Albert the Tall ( lat, Albertus Longus, german: Albrecht der Große; 1236 – 15 August 1279), a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1252 and the first ruler of the newly created Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1269 until his death.

Life

Albert was the oldest surviving son of the first Brunswick duke Otto the Child and his wife, Matilda of Brandenburg. When his father died in 1252, he took over the rule of the duchy; later his younger brother

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 ...

joined him. Albert's rule was initially troubled by several armed conflicts as the Welf dukes still had to cope with the followers of the extinct

Hohenstaufen dynasty The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynasty ...

within their dominions. In 1260/61 Albert's troops fought against the Danish duke Eric I of Schleswig on behalf of Queen

Margaret Sambiria Margaret Sambiria (in Danish: ''Margrethe Sambiria'', ''Sambirsdatter'' or ''Margrethe Sprænghest''; c. 1230 – December 1282) was Queen of Denmark by marriage to King Christopher I, and regent during the minority of her son, King Eric V fro ...

and her minor son King

Eric V of Denmark Eric V Klipping (1249 – 22 November 1286) was King of Denmark from 1259 to 1286. After his father Christopher I died, his mother Margaret Sambiria ruled Denmark in his name until 1266, proving to be a competent regent. Between 1261 and 1262, ...

. In 1263 the duke quite luckless interfered in the

War of the Thuringian Succession The War of the Thuringian Succession (German: ''Thüringisch-hessischer Erbfolgekrieg'') (1247–1264) was a military conflict over a successor to the last Landgrave of Thuringia for control of the state of Thuringia (now in modern-day Germany). ...

to support the claims raised by his mother-in-law

Sophie of Brabant Sophie of Thuringia (20 March 1224 – 29 May 1275) was the second wife and only Duchess consort of Henry II, Duke of Brabant and Lothier. She was the heiress of Hesse which she passed on to her son, Henry upon her retention of the territory fol ...

. On 31 May 1267, the brothers agreed to divide the Welf lands, which happened in 1269. Albert partitioned the territory while John obtained the right to choose his part. He took the northern half including the region of

Lüneburg Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also called ...

, Celle and the city of

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

, while Albert received the southern part around the cities of Brunswick and

Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest ...

, stretching from the area around the Calenberg hill to the town of Helmstedt, the

Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

mountain range, and

Göttingen Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) is a university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the capital of the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. At the end of 2019, the population was 118,911. General information The ori ...

. The Brunswick residence itself was to remain common property of the brothers. Albert then concentrated on the development of his hereditary lands. During the Imperial '' interregnum'', he sided with the rising Bohemian king Ottokar II until his final defeat in the 1278

Battle on the Marchfeld The Battle on the Marchfeld (''i.e. Morava Field''; german: Schlacht auf dem Marchfeld; cs, Bitva na Moravském poli; hu, Morvamezei csata) at Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen took place on 26 August 1278 and was a decisive event for the history o ...

. When his brother John died in 1277, he took over the guardianship for his minor nephew Otto II of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Albert died on 15 August 1279 and is buried at

Brunswick Cathedral Brunswick Cathedral (german: Dom St. Blasii (et Johannis), lit. in en, Collegiate Church of Ss. Blaise and John the Baptist) is a large Lutheran church in the City of Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany. The church is termed '' Dom'', in Germa ...

. He was succeeded by his elder three sons, the younger three joined the Church.

Marriage and children

In 1254, Albert married Elizabeth of Brabant (1243 – October 9, 1261), daughter of Duke

Henry II of Brabant Henry II of Brabant ( nl, Hendrik, french: Henri; 1207 – February 1, 1248) was Duke of Brabant and Lothier after the death of his father Henry I in 1235. His mother was Matilda of Boulogne. Henry II supported his sister Mathilde's son, ...

and

Sophie of Thuringia Sophie of Thuringia (20 March 1224 – 29 May 1275) was the second wife and only Duchess consort of Henry II, Duke of Brabant and Lothier. She was the heiress of Hesse which she passed on to her son, Henry upon her retention of the territory fol ...

. They had no children.Chronica Principum Brunsvicensium, MGH SS XXX.1, p. 26. After Elizabeth's death in 1261, Albert married Adelheid (Alessia) (1242 – February 6, 1284/85), daughter of Margrave

Boniface II of Montferrat Boniface II (July 1202 – 12 June 1253), called the Giant, was the eleventh Marquis of Montferrat from 1225 until his death. He became the titular King of Thessalonica in 1239. Boniface was the son of William VI and his second wife, Berta d ...

around 1263. Once widowed she married

Gerhard I, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe Gerhard I, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe (1232 – 21 December 1290) was the only count of Holstein-Itzehoe. Life He was the second son of Count Adolf IV of Holstein and Heilwig of Lippe. When his father retired to a monastery in 1238, he ru ...

. Albert and Adelheid had the following children: * Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (1267–1322) * Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1268–1318) *

William I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg William (c. 1270 – 30 September 1292, in Brunswick), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, briefly ruled part of the duchy. William was the third son of Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. On Albert's death on 1279, the three eldest brothers succeed ...

(1270–1292) * Otto (died ca. 1346) * Matilda of Brunswick-Lüneburg, married the

Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branche ...

duke Henry III of Głogów, died 11 December 1310 *

Luther von Braunschweig Luther von Braunschweig (also known as Lothar of Brunswick; – 18 April 1335) was the 18th Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, serving from 1331 until his death. Life Luther was a younger son of the Welf duke Albert I of Brunswick-Lüne ...

(died 1335), Grand Master of the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...

from 1331 * Conrad (died ca. 1303)

References

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, vol. 1, p. 257-261

RootsWeb: Rulers of Brandenburg and their Czech Roots
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Albert 01, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg Princes of Wolfenbüttel 1236 births 1279 deaths People from the Harz Christians of the Prussian Crusade Old House of Brunswick