Albert III, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg

Albert III
Albrecht III. von Sachsen, Engern und Westfalen (de)
officially:
Duke of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia

colloquially: Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg or
Duke of Saxe-Ratzeburg
Duchy of Saxony
(Joint rule with his uncle Albert II, at first fostering his nephews, and his brothers Eric I and John II)
Joint Reign 1282–1296
Predecessors John I and Albert II
Successors Albert III, Eric I and John II (jointly ruling in
partitioned Saxe-Lauenburg)
Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg
(Joint rule with his brothers Eric I and John II)
Joint Reign 1296–1303
Joint predecessors Albert II, Albert III, Eric I and John II
Successor Albert III (ruling alone in
partitioned Saxe-Ratzeburg)
Duchy of Saxe-Ratzeburg
(partitioned as branch duchy from Saxe-Lauenburg)
Reign 1303–1308
Joint predecessors Albert III, Eric I and John II (joint rule)
Successor Eric I (ruling alone in redeployed Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg)
Born 1281
Died 1308
Consort Margaret of Brandenburg
Issue
Detail
Albrecht
Eric
House of Ascania (by birth)
Father John I, Duke of Saxony
Mother Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland
Religion Roman Catholic

Albert III of Saxe-Lauenburg (1281–1308) was a son of John I, Duke of Saxony and Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland (c.1253–30 June 1302, in Mölln), a daughter or granddaughter of Birger Jarl. He ruled Saxony jointly with his uncle, Albert II, and his brothers Eric I and John II (and under the regency of Albert II) until their coming of age. In 1296 Albert III, his brothers and their uncle divided Saxony into Saxe-Wittenberg, ruled by Albert II, and Saxe-Lauenburg, jointly ruled by the brothers between 1296 and 1303 and thereafter partitioned among them. Albert III then ruled the branch duchy of Saxe-Ratzeburg until his death.

Life

Albert III's father, John I, resigned as duke in 1282 in favour of his three sons Albert III, Eric I, and John II. As they were all minors, their uncle, Albert II, acted as their regent. When Albert III and his brothers came of age they shared the government of the duchy. The last document, mentioning the brothers and their uncle Albert II as Saxon fellow dukes dates back to 1295.[1]

The definite partitioning of Saxony into Saxe-Lauenburg, jointly ruled by Albert III and his brothers and Saxe-Wittenberg, ruled by their uncle Albert II, took place by 20 September 1296, at which time the Vierlande, Sadelbande (Land of Lauenburg), the Land of Ratzeburg, the Land of Darzing (later Amt Neuhaus), and the Land of Hadeln are mentioned as the separate territories of the brothers.[2] Albert II received Saxe-Wittenberg around the eponymous city and Belzig.

Albert III and his brothers at first jointly ruled Saxe-Lauenburg, before they partitioned it into three parts, while the exclave Land of Hadeln remained a jointly ruled territory. Albert III then held Saxe-Ratzeburg until his death in 1308. His brother Eric I inherited part of Albert's lands, while Albert's widow, Margaret of Brandenburg-Salzwedel, retained the remainder. After her death, Eric I gained these lands as well.[3]

However, his other brother. John II, then claimed a part for himself. So in 1321 Eric passed Bergedorf (including Vierlande) on to John II, whose lands became known as Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln while Eric's became known as Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg.

Marriage and issue

In 1302 Albert III married Margaret of Brandenburg, and they had two children:

Notes

  1. Cordula Bornefeld, "Die Herzöge von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: Die Fürsten des Landes: Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg [De slevigske hertuger; German], Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen (ed.) on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte, Neumünster: Wachholtz, 2008, pp. 373-389, here p. 375. ISBN 978-3-529-02606-5
  2. Cordula Bornefeld, "Die Herzöge von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: Die Fürsten des Landes: Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg [De slevigske hertuger; German], Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen (ed.) on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte, Neumünster: Wachholtz, 2008, pp. 373-389, here p. 375. ISBN 978-3-529-02606-5
  3. Cordula Bornefeld, "Die Herzöge von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: Die Fürsten des Landes: Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg [De slevigske hertuger; German], Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen (ed.) on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte, Neumünster: Wachholtz, 2008, pp. 373-389, here p. 377. ISBN 978-3-529-02606-5
Albert (Albrecht) III, Duke of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia
Born: 1281 Died: 1308
Regnal titles
Preceded by
John I and
Albert II

as Dukes of Saxony
joint rule till 1282, thereafter Albert II served as regent for John I's minor sons'''
Dukes of Saxony
12821296
with Eric I (brother) (12821296)
John II (brother) (12821296)
Albert II (uncle) (12601296)
Succeeded by
Albert II
as Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg
Succeeded by
Albert III,
Eric I and
John II

as Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg
New title
Partition of Saxe-Lauenburg from Saxony
Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg
12961303
with Eric I (brother) (12961303)
John II (brother) (12961303)
Succeeded by
Albert III
as Duke of Saxe-Ratzeburg
Succeeded by
Eric I
as Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg-Bergedorf
Succeeded by
John II
as Duke of Saxe-Mölln
New title
Partition of Saxe-Ratzeburg from Saxe-Lauenburg
Duke of Saxe-Ratzeburg
13031308
Line extinct with Saxe-Ratzeburg inherited by Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg-Bergedorf
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