of Albert IV., at the death of his father in 1404 had only reached his seventh year. Educated by worthy persons, who were good friends of the young sovereign at the expense of being bad servants of the regency, he early displayed an amount of talent and decision that formed the only hope of the people during the years of rapine and murder that constituted the period of his minority. A rebellion of his subjects closed the administration of his cousin Leopold III., who under the name of Regent had plundered his estates, and placed Albert at the head of affairs. He set himself laboriously to the task of re-establishing law and order, and succeeded in a manner that justified the enthusiasm with which his subjects hailed the commencement of his reign. In 1421 he married Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor Sigismund, the persecutor of the Hussites, and, in consequence of this alliance, became involved in the civil wars of Bohemia, and eventually, on the death of his father-in-law, in a contest for the crown of that kingdom with the widow of Sigismund, whose cause the Hussites espoused with great ardour. Successful in several skirmishes, he was crowned at Prague in 1438, and shortly after elevated to the imperial throne amid congratulations from all parts of the empire. His reign was illustrated by reforms in every branch of the public service, especially by the abolition of secret tribunals, and the Institution of courts of justice. He was indefatigable in his labours for the public good, and seemed to have inaugurated a new and better era for Germany; but his peaceful reforms were cut short by an unexpected invasion of the Turks, under Sultan Murad II., who forced his way into the centre of Hungary. Albert with difficulty mustered an army to oppose the march of the invader, and proceeded to the frontiers. But the treachery of his chiefs, and an epidemic which began to prevail in his camp, gradually dispersed his forces; and, worn out with toil, he died at a village of Hungary in 1439.—J. S., G.
ALBERT I., Archduke of Austria, and governor of the Low Countries, was at an early age, in accordance with his ambition to be a prelate, appointed cardinal-archbishop of Toledo; but in his twenty-fifth year he resigned his spiritual functions, and became viceroy of Portugal under his uncle Philip II., who gave him his daughter in marriage, and afterwards intrusted him with the government of the Low Countries, where his administration continued to be popular till his death in 1621.—J. S., G..
II.—ALBERTS OF BRANDENBURG.
ALBERT I. or ALBRECHT, surnamed the Bear, Margrave of Brandenburg, which possession he received from the Emperor Lotharius for services rendered in a war with the Bohemians, was a son of Otho the Rich, count of Ballenstadt, and possessed, previous to his accession to the margraviate, the counties of Lusatia and Salzwedel. In 1138 he laid claim to the duchy of Saxony, and succeeded after a long struggle in wresting it from the reigning house. He took an active part in the wars of the empire, and endeavoured still further to extend his dominions. An attempt which he made to subdue Pomerania proved abortive; but he was more successful in a contest with Henry the Lion for the possession of the counties of Prosecke and Winzenburg, the former of which was awarded to him by the adjudication of the emperor, Frederick I. He took advantage of a year of tranquility in his dominions, to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and on his return renewed his attack on Pomerania; this time, however, in the interest of Henry the Lion. No progress had been made in the enterprise when the princes quarreled, and were only prevented from waging war to the death by the threats of the emperor. Albert died in 1176, seven years after his resignation i n favour of his eldest son, and left behind him a name which conferred consequence on a long line of successors.—J. S., G.
ALBERT II., Margrave of Brandenburg, succeeded his brother Otho II. in 1206. He encouraged Otho IV. to brave the thunders of the Holy See, and make war on his own and the emperor's enemy, the archbishop of Magdeburg, whose territories he wasted in repeated invasions. In the course of a three years' war, he acquired some territory in Pomerania, which, after the decline of Otho's administration, was confirmed to him by Frederick II. Died in 1221.—J. S., G.
ALBERT III., Margrave of Brandenburg, complimented by historians with the title of the German Achilles and Ulysses, while margrave of Bareuth, distinguished himself in the wars of the emperor with Poland, and succeeded his brother Frederick II., enjoying a renown for personal valour which belonged to no other hero of the empire. Victor in seventeen tournays, and the terror of at least one city, Nuremberg, the inhabitants of which he had eight times defeated, he was not without reason distinguished by the former of his surnames. The latter he earned by his success in negotiating a peace between the emperor and the duke of Burgundy, and perhaps also by his careless abandonment of the government to his son John, while he pursued his old habit of fighting for the empire. This wise and valorous prince, after dividing his estates among his three sons, died at Frankfort-on-the-Maine in 1486.—J. S., G.
ALBERT, Margrave of Brandenburg, and first duke of Prussia, born May 17, 1490, was the son of Frederick of Anspach, and Sophia, sister of Sigismund I., king of Poland. At an early period of life he became connected with the order of the Teutonic knights, who, on their return from the Holy Land to Germany, had invaded the province of Prussia, the inhabitants of which were still pagans, and subdued it about the middle of the 13th century. The kings of Poland, who came to the assistance of the Prussians, compelled the order, in a pacification concluded in 1466, to agree that the grand-master should, in all time coming, render homage to the kings of Poland, in acknowledgment that the order held its possessions as a fief of that crown. In 1511, being then only twenty-one years of age, Albert was chosen grand-master of the order, in the hope that, through the friendship of Joachim I., elector of Brandenburg, his cousin, and especially of Sigismund, king of Poland, his uncle, he might have it in his power to emancipate the order from this degrading vassalage. But as Sigismund refused to surrender his claim, and the knights determined no longer to submit to it, a war was the consequence. In April, 1525, a peace was concluded at Cracow, by which, through Albert's skilful management, the eastern part of Prussia was converted into a duchy, and secured to him and his male heirs, but to be held as a fief of the crown of Poland. In this way was the government of the Teutonic knights overthrown in Prussia. Albert at the same time avowing himself a Lutheran, changed the religion of the duchy from popery to protestantism, and afterwards married; measures which Luther, with whom he had previously had an interview, advised him to take. In 1544 he founded the university of Königsberg. He died March 20, 1558.—J. A.
III.—ALBERTS OF BRUNSWICK.
ALBERT I., Duke of Brunswick, surnamed the Great. On the death of his father Otto he retained for himself the states of Wolfenbüttel and Göttingen, and gave to his brother Luneburg and Zelle. Albert was famous for personal bravery, a peaceable disposition, and a courteous demeanour. He assisted Ottocar, king of Bohemia, against Bala IV. of Hungary, and took him prisoner. In 1263 he was himself taken prisoner by Henry, landgrave of Thuringia, and had to pay for his ransom a considerable sum of money, besides surrendering several towns and estates. Having assisted to rescue the dowager queen of Denmark, and Eric, the young king, from their detention in Holstein, the queen caused him to be made regent of Denmark, and thought to offer him her hand; the Danes, however, refused to submit to the reforms which he proposed to make, and he was obliged to quit the country. He married Adelaide, daughter of Boniface of Montferrat. Died 15th August, 1278.—J. F.
ALBERT II., Duke of Brunswick, son of the preceding. His possessions included the city of Göttingen, the states of Kalenberg, Nordheim, and Hanover, and the countries on the Leine, to which Brunswick and its dependencies were afterwards added. Albert was sagacious and gentle; he conferred many important rights on the citizens of Brunswick and Göttingen, and laboured to promote the welfare of his people. Died in 1318.—J. F.
IV.—ALBERT OF HOLLAND.
ALBERT, Count of Holland, born 1337, was a weak and indolent prince. He thus drew upon himself the indignation of his people, who, headed by Count Ostrevant, his son, broke out in insurrection. Albert, however, defeated his enemies; and the rebellious prince afterwards conducted himself so loyally as to efface the memory of his revolt. It is under Albert that we first meet with the office of Stadtholder, which has since become so important. It was the duty of the person elevated to this dignity, to represent the prince as his lieutenant; the office seems to have had its origin in the indolence of Albert, and his readiness to delegate to his ministers the authority which he was too weak to exercise in person. Died in 1404.—F.
V. ALBERTS OF LIEGE AND LIVONIA.
ALBERT I., son of Godfrey, duke of Brabant, was elected
