Albert V, Duke of Bavaria

Albrecht V (* February 29, 1528 in Munich, † October 24, 1579 ibid ) was Duke of Bavaria from 1550.

Life

Albrecht's parents were Duke Wilhelm IV and Maria Jakobäa of Baden. In 1546 he married Anna, daughter of the Roman-German king and later emperor Ferdinand. After the death of his father he was in 1550 succeeded him as Duke of Bavaria. Albrecht was the first Bavarian rulers, in which the already adopted in 1506 Primogeniturordnung was implemented. At his territory included the Bavarian duchies of Lower Bavaria and Upper Bavaria - its territories should not be confused with the currently existing same administrative districts.

Albrecht was a passionate collector and art lover and is considered the founder of the development of Munich to a city of the arts. The structure of the court library, from which developed the present Bavarian State Library, began in 1558 with the purchase of more than 800 strong library from the estate of the humanist Johann Albrecht Widmanstetter. This inventory has been significantly expanded in 1560 by the estate of Albrecht's uncle Ernst and 1571 through the purchase of the library of Hans Jakob Fugger.

In the years 1563-1567 Albrecht had built a new royal stables, today's Old Mint, in the upper floors, the ducal Kunstkammer was decorated with more than 6,000 exhibits. The museum concept was developed by the Flemish doctor and art consultant Samuel Quiccheberg.

1566 Albrecht acquired by Hans Jakob Fugger, a collection of antique sculptures from an inheritance. They formed the basis for the collection of antiquities. Through the art specialists and imperial antiquarian Jacopo Strada Albrecht had in the same year in Rome more than 50 other ancient sculptures and buy in Venice numerous Roman busts. Two years later Strada succeeded after lengthy negotiations, the purchase of the collection of antiquities of the Venetian patrician Andrea Loredan for the Bavarian court. For the collection had grown to more than 600 exhibits of such Albrecht had from 1568 to 1571 built the Antiquarium, which was built for reasons of fire safety as a freestanding building outside the Neuveste.

His major coin collection formed the basis for the State Collection of Coins. He took a well-known painter and engraver, and the composer Orlando di Lasso to his court. In his royal household, he laid emphasis on splendor and luxury, the subjects burdened with heavy taxes and still towered enormous debts ( ½ million florins ) on.

Albrecht was raised Catholic and was under the influence of the Jesuits, who had brought his father to the land, and taught since 1549 in Ingolstadt at the Theological Faculty. The University of Ingolstadt was during Albrechts government completely at her. Lutheranism was followed in Albrechts dominion. However, he convened in 1550 Pankrazberg von Freyberg to his court; Pancrazio was inclined to Protestantism and was later able to wrest the duke concessions to religious freedom. Albrecht was one of the founders of the Federal Landsberger. In 1557 it created a religious council to control the religious unity of the country. In 1559 he founded a Jesuit College in Munich, today's Wilhelm Gymnasium. The Jews had already reported on 23 December 1551 by forbidding them to live in the Duchy. For travel through his land they needed a permit and were allowed to stay more than one time in any place.

Albrecht was the guardian of Philip II of Baden, later Margrave of Baden, as well as its sister Jakobi of Baden, later Duchess of Jülich -Cleves -Berg.

After the death of his uncle Ernest of Bavaria Albrecht inherited the mortgage shaft on the County of Glatz. This he sold in 1567 to the Czech King Maximilian II

Progeny

Duke Albrecht V. married on July 4, 1546 in Munich Archduchess Anna of Austria, daughter of Emperor Ferdinand I and his wife Princess Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. Together they had seven children:

• Karl ( * / † 1547)
• William V the Pious (1548-1626), ∞ 1568 Princess Renata of Lorraine
• Ferdinand (1550-1608), ∞ ( morg. ) 1588 Maria Pettembeck ( 1573-1619 ); Offspring: Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg, Count of Wartenberg (up to 1736)
• Maria Anna (1551-1608), ∞ 1571 Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria
• Maximiliana Maria (1552-1614)
• Friedrich (1553-1554)
• Ernst (1554-1612), Archbishop of Cologne, Bishop of Liège