Editing Albrecht III Achilles

{{short description|Elector of Brandenburg from 1471 to 1486}}
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{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Albrecht III Achilles
| title        = 
| image        = Albrecht Achilles auf der Predella des von ihm gestifteten Schwanenordensaltars (cropped).jpg
| caption      = Portrait of Albrecht Achilles,<br>[[St. Gumbertus, Ansbach]] (1484)
| succession = [[Elector of Brandenburg]]
| reign =  10 February 1471 – 11 March 1486
| predecessor = [[Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick II]]
| successor = [[John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg|John Cicero]]
| house = [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]]
| father       = [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg]]
| mother       = [[Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut]]
| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Margaret of Baden]]|1446|1457|end=died}}
* {{marriage|[[Anna of Saxony (d. 1512)|Anna of Saxony]]|1458}}
}}
| issue = {{plainlist|
* [[John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg]]
* [[Ursula of Brandenburg (1450-1508)|Ursula]]
* [[Elisabeth of Brandenburg (1451-1524)|Elisabeth]]
* [[Margaret of Brandenburg (1453-1509)|Margareta]]
* [[Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Frederick I]]
* [[Amalie of Brandenburg|Amalie]]
* [[Barbara of Brandenburg (1464–1515)|Barbara]]
* [[Sibylle of Brandenburg|Sibylle]]
* [[Siegmund, Margrave of Bayreuth|Siegmund]]
}}
| issue-link = #Family and children
| birth_date   = {{birth_date|1414|11|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place  = [[Tangermünde]], [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1486|3|11|1414|11|9|df=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Free City of Frankfurt|Imperial City of Frankfurt]]
| burial_place = [[Heilsbronn Abbey]]
| signature    = Signatur Albrecht Achilles.PNG
}}
'''Albrecht III''' (9 November 1414{{snd}}11 March 1486) was [[List of rulers of Brandenburg|Elector of Brandenburg]] from 1471 until his death, the third from the [[House of Hohenzollern]]. A member of the [[Order of the Swan]], he received the [[cognomen]] '''''[[Achilles]]'''''  because of his [[knight]]ly qualities and virtues. He also ruled in the [[Franconia]]n principalities of [[Principality of Ansbach|Ansbach]] from 1440 and [[Principality of Bayreuth|Kulmbach]] from 1464 (as Albrecht I).

==Biography==
===Early life===
Albrecht was born at the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] residence of [[Tangermünde]] as the third son of the [[Burgraviate of Nuremberg|Nuremberg]] burgrave [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick I]] and his wife, the [[House of Wittelsbach|Wittelsbach]] princess [[Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Brandenburg|Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut]]. His father served as governor in Brandenburg; a few months after Albrecht's birth, he was enfeoffed with the [[Prince-elector|electorate]] at the [[Council of Constance]] by the [[House of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]] emperor [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]].

After passing some time at the court of Emperor Sigismund, Albrecht took part in the [[Hussite Wars]], and afterwards distinguished himself whilst assisting Sigismund's successor, the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] king [[Albert II of Germany]], against the Hussites and their [[History of Poland during the Jagiellonian dynasty|Polish]] allies.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} In 1435, he and his eldest brother [[John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|John]] went on a pilgrimage to [[Jerusalem]].

===Reign in Franconia===
On the division of territory which followed his father's death in 1440, Albrecht received the Principality of Ansbach, while John took over the rule of Brandenburg as its elector. Although Albrecht's resources were meager, he soon took a leading place among the German [[Princes of the Holy Roman Empire|princes]] and was especially prominent in resisting the attempts of the towns to obtain self-government.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Nevertheless, Albrecht's plans to re-unite the former [[Duchy of Franconia]] under his rule failed: in 1443, he formed a league directed mainly against the [[Imperial City of Nuremberg]], over which his late father had formerly exercised the rights of burgrave. It was not until 1448, however, that he found a pretext for attack. After initial military successes in the [[First Margrave War]], he was defeated at the Battle of Pillenreuther Weiher, resulting in the Treaty of Bamberg (22 June 1450), which forced Albrecht to return all of the conquered territory and to recognize the independence of Nuremberg and its associated towns.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Albrecht supported the Habsburg emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]] in his struggle with the princes who desired reforms in the [[Holy Roman Empire]], and in return for this loyalty received many marks of favour from Frederick, including extensive judicial rights which aroused considerable irritation among neighbouring rulers.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In 1457, Albrecht arranged a marriage between his eldest son John, and Margaret, daughter of [[William III, Duke of Luxembourg|William III]], Landgrave of [[Thuringia]], who inherited the claims upon [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] and [[Bohemia]] of her mother, a granddaughter of Emperor [[Sigismund of Luxemburg|Sigismund]]. The attempt to secure these thrones for the Hohenzollerns through this marriage failed, and a similar fate befell Albrecht's efforts to revive in his own favour the disused title of duke of [[Franconia]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

The sharp dissensions which existed among the princes over the question of reform culminated in the [[Bavarian War (1459–63)|Bavarian War]] from 1459 to 1463, when Albrecht was confronted with a league under the leadership of Elector Palatine [[Frederick I, Elector Palatine|Frederick I]] and his [[House of Wittelsbach|Wittelsbach]] cousin Duke [[Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria|Louis IX of Bavaria-Landshut]]. Though defeated in the struggle, Albrecht continued fighting against Prince-bishop [[Rudolf von Scherenberg|Rudolf II of Würzburg]] and even forged an alliance with his former enemy, the [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemian]] king [[George of Poděbrady]], a step which caused [[Pope Paul II]] to place him under the ban.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}
[[File:Portret van Albrecht III Achilles, keurvorst van Brandenburg, RP-P-2016-768.jpg|thumb|Elector Albrecht Achilles, 17th century engraving]]
Albrecht permanently resided at [[Ansbach Residence|Ansbach]] from 1460; he also inherited the Principality of Kulmbach upon the death of his brother John in 1464.

===Brandenburg elector===
In 1471, Albrecht became Elector of Brandenburg, owing to the abdication of his remaining brother, Elector [[Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick II]], the year before. Now sole ruler over the entire Hohenzollern estates, he was soon actively engaged in their administration. By the 1472 [[Treaty of Prenzlau]] he ended the [[War of the Succession of Stettin]], bringing the [[Duchy of Pomerania]] also under his supremacy.

Having established his right to levy a tonnage on wines in the mark, he issued in February 1473 the ''[[Dispositio Achillea]]'', which decreed that the Margraviate of Brandenburg should descend in its entirety to the eldest son, while the younger sons should receive the Franconian possessions of the family.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} After treating in vain for a marriage between one of his sons and [[Mary of Burgundy]], daughter and heiress of Duke [[Charles the Bold]], Albrecht handed over the government of Brandenburg to his eldest son [[John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg|John Cicero]], and returned to his Franconian possessions.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Albrecht's main attention afterwards was claimed by the business of the empire. Seriously ill, he took part in the [[imperial election of 1486]] which selected [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian of Austria]] as [[King of the Romans]] at [[Frankfurt Cathedral]]. A few weeks later, in March, Albrecht died while still staying in [[Frankfurt]]; he was buried in the [[Heilsbronn Abbey]] church near Ansbach. He left a considerable amount of treasure.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Family and children==
[[File:Albrecht Achilles Gripsholm.JPG|thumb|Albrecht with his second consort Anna of Saxony ({{circa|1625}})]]
Albrecht was married twice. First, he married 12 November 1446 [[Margaret of Baden]], daughter of Margrave [[Jacob, Margrave of Baden-Baden|Jakob I of Baden]] and [[Catherine de Lorraine (1407–1439)|Catherine of Lorraine]]. From this marriage he had following children:
# Wolfgang, born and died in 1450.
# [[Ursula of Brandenburg (1450-1508)|Ursula]] (25 September 1450{{snd}}25 October 1508, [[Breslau]]), married Duke [[Henry I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels]].
# [[Elisabeth of Brandenburg (1451-1524)|Elisabeth]], (29 October 1451, Ansbach{{snd}}28 March 1524, [[Nürtingen]]), married [[Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg]].
# [[Margaret of Brandenburg (1453-1509)|Margareta]] (18 April 1453{{snd}}27 April 1509), abbess of the [[Poor Clares]] convent at [[Hof, Bavaria|Hof]].
# Friedrich, died young.
# [[John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg]] (2 August 1455{{snd}}9 January 1499).

Margaret died 24 October 1457 and in 1458 Albrecht married [[Anna of Saxony (d. 1512)|Anna]], daughter of [[Frederick II, Elector of Saxony]] and Margarete of Austria. Their children were:
# [[Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Frederick I]], (German: Friedrich II. von Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach or Friedrich der Ältere; 1460–1536), Margrave in Ansbach since 1486 and [[Bayreuth]] since 1495.
# [[Amalie of Brandenburg|Amalie]] (1 October 1461, [[Plassenburg]]{{snd}}3 September 1481, [[Baden-Baden]]), married [[Kaspar, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken|Kaspar]], Count Palatine of [[Zweibrücken]].
# Anna, born and died in 1462.
# [[Barbara of Brandenburg (1464–1515)|Barbara]] (30 May 1464, Ansbach{{snd}}4 September 1515, Ansbach), married:
## in Berlin 11 October 1472 to Duke [[Henry XI of Głogów]];
## in [[Frankfurt (Oder)]] 20 August 1476 to King [[Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary]].
# Albrecht, born and died in 1466.
# [[Sibylle of Brandenburg|Sibylle]] (31 May 1467, Ansbach{{snd}}9 July 1524, [[Kaster]]), married Duke [[Wilhelm IV of Jülich and Berg]].
# [[Siegmund, Margrave of Bayreuth|Siegmund]], Margrave in Bayreuth, (27 September 1468, Ansbach{{snd}}26 February 1495, Ansbach).
# Albrecht, born and died in 1470.
# Georg (30 December 1472, Berlin{{snd}}5 December 1476, [[Kadolzburg]]).
# [[Dorothea of Brandenburg (1471-1520)|Dorothea]] (12 December 1471, Berlin{{snd}}13 February 1520, [[Bamberg]]), Abbess in Bamberg.
# [[Elizabeth of Brandenburg (1474-1507)|Elisabeth]] (8 April 1474, Ansbach{{snd}}25 April 1507, [[Römhild]]), married Count Hermann VIII of [[County of Henneberg|Henneberg-Aschach]] (1470–1535)
# Magdalene (29 July 1476, Berlin{{snd}}before 4 February 1480).
# [[Anastasia of Brandenburg|Anastasia]] (14 March 1478, Ansbach{{snd}}4 July 1534, [[Ilmenau]]), married [[William IV, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen|Count William IV]] of [[County of Henneberg|Henneberg-Schleusingen]] (1478–1559)

===Dynastic marriages of his children===
In 1474, Albrecht married his daughter [[Barbara of Brandenburg (1464–1515)|Barbara]] to Duke [[Henry XI of Głogów]], who left his possessions on his death in 1476 to his widow with reversion to her family, an arrangement which was resisted by Henry's kinsman, Duke [[Jan II the Mad|Jan II of Żagań]]. Aided by King [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary]], Jan of Żagań invaded Brandenburg, and the [[Pomeranians (Slavic tribe)|Pomeranians]] seized the opportunity to revolt. Under these circumstances Albrecht returned to Brandenburg in 1478, compelled the Pomeranians to recognize his supremacy, and, after a stubborn struggle, secured a part of Duke Henry's lands for his daughter in 1482.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Ancestry==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2012}}
{{ahnentafel
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''Albrecht III, Elector of Brandenburg'''
| 2 = 2. [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg]]
| 3 = 3. [[Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut]]
| 4 = 4. [[Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg]]
| 5 = 5. [[Elisabeth of Meissen]]
| 6 = 6. [[Frederick, Duke of Bavaria|Frederick of Bavaria-Landshut]]
| 7 = 7. [[Maddalena Visconti]]
| 8 = 8. [[John II, Burgrave of Nuremberg]]
| 9 = 9. [[Elisabeth of Henneberg-Schleusingen]]
| 10 = 10. [[Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen]]
| 11 = 11. [[Mathilde of Bavaria, Margravine of Meissen|Mathilde of Bavaria]]
| 12 = 12. [[Stephen II, Duke of Bavaria]]
| 13 = 13. [[Elisabeth of Sicily (1310–1349)|Elisabeth of Sicily]]
| 14 = 14. [[Bernabò Visconti]]
| 15 = 15. [[Beatrice Regina della Scala]]
}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
* Mario Müller (Ed.): Kurfürst Albrecht Achilles (1414–1486). Kurfürst von Brandenburg, Burggraf von Nürnberg (Jahrbuch des Historischen Vereins für Mittelfranken, vol. 102), Ansbach 2014. {{ISSN|0341-9339}}.
'''Attribution:'''
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Albert III. (Brandenburg)|display=Albert III.|volume=1|pages=494–495}} Endnote: See

== External links ==
{{commons category|Albert Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg}}
* {{cite web |last=Marek |first=Miroslav |url=http://genealogy.euweb.cz/hohz/hohenz2.html |title= House of Hohenzollern |publisher= Genealogy.EU}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Hohenzollern]]|9 November|1414|11 March|1486}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef | before=[[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick I]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach]] | years=1440–1486}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Frederick II]]}}
{{s-bef | before = [[John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|John "the Alchemist"]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach]] | years=1457–1486}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Siegmund, Margrave of Bayreuth|Siegmund]]}}
{{s-bef |before=[[Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick II]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Elector of Brandenburg]] | years=1471–1486}}
{{s-aft |after=[[John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg|John Cicero]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Electors of Brandenburg}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albrecht III, Elector of Brandenburg}}
[[Category:1414 births]]
[[Category:1486 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Stendal (district)]]
[[Category:Prince-electors of Brandenburg]]
[[Category:House of Hohenzollern]]
[[Category:Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach]]
[[Category:Margraves of Bayreuth]]
[[Category:15th-century German people]]
[[Category:Burials at Heilsbronn Abbey]]
[[Category:People excommunicated by the Catholic Church]]