Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia
Encyclopedia
Albert Frederick was duke
of Prussia from 1568 until his death. He was a son of Albert of Prussia and Anna Marie of Brunswick-Lüneburg
. He was the second and last Prussian duke of the Ansbach
branch of the Hohenzollern family.
. The homage was described by the Polish chronicler Jan Kochanowski
in his work Proporzec ("Standard"). During the 1573 Polish election, Albert Frederick attempted to gain acceptance to the Polish senate
but was opposed by the powerful Jan Zamoyski
(later Grand Hetman
of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland) who feared the influence of Protestants in the Polish legislative body. Albert Frederick initially refused to recognize the election of Stefan Bathory and supported the candidacy of Maximilian of Hapsburg
. However, at the Toruń
sejm
of October 1576 he gave his support to the new monarch.
As the great grandson of the Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon
, and as a Duke in Prussia who was fluent in Polish, Albert Frederick was seriously considered for a time as a possible candidate for the Polish throne. He particularly enjoyed the support of Polish Lutherans.
In 1572 he began to exhibit signs of mental disorder. In early 1578, the regency was taken over by his cousin, George Frederick of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
(1539–1603). After George Frederick's death in 1605, the Polish king Zygmunt Waza appointed Joachim Frederick as regent, and then in 1608, the new Elector of Brandenburg, John Sigismund
. The latter became Duke of Prussia after Albert Frederick's death in 1618.
, a daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
and Archduchess Maria of Austria
(1531–1581). Maria was a daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
.
At his death, the duchy passed to his son-in-law John Sigismund, Margrave of Brandenburg, combining the two territories under a single dynasty and forming Brandenburg-Prussia
.
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Prussia from 1568 until his death. He was a son of Albert of Prussia and Anna Marie of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Anna Marie of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Anna Marie of Brunswick-Lüneburg wasa Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneberg by birth and by marriage Duchess of Prussia....
. He was the second and last Prussian duke of the Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
branch of the Hohenzollern family.
Duke of Prussia
Albert became Duke of Prussia after paying feudal homage to the King of Poland, Zygmunt August (Ducal Prussia was a fief of Poland), on July 19, 1569 in LublinLublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
. The homage was described by the Polish chronicler Jan Kochanowski
Jan Kochanowski
Jan Kochanowski was a Polish Renaissance poet who established poetic patterns that would become integral to Polish literary language.He is commonly regarded as the greatest Polish poet before Adam Mickiewicz, and the greatest Slavic poet, prior to the 19th century.-Life:Kochanowski was born at...
in his work Proporzec ("Standard"). During the 1573 Polish election, Albert Frederick attempted to gain acceptance to the Polish senate
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature or parliament. There have been many such bodies in history, since senate means the assembly of the eldest and wiser members of the society and ruling class...
but was opposed by the powerful Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski , was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, magnate, 1st duke/ordynat of Zamość. Royal Secretary since 1566, Lesser Kanclerz ) of the Crown since 1576, Lord Grand-Chancellor of the Crown since 1578, and Grand Hetman of the Crown since 1581...
(later Grand Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland) who feared the influence of Protestants in the Polish legislative body. Albert Frederick initially refused to recognize the election of Stefan Bathory and supported the candidacy of Maximilian of Hapsburg
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
. However, at the Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
of October 1576 he gave his support to the new monarch.
As the great grandson of the Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....
, and as a Duke in Prussia who was fluent in Polish, Albert Frederick was seriously considered for a time as a possible candidate for the Polish throne. He particularly enjoyed the support of Polish Lutherans.
In 1572 he began to exhibit signs of mental disorder. In early 1578, the regency was taken over by his cousin, George Frederick of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
George Frederick of Brandenburg-Ansbach was Margrave of Ansbach and Bayreuth, as well as Regent of Prussia. He was the son of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and a member of the House of Hohenzollern...
(1539–1603). After George Frederick's death in 1605, the Polish king Zygmunt Waza appointed Joachim Frederick as regent, and then in 1608, the new Elector of Brandenburg, John Sigismund
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:...
. The latter became Duke of Prussia after Albert Frederick's death in 1618.
Marriage
Albrecht Friedrich was married in 1573 to Marie Eleonore of ClevesMarie Eleonore of Cleves
Marie Eleonore of Cleves was a Duchess consort of Prussia as the wife of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia. She was the eldest child of Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and Maria of Austria.- Family :...
, a daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg .William was born in and died in Düsseldorf. He was the only son of John III, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, and Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Berg. William took over rule of his father's estates upon his death in 1539...
and Archduchess Maria of Austria
Maria of Habsburg, Archduchess of Austria
Archduchess Maria of Austria was the daughter of Emperor Ferdinand I and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary from the House of Habsburg....
(1531–1581). Maria was a daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, also sometimes known as Anna Jagellonica was, by marriage to Ferdinand I, King of the Romans and later Holy Roman Emperor, Queen of the Romans.-Family:She was the elder child and only daughter of king Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his third...
.
Issue
Albert Frederick and Marie were parents to seven children:- Anna of Prussia (3 July 1576 – 30 August 1625). Married John Sigismund, Elector of BrandenburgJohn Sigismund, Elector of BrandenburgJohn Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:...
. - Marie of Prussia (23 January 1579 – 21 February 1649). Married Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-BayreuthChristian, Margrave of Brandenburg-BayreuthChristian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach ....
. - Albert Frederick of Prussia (1 June - 8 October 1580).
- Sophie of Prussia (31 March 1582 – 4 December 1610). Married Wilhelm KettlerWilhelm KettlerWilhelm Kettler was the second Duke of Courland, a region of Latvia. Wilhelm ruled the western Courland portion of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia while his brother Friedrich ruled the eastern Semigallia portion.Wilhelm Kettler was the youngest son of Gotthard Kettler and his wife Anna of...
of CourlandCourlandCourland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
. - Eleanor of PrussiaEleanor of PrussiaEleanor of Prussia was a princess of the Duchy of Prussia by birth and Electress of Brandenburg by marriage.- Life :...
(22 August 1583 - 31 March/9 April 1607). Married Joachim Frederick, Elector of BrandenburgJoachim Frederick, Elector of BrandenburgJoachim III Frederick , of the House of Hohenzollern, was Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1598 until his death.-Biography:...
. - Wilhelm of Prussia (23 June 1585 – 18 January 1586).
- Magdalene Sibylle of PrussiaMagdalene Sibylle of PrussiaMagdalene Sibylle of Prussia was an Electress of Saxony as the spouse of John George I, Elector of Saxony.-Life:...
(31 December 1586 – 22 February 1659). Married John George I, Elector of SaxonyJohn George I, Elector of SaxonyJohn George I was Elector of Saxony from 1611 to 1656.-Biography:Born in Dresden, he was the second son of the Elector Christian I and Sophie of Brandenburg....
.
At his death, the duchy passed to his son-in-law John Sigismund, Margrave of Brandenburg, combining the two territories under a single dynasty and forming Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
.