Because Albert was a member of the [[Principality of Ansbach|Brandenburg-Ansbach]] branch of the [[House of Hohenzollern]], it had been hoped that his election as Grand Master would reverse the decline of the Teutonic Knights since 1410; [[Duke Frederick of Saxony]] of the [[House of Wettin]] had been elected for the same reason. Instead, Albert's [[secularization]] of the [[Prussia (region)|Prussian territories]] of the Order eventually led to the inheritance of the Duchy of Prussia by the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]].

Albert's titles (on his proclamation of 1561 in [[Kaliningrad|Königsberg]]) were: ''Albert the Elder, Margrave of Brandenburg in Prussia, [[Szczecin|Stettin]] in [[Pomerania]], Duke of the [[Kashubians]], and [[Wends]], [[Burgrave of Nuremberg]], and Count of [[Rügen]] etc''.{{fact|date=February 2007}}

== Early life ==
Albert was born in [[Ansbach]] in [[Franconia]] as the third son of [[Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach]]. His mother was Sophia, daughter of [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]], Grand Duke of [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]] and King of [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Poland]], and his wife [[Elisabeth of Austria (d. 1505)|Elisabeth of Austria]]. He was raised for a career in the [[Roman Catholic Church|Church]] and spent some time at the court of [[Hermann IV of Hesse]], [[prince-elector]] of the [[Archbishopric of Cologne]], who appointed him canon of the [[Cologne Cathedral]].

Turning to a more active life, Albert accompanied Emperor [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] to [[Italy]] in 1508, and after his return spent some time in the [[Kingdom of Hungary]].

== Grand Master ==
[[Image:Albrecht von Hohenzollern-Ansbach.jpg|thumb|200px|right|As Grand Master of the Teutonic Order]]
[[Duke Frederick of Saxony]], Grand Master of the [[Teutonic Order]], died in December 1510. Albert was chosen as his successor early in 1511 in the hope that his relationship to his maternal uncle, [[Sigismund I the Old]], Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, would facilitate a settlement of the disputes over eastern Prussia, which had been held by the Order under Polish [[suzerainty]] since the [[Peace of Toruń (1466)|Second Peace of Toruń]] in 1466.

The new Grand Master, aware of his duties to the empire and to the papacy, refused to submit to the crown of Poland. As war over the Order's existence appeared inevitable, Albert made strenuous efforts to secure allies and carried on protracted negotiations with Emperor Maximilian I. The ill-feeling, influenced by the ravages of members of the Order in Poland, culminated in [[Polish-Teutonic War (1519-1521)|a war]] which began in December 1519 and devastated Prussia. Albert was granted a four-year truce early in 1521.

The dispute was referred to Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] and other princes, but as no settlement was reached Albert continued his efforts to obtain help in view of a renewal of the war. For this purpose he visited the [[Diet of Nuremberg]] in 1522, where he made the acquaintance of the [[Protestant Reformation|reformer]] [[Andreas Osiander]], by whose influence Albert was won over to [[Protestantism]].

The Grand Master then journeyed to [[Wittenberg]], where he was advised by [[Martin Luther]] to abandon the rules of his Order, to marry, and to convert Prussia into a hereditary duchy for himself. This proposal, which was understandably appealing to Albert, had already been discussed by some of his relatives; but it was necessary to proceed cautiously, and he assured [[Pope Adrian VI]] that he was anxious to reform the Order and punish the knights who had adopted [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] doctrines. Luther for his part did not stop at the suggestion, but in order to facilitate the change made special efforts to spread his teaching among the Prussians, while Albert's brother, Margrave [[George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|George of Brandenburg-Ansbach]], laid the scheme before their uncle, [[Sigismund I the Old]] of Poland.

== Duke of Prussia ==
[[Image:Prussian Homage.jpg|400px|right|thumb|"[[Prussian Tribute|The Prussian Tribute]]": Albert and his brothers receive the [[Duchy of Prussia]] as a [[fief]] from the Polish King, [[Sigismund I the Old]] in [[1525]] (painting by [[Jan Matejko]], [[1882]])]]
After some delay Sigismund assented to the offer, with the provision that Prussia should be treated as a Polish fiefdom; and after this arrangement had been confirmed by a [[Treaty of Kraków|treaty concluded at Kraków]], Albert pledged a [[Prussian Homage|personal oath]] to Sigismund I and was invested with the duchy for himself and his heirs on [[February 10]], [[1525]].

The [[Estates of the realm|Estates]] of the land then met at [[Kaliningrad|Königsberg]] and took the oath of allegiance to the new duke, who used his full powers to promote the doctrines of Luther. This transition did not, however, take place without protest. Summoned before the imperial court of justice, Albert refused to appear and was proscribed, while the Order elected a new Grand Master, [[Walter von Cronberg]], who received Prussia as a fief at the imperial [[Diet of Augsburg]]. As the German princes were experiencing the tumult of the Reformation, the [[Peasants' War]], and the [[Ottoman wars in Europe|wars against the Ottoman Turks]], they did not enforce the ban on the duke, and agitation against him soon died away.

In imperial politics Albert was fairly active. Joining the [[League of Torgau]] in 1526, he acted in unison with the Protestants, and was among the princes who banded together to overthrow Charles V after the issue of the [[Augsburg Interim]] in May 1548. For various reasons, however, poverty and personal inclination among others, he did not take a prominent part in the military operations of this period.

The early years of Albert's rule in Prussia were fairly prosperous. Although he had some trouble with the peasantry, the lands and treasures of the church enabled him to propitiate the nobles and for a time to provide for the expenses of the court. He did something for the furtherance of learning by establishing schools in every town and by freeing serfs who adopted a scholastic life. In 1544, in spite of some opposition, he founded [[Kant Russian State University|Königsberg University]], where he appointed his friend Andreas Osiander to a professorship in 1549. Albert also paid for the printing of the Astronomical Tables ("Prutenische Tafeln") compiled by [[Erasmus Reinhold]].

[[Image:Albert_of_Prussia.jpg|right|thumb|281px|1 [[Groschen]] coin, 1534, ''[[Epistle to the Galatians|Iustus ex fide vivit]] — The Just lives on Faith'']]

This step was the beginning of the troubles which clouded the closing years of Albert's reign. Osiander's divergence from Luther's doctrine of [[Justification (theology)|justification]] by faith involved him in a violent quarrel with [[Philip Melanchthon]], who had adherents in Königsberg, and these theological disputes soon created an uproar in the town. The duke strenuously supported Osiander, and the area of the quarrel soon broadened. There were no longer church lands available with which to conciliate the nobles, the burden of taxation was heavy, and Albert's rule became unpopular.

After Osiander's death in 1552, Albert favoured a preacher named [[Johann Funck]], who, with an adventurer named [[Paul Skalić]], exercised great influence over him and obtained considerable wealth at public expense. The state of turmoil caused by these religious and political disputes was increased by the possibility of Albert's early death and the need, should that happen, to appoint a [[regent]], as his only son, [[Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia|Albert Frederick]] was still a mere youth. The duke was forced to consent to a condemnation of the teaching of Osiander, and the climax came in 1566 when the [[Estates of the realm|Estates]] appealed to King [[Sigismund II Augustus]] of Poland, Albert's cousin, who sent a commission to Königsberg. Scalich saved his life by flight, but Funck was executed. The question of the regency was settled, and a form of Lutheranism was adopted and declared binding on all teachers and preachers.

Virtually deprived of power, the duke lived for two more years, and died at [[Gvardeysk|Tapiau]] on [[March 20]], [[1568]]. He had married Dorothea, daughter of King [[Frederick I of Denmark]], in [[1526]] and, following her death in [[1547]], he married Anna Maria, daughter of [[Eric I of Brunswick|Eric I]], Duke of [[Brunswick-Lüneburg]].

Albert was a voluminous letter writer, and corresponded with many of the leading personages of the time.

In [[1891]], a statue was erected to his memory at Königsberg.

==Ancestors==
{| class="wikitable"
|+''' Albert's ancestors in three generations'''
|-
|-
| rowspan="8" align="center"| '''Albert, Duke of Prussia '''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''Father:''' [[Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach]]
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Paternal Grandfather:''' [[Albert III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg]]
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandfather:''' [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandmother:''' [[Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut ]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Paternal Grandmother:''' [[Anna of Saxony (d. 1512)|Anna of Saxony]]
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandfather:''' [[Frederick II, Elector of Saxony]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandmother:''' [[Margarete of Austria]]
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''Mother:''' Sophia
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Maternal Grandfather:''' [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]]
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandfather:''' [[Jogaila]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandmother:''' [[Sophia of Halshany]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Maternal Grandmother:''' [[Elisabeth of Austria (d. 1505)|Elisabeth of Austria]]
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandfather:''' [[Albert II of Germany]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandmother:''' [[Elisabeth II of Bohemia]]
|}

==References==
* {{1911}}

== External links ==
* [http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:lqag5cL8YAAJ:department.monm.edu/history/urban/articles/State_of_the_grandmasters.htm+Casimir+IV+deutscher+orden William Urban on the situation in Prussia]

{{start}}
{{s-hou | [[Principality of Ansbach|House of Brandenburg-Ansbach]] |May 16|1490|March 20|1568| [[House of Hohenzollern]] }}
{{s-bef | before=[[Duke Frederick of Saxony]] }}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights|Hochmeister]] of the [[Teutonic Order]] | years=[[1510]]–[[1525|25]] }}
{{s-aft | after=[[Walter von Cronberg]] }}
|-
{{s-non | reason=None''' ([[Secularisation]] of the [[Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights|Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights]])'''  }}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Duke of Prussia]] | years=[[1525]]–[[1568|68]] }}
{{s-aft | after=[[Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia|Albert Frederick]] }}
{{end}}

[[Category:Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights]]
[[Category:House of Hohenzollern]]
[[Category:People from Bavaria]]
[[Category:People from the Duchy of Prussia]]
[[Category:1490 births]]
[[Category:1568 deaths]]

[[cs:Albrecht Braniborský]]
[[de:Albrecht I. (Brandenburg-Ansbach)]]
[[et:Albrecht von Hohenzollern]]
[[fr:Albert de Brandebourg]]
[[it:Alberto I di Prussia]]
[[hu:Brandenburgi Albert]]
[[nl:Albrecht van Brandenburg-Ansbach (1490-1568)]]
[[ja:アルブレヒト (プロイセン公)]]
[[no:Albrecht av Preussen]]
[[pl:Albrecht Hohenzollern (1490-1568)]]
[[ru:Гогенцоллерн, Альбрехт]]
[[sv:Albrekt av Preussen]]
[[uk:Альберт, курфюрст Бранденбурга]]