en, Frederick Augustus Albert Anthony Ferdinand Joseph Charles Maria Baptist Nepomuk William Xavier George Fidelis , image = Albert of Saxony by Nicola Perscheid c1900.jpg , image_size = , caption = Photograph by

Nicola Perscheid Nicola Perscheid (3 December 1864 – 12 May 1930) was a German photographer. He is primarily known for his artistic portrait photography. He developed the "Perscheid lens", a soft focus lens for large format portrait photography. Life and care ...

, 1900 , reign = 29 October 1873 – 19 June 1902 , predecessor =

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, successor =

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

, succession =

King of Saxony This article lists dukes, electors, and kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 6th century to the end of the German monarchies in 1918. The electors of Saxony from John the Steadfast on ...

, spouse = , issue = , house = Wettin , father = John of Saxony , mother = Amalie Auguste of Bavaria , birth_date = , birth_place =

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxo ...

, death_date = , death_place = Sibyllenort, German Empire , burial_place =

Katholische Hofkirche Dresden Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Dresden, previously the Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony, called in German Katholische Hofkirche and since 1980 also known as Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis, is the Catholi ...

, religion = Roman Catholicism , signature = Signatur Albert (Sachsen).PNG Albert (23 April 1828 – 19 June 1902) was the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

and a member of the

House of Wettin The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its ori ...

. He was the eldest son of Prince

(who succeeded his brother Frederick Augustus II on the Saxon throne as King John in 1854) by his wife Amalie Auguste of Bavaria. Albert had a successful military career, leading Saxon troops that participated in the

First Schleswig War The First Schleswig War (german: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Krieg) was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswi ...

, the Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco-Prussian War.

Early life

Albert's education, as usual with German princes, concentrated to a great extent on

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

matters, but he attended lectures at the

University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine ...

. His first experience of warfare came in 1849, when he served as a captain in the First War of Schleswig against

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. When the Austro-Prussian War broke out in 1866, Albert, then

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wi ...

(German: ''Kronprinz''), took up the command of the Saxon forces opposing the Prussian Army of Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia. No attempt was made to defend Saxony, and the Saxons fell back into Bohemia and effected a junction with the

Austrians , pop = 8–8.5 million , regions = 7,427,759 , region1 = , pop1 = 684,184 , ref1 = , region2 = , pop2 = 345,620 , ref2 = , region3 = , pop3 = 197,990 , ref3 ...

. They took a prominent part in the battles by which the Prussians forced the line of the Jizera and in the

Battle of Jičín The Battle of Gitschin or Jičín (german: Schlacht bei Gitschin) was a battle of the Austro-Prussian War on 29 June 1866, ending with a Prussian victory over the Austrian forces. There is a memorial there today at Jičín in the Czech Republ ...

. The Crown Prince, however, succeeded in effecting the retreat in good order, and in the decisive

Battle of Königgrätz The Battle of Königgrätz (or Sadowa) was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire. It took place on 3 July 1866, near the Bohemian city of Hradec Králové (German: Königg ...

(3 July 1866), he held the extreme left of the Austrian position. The Saxons maintained their post with great tenacity but were involved in the disastrous defeat of their allies. During the operations, the Crown Prince won the reputation of a thorough soldier. After peace was made and Saxony had entered the

North German Confederation The North German Confederation (german: Norddeutscher Bund) was initially a German military alliance established in August 1866 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was transformed in the subsequent year into a confederated st ...

, he gained the command of the Saxon army, which had now become the XII army corps of the North German army, and in that position, he carried out the necessary reorganisation. He proved a firm adherent of the Prussian alliance. On the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, he again commanded the Saxons, who were included in the 2nd army under Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, his old opponent. At the Battle of Gravelotte, they formed the extreme left of the German army, and with the Prussian Guard carried out the attack on St Privat, the final and decisive action in the battle. In the reorganisation of the army which accompanied the march towards Paris, the Crown Prince gained a separate command over the 4th army (Army of the Meuse) consisting of the Saxons, the Prussian Guard corps, and the IV (

Prussian Saxony The Province of Saxony (german: link=no, Provinz Sachsen), also known as Prussian Saxony () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg. It was formed by the merge ...

) corps. He was succeeded in command of the XII corps by his brother Prince George, who had served under him in Bohemia. Albert took a leading part in the operations which preceded the battle of Sedan, the 4th army being the pivot on which the whole army wheeled round in pursuit of MacMahon; and the actions of Buzancy and

Beaumont Beaumont may refer to: Places Canada * Beaumont, Alberta * Beaumont, Quebec England * Beaumont, Cumbria * Beaumont, Essex ** Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s * Beaumont Street, Oxford France (communes) * Beaumont, Ardèche * ...

on 29 and 30 August 1870 were fought under his direction. In the

Battle of Sedan The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War from 1 to 2 September 1870. Resulting in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and over a hundred thousand troops, it effectively decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, ...

itself (1 September 1870), with the troops under his orders, Albert carried out the envelopment of the French on the east and the north. Albert's conduct in the engagements won for him the complete confidence of the army, and during the Siege of Paris, his troops formed the north-east section of the investing force. During the siege, he blocked French attempts to break out of the encirclement at

Le Bourget Le Bourget () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The commune features Le Bourget Airport, which in turn hosts the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Air and Space Museum). A very ...

and Villiers. After the conclusion of the

Treaty of Frankfurt (1871) The Treaty of Frankfurt (french: Traité de Francfort; german: Friede von Frankfurt) was a peace treaty signed in Frankfurt on 10 May 1871, at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. Summary The treaty did the following: * Established the fronti ...

, he was left in command of the German army of occupation, a position which he held till the fall of the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...

. On the conclusion of peace, he was made an inspector-general of the army and a field marshal.

King

Albert of Saxony in 1878 by Alfred Diethe

On the death of his father, King John on 29 October 1873, the Crown Prince succeeded to the throne as King Albert. His reign proved uneventful, and he took little public part in politics, devoting himself to military affairs, in which his advice and experience were of the greatest value, not only to the Saxon corps but also to the German army in general. During his reign, the Saxon monarchy became constitutional. In the 1870s, Albert initiated the construction of a Dresden suburb, the

Albertstadt The Albertstadt is a neighborhood of Dresden, Germany. It was named after Albert of Saxony, who initiated the construction of this suburb. At that time it was the largest garrison in Germany. Today, the Military History Museum of the German Feder ...

. It was then the largest garrison in Germany. Near the former suburb other buildings and places still bear his name: the Albertbrücke, the Alberthafen, the Albertplatz and the

Albertinum The Albertinum () is a modern art museum. The sandstone-clad Renaissance Revival building is located on Brühl's Terrace in the historic center of Dresden, Germany. It is named after King Albert of Saxony. The Albertinum hosts the New Masters ...

. In 1879, he initiated the reconstruction of the Saint Afra School in Meissen. In 1897, he was appointed arbitrator between the claimants for the Principality of Lippe.

Marriage and succession

on 18 June 1853, Albert married Princess

Carola Carola is a female given name, the Latinized form of the Germanic given names Caroline or Carol. People named Carola include: Acting * Carola Braunbock (1924–1978), Czech-born East German actress *Carola Höhn (1910–2005), German actres ...

, daughter of

Gustav, Prince of Vasa Prince Gustav of Vasa, Count Itterburg (german: Gustav, Prinz von Wasa; 9 November 1799 at Stockholm – 4 August/5 August 1877 at Pillnitz), born Crown Prince of Sweden, was the son of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Queen Frederica. His Aust ...

and granddaughter of

Gustav IV Adolf Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph (1 November 1778 – 7 February 1837) was King of Sweden from 1792 until he was deposed in a coup in 1809. He was also the last Swedish monarch to be the ruler of Finland. The occupation of Finland in 1808–09 ...

, the second to last king of Sweden of the

House of Holstein-Gottorp Holstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp () is the Historiography, historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Duchy of Schleswig, Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, Holstein, also known as ...

. The marriage was childless although Carola miscarried many times. They included: * A miscarriage of a daughter in the 4th month of pregnancy (19 December 1853). * A miscarriage of a daughter in the 6th month of pregnancy (16 August 1854). * A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (22 January 1855). * A miscarriage of a son in the 4th and a half month of pregnancy (17 January 1856). * A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (4 December 1856). * A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (30 January 1857). * A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (30 March 1857). * A miscarriage of a son in the 5th and a half month of pregnancy (11 January 1858). * A miscarriage of a son in the 4th and a half month of pregnancy (20 March 1859). * A miscarriage in the 1st month of pregnancy (30 March 1860). Albert died at Sibyllenort on 19 June 1902 and was succeeded by his brother, who became King

. He was buried in Dresden on 23 June, among the mourners present were both the German Emperor

Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...

and the Austrian Emperor

Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

Honours, decorations and awards

The

King of Saxony bird-of-paradise The King of Saxony bird-of-paradise (''Pteridophora alberti'') is a bird in the bird-of-paradise family (Paradisaeidae). It is the only member of the genus ''Pteridophora''. It is endemic to montane forest in New Guinea. Nomenclature Adolf Be ...

was named in Albert's honour; the

Queen Carola's parotia Carola's parotia (''Parotia carolae''), also known as Queen Carola's six-wired bird-of-paradise or Queen Carola's parotia, is a species of bird-of-paradise. One of the most colourful parotias, the Queen Carola's parotia inhabits the mid-mountain ...

was named for his wife.

German honours

Foreign honours

Ancestry

References

* Konrad Sturmhoefel: ''König Albert von Sachsen. Ein Lebensbild.'' Voigtländer, Leipzig 1898. * Georg von Schimpff: ''König Albert: Fünfzig Jahre Soldat''. Baensch, Dresden 1893. *

Joseph Kürschner Joseph Kürschner (20 September 1853, in Gotha – 29 July 1902, on a journey to Huben) was a German author and editor most often cited for his critical edition of classics from German literature. Biography At first engaged in mechanical en ...

(Hrsg.): ''König Albert und Sachsenland : eine Festschrift zum 70. Geburtstage und 25jährigen Regierungsjubiläum des Monarchen''. Schwarz, Berlin 1898. * ''Dem Gedächtnis König Alberts von Sachsen'', Dresden: v. Zahn & Jaensch, 1902 * Ernst von Körner: ''König Albert von Sachsen: der Soldat und Feldherr''. Oestergaard, Berlin-Schöneberg 1936. * Bernd Rüdiger: ''Wahre Geschichten um König Albert'', Taucha: Tauchaer Verl., 1994 * * Albert Herzog zu Sachsen: ''Die Wettiner in Lebensbildern''. Styria-Verlag, Graz/Wien/Köln 1995, . * Thomas Eugen Scheerer (Hrsg.): ''Albert von Sachsen – Kronprinz, Soldat, König''. Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr, Dresden 2002. * Arbeitskreis sächsische Militärgeschichte (Hrsg.): ''Sibyllenort und König Albert von Sachsen: Sonderheft zum 100. Todestag von König Albert''. Arbeitskreis Sächsische Militärgeschichte, Dresden 2003. {{DEFAULTSORT:Albert Of Saxony 1828 births 1902 deaths Military personnel from Dresden German Roman Catholics Field marshals of Saxony Field marshals of the German Empire House of Wettin Albertine branch Kings of Saxony People of the Austro-Prussian War German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War University of Bonn alumni Burials at Dresden Cathedral Crown Princes of Saxony Members of the First Chamber of the Diet of the Kingdom of Saxony Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 1st class Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph Grand Crosses of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria) Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Knights Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Knights Grand Cross of the Military Order of William Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Second Degree Extra Knights Companion of the Garter