Albert, Duke in Prussia
Albrecht of Prussia ( born May 17, 1490 Ansbach, † March 20, 1568 at the castle Tapiau in the Duchy of Prussia ) was a prince of Ansbach from the Franconian line of Hohenzollern, and from 1511 the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Order in Prussia. He joined in 1525 the Reformation, secularised the Teutonic Order in Prussia in his capacity as a religious community and transformed as 1st Duke of Prussia, the Catholic -dominated secular rule of the German Teutonic Order in Prussia in the Lutheran Duchy of Prussia, which he held until his death as Duke reigned.
Life
Albrecht was born on 17 May 1490 Ansbach. His father was Frederick II, Margrave of Brandenburg- Ansbach. His mother Sophie was a daughter of the Polish king Casimir IV Jagiello and Elisabeth of Habsburg, a subsidiary of the German King Albrecht II. His parents decided Albrecht in terms of dispositions to Achillea spiritual career.
In his 21 years elected him the German Order in 1511 for the 37th Grand Master. The Order intended to shake off the 1466 Peace of Thorn to the King of Poland entered into military service. Requirement was that the newly elected Grand Master refused the oath of allegiance to the King Sigismund I.. Therefore Albrecht, the son of a reigning prince of the Holy Roman Empire and nephew Sigismund, the Order section of the Grand Masters office appeared to be particularly suitable. Trusting the duty to assist the German Master and the Master of Livonia country Albrecht refused the Polish king fealty. Sigismund, however, reached in 1513 a reminder of the Pope to Albrecht and 1515 by Emperor Maximilian the recognition of the Peace of 1466, for which he supported the kingship of Bohemia and Hungary in return.
After Maximilian's successor, Charles V. on his accession in 1519 Albrecht had asked for fealty and had become clear that neither from the realm nor from Livonia was expected support for Albrecht, Polish troops were in winter 1519/1520 the Order State to the to submit orders. Contrary to expectations, there was no decision. Danish support, a mercenary army from the kingdom, and especially the fear of allied with Russia led Sigismund Albrecht Albrecht, whose mercenaries were always rebellious, through the mediation of the pope and the emperor to sign a four -year truce in April 1521.
In the following two years Albrechts was looking for support in the realm unhappy, while Sigismund himself arranged with Moscow. However, Albrecht was won in 1522 during the religious struggles in Nuremberg by Andreas Osiander for the Reformation. In Luther's advice, he decided in November 1523 confirmed by Sigismund's envoys Achatius of Zehmen to resign the office of Grand Master to convert the German Teutonic state into a secular duchy and there to introduce the Reformation. Before Sigismund Albrecht put on 8 April 1525 Krakow feudal allegiance, in which Albrecht of Prussia took as a forterbendes in straight, male line duchy as a fief. His brothers Casimir and George were Mitbelehnt. In the Diet, which was held shortly afterwards in Königsberg, all objects declared with the Bishop of Sambia, Georg von Polenz, at the top for the recognition of the Duchy and the Adoption of the Reformation.
Albrecht put on the implementation of his work all power. Immediately there appeared a new church order, and the attempts of the Teutonic Order, Albrecht displace again, and in 1531 procured Superior Court of Justice in Germany against the duke and imposed on January 18, 1532 imperial ban had no other effect than that of the introduction of the evangelical doctrine and the attachment of his reign operation all the more zealous. This marked the end of the Teutonic Order in Prussia.
Especially Albrecht promoted the education system: In the cities he put to Latin schools, founded in 1540 the Gymnasium in Königsberg, and in 1544 the local university, the Albertus University ( " Albertina "). German textbooks ( catechisms, etc.) he left at his own expense to print, and serfs, who wished to devote himself to teaching business, he gave freedom. From him comes the text of the first three verses of the hymn " What my God wants gescheh ever " ( Lutheran Hymnal No. 364 ). Albrecht also laid the foundation for the royal library, whose magnificent 20 volumes he had shod for his second wife Anna Maria in pure silver. Therefore, given the name " Silver Library ".
His last years were embittered him government by religious and political discord in many cases. The dispute of the Königsberg professor Osiander, who violently peradventure hate Melanchthon, with his colleagues, especially with Joachim Mörlin, gave rise to serious complications. The Duke stood on the side of Osiander, most of the clergy, having regard to the people, it kept the country referenced Mörlin as are the towns and the nobility, because those so the recognition of their former privileges, this, however, the restriction of the ducal violence to achieve the ratio of the former Grand Master to his religious hoped. Nearly the whole country was hostile to the Prince, who was accused of favoring the foreigners too much, in fact many years by the Croatian adventurer and polymath Stanislav Pavao SKALIC had let himself be mastered and, moreover, was heavily in debt. The stands looked for help in Poland. Then sent Poland in 1566 a commission to Königsberg, which decided against the Duke. The Duke's confessor Johann Funck, the son of Osiander, and two allies were sentenced to death for high treason, Mörlin was recalled and appointed bishop of Sambia. As such, he wrote to condemn the teachings Osianderschen the symbolic book of Prussia: repetitio corporis doctrinae Prutenicae. New councils were forced upon the Duke of the Polish Commission and the stands. Dependent on them, Albrecht spent his last days in deep sorrow.
Albrecht died on March 20, 1568 at the castle Tapiau of the plague, 16 hours after he and his second wife Anna Maria.
Family and descendants
Duke Albert married in 1526 in her first marriage Princess Dorothea ( 1504-1547 ), daughter of King Frederick I of Denmark. From this union came six children:
- Anna Sophie ( * June 11, 1527; † February 6, 1591 )
- Catherine ( * / † February 24, 1528 )
- Friedrich Albrecht ( * December 5, 1529; † January 1, 1530 )
- Lucia Dorothea (* April 8, 1531; † February 1, 1532 )
- Lucia ( * February 1537, † May 1539 )
- Albrecht ( * / † March 1539 )
His second wife he married in 1550 Princess Maria Anna, daughter of Duke Eric I of Brunswick -Calenberg. From this marriage came two children:
- Elisabeth ( * May 20, 1551, † February 19, 1596 )
- Albrecht Friedrich ( * April 29, 1553; † August 28, 1618 ), Duke of Prussia
Remembrance
March 20 in the Protestant calendar name.