Albert the Bear was the first Margrave of Brandenburg (as Albert I) from 1157 to his death and was briefly Duke of Saxony between 1138 and 1142.
Albert was the only son of Otto, Count of Ballenstedt, and Eilika, daughter of Magnus Billung, Duke of Saxony. He inherited the valuable estates in northern Saxony of his father in 1123, and on his mother's death, in 1142, succeeded to one-half of the lands of the house of Billung. Albert was a loyal vassal of his relation, Lothar I, Duke of Saxony, from whom, about 1123, he received the Margraviate of Lusatia, to the east; after Lothar became King of the Germans, he accompanied him on a disastrous expedition to Bohemia in 1126, when he suffered a short imprisonment.
Albert's personal qualities won for him the cognomen of the Bear, "not from his looks or qualities, for he was a tall handsome man, but from the cognisance on his shield, an able man, had a quick eye as well as a strong hand, and could pick what way was straightest among crooked things, was the shining figure and the great man of the North in his day
Albert was married in 1124 to Sophie of Winzenburg (died 25 March 1160) and they had the following children:
Otto I, Margrave of Brandenburg (1126/1128–7 March 1184)
Count Hermann I of Orlamünde (died 1176)
Siegfried (died 24 October 1184), Bishop of Brandenburg from 1173–1180, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, the first ranked prince, from 1180–1184
Heinrich (died 1185), a canon in Magdeburg
Count Albert of Ballenstedt (died after 6 December 1172)
Count Dietrich of Werben (died after 5 September 1183)
Count Bernhard of Anhalt (1140–9 February 1212), Duke of Saxony from 1180-1212 as Bernard III
Hedwig (d. 1203), married to Otto II, Margrave of Meissen
Daughter, married c. 1152 to Vladislav of Bohemia
Adelheid (died 1162), a nun in Lamspringe
Gertrude, married in 1155 to Duke Diepold of Moravia
Sybille (died c. 1170), Abbess of Quedlinburg.
In 1164 Albert joined a league of princes formed against Henry the Lion, and peace being made in 1169, Albert divided his territories among his six sons. He died on November 18, 1170, possibly in Stendal, and was buried at Ballenstedt Castle.
Albert was the only son of Otto, Count of Ballenstedt, and Eilika, daughter of Magnus Billung, Duke of Saxony. He inherited the valuable estates in northern Saxony of his father in 1123, and on his mother's death, in 1142, succeeded to one-half of the lands of the house of Billung. Albert was a loyal vassal of his relation, Lothar I, Duke of Saxony, from whom, about 1123, he received the Margraviate of Lusatia, to the east; after Lothar became King of the Germans, he accompanied him on a disastrous expedition to Bohemia in 1126, when he suffered a short imprisonment.
Albert's personal qualities won for him the cognomen of the Bear, "not from his looks or qualities, for he was a tall handsome man, but from the cognisance on his shield, an able man, had a quick eye as well as a strong hand, and could pick what way was straightest among crooked things, was the shining figure and the great man of the North in his day
Albert was married in 1124 to Sophie of Winzenburg (died 25 March 1160) and they had the following children:
Otto I, Margrave of Brandenburg (1126/1128–7 March 1184)
Count Hermann I of Orlamünde (died 1176)
Siegfried (died 24 October 1184), Bishop of Brandenburg from 1173–1180, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, the first ranked prince, from 1180–1184
Heinrich (died 1185), a canon in Magdeburg
Count Albert of Ballenstedt (died after 6 December 1172)
Count Dietrich of Werben (died after 5 September 1183)
Count Bernhard of Anhalt (1140–9 February 1212), Duke of Saxony from 1180-1212 as Bernard III
Hedwig (d. 1203), married to Otto II, Margrave of Meissen
Daughter, married c. 1152 to Vladislav of Bohemia
Adelheid (died 1162), a nun in Lamspringe
Gertrude, married in 1155 to Duke Diepold of Moravia
Sybille (died c. 1170), Abbess of Quedlinburg.
In 1164 Albert joined a league of princes formed against Henry the Lion, and peace being made in 1169, Albert divided his territories among his six sons. He died on November 18, 1170, possibly in Stendal, and was buried at Ballenstedt Castle.
Albert the Bear was the first Margrave of Brandenburg (as Albert I) from 1157 to his death and was briefly Duke of Saxony between 1138 and 1142.
Albert was the only son of Otto, Count of Ballenstedt, and Eilika, daughter of Magnus Billung, Duke of Saxony. He inherited the valuable estates in northern Saxony of his father in 1123, and on his mother's death, in 1142, succeeded to one-half of the lands of the house of Billung. Albert was a loyal vassal of his relation, Lothar I, Duke of Saxony, from whom, about 1123, he received the Margraviate of Lusatia, to the east; after Lothar became King of the Germans, he accompanied him on a disastrous expedition to Bohemia in 1126, when he suffered a short imprisonment.
Albert's personal qualities won for him the cognomen of the Bear, "not from his looks or qualities, for he was a tall handsome man, but from the cognisance on his shield, an able man, had a quick eye as well as a strong hand, and could pick what way was straightest among crooked things, was the shining figure and the great man of the North in his day
Albert was married in 1124 to Sophie of Winzenburg (died 25 March 1160) and they had the following children:
Otto I, Margrave of Brandenburg (1126/1128–7 March 1184)
Count Hermann I of Orlamünde (died 1176)
Siegfried (died 24 October 1184), Bishop of Brandenburg from 1173–1180, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, the first ranked prince, from 1180–1184
Heinrich (died 1185), a canon in Magdeburg
Count Albert of Ballenstedt (died after 6 December 1172)
Count Dietrich of Werben (died after 5 September 1183)
Count Bernhard of Anhalt (1140–9 February 1212), Duke of Saxony from 1180-1212 as Bernard III
Hedwig (d. 1203), married to Otto II, Margrave of Meissen
Daughter, married c. 1152 to Vladislav of Bohemia
Adelheid (died 1162), a nun in Lamspringe
Gertrude, married in 1155 to Duke Diepold of Moravia
Sybille (died c. 1170), Abbess of Quedlinburg.
In 1164 Albert joined a league of princes formed against Henry the Lion, and peace being made in 1169, Albert divided his territories among his six sons. He died on November 18, 1170, possibly in Stendal, and was buried at Ballenstedt Castle.
Albert was the only son of Otto, Count of Ballenstedt, and Eilika, daughter of Magnus Billung, Duke of Saxony. He inherited the valuable estates in northern Saxony of his father in 1123, and on his mother's death, in 1142, succeeded to one-half of the lands of the house of Billung. Albert was a loyal vassal of his relation, Lothar I, Duke of Saxony, from whom, about 1123, he received the Margraviate of Lusatia, to the east; after Lothar became King of the Germans, he accompanied him on a disastrous expedition to Bohemia in 1126, when he suffered a short imprisonment.
Albert's personal qualities won for him the cognomen of the Bear, "not from his looks or qualities, for he was a tall handsome man, but from the cognisance on his shield, an able man, had a quick eye as well as a strong hand, and could pick what way was straightest among crooked things, was the shining figure and the great man of the North in his day
Albert was married in 1124 to Sophie of Winzenburg (died 25 March 1160) and they had the following children:
Otto I, Margrave of Brandenburg (1126/1128–7 March 1184)
Count Hermann I of Orlamünde (died 1176)
Siegfried (died 24 October 1184), Bishop of Brandenburg from 1173–1180, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, the first ranked prince, from 1180–1184
Heinrich (died 1185), a canon in Magdeburg
Count Albert of Ballenstedt (died after 6 December 1172)
Count Dietrich of Werben (died after 5 September 1183)
Count Bernhard of Anhalt (1140–9 February 1212), Duke of Saxony from 1180-1212 as Bernard III
Hedwig (d. 1203), married to Otto II, Margrave of Meissen
Daughter, married c. 1152 to Vladislav of Bohemia
Adelheid (died 1162), a nun in Lamspringe
Gertrude, married in 1155 to Duke Diepold of Moravia
Sybille (died c. 1170), Abbess of Quedlinburg.
In 1164 Albert joined a league of princes formed against Henry the Lion, and peace being made in 1169, Albert divided his territories among his six sons. He died on November 18, 1170, possibly in Stendal, and was buried at Ballenstedt Castle.
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