Albert I, Duke of Bavaria
Albert I, Duke of Lower Bavaria(German:Albrecht;25 July 1336 – 13 December 1404), was afeudalruler of the counties ofHolland,Hainaut,andZeelandin theLow Countries.Additionally, he held a portion of theBavarianprovince ofStraubing,his Bavarian ducal line'sappanageand seat,Lower Bavaria.
Biography[edit]
Mintplace:Dordrecht1389-1404.
Early years[edit]
Albert was born inMunich,the third son ofLouis IV, Holy Roman Emperor,[1]by his second wifeMargaret II, Countess of Hainautand Holland. Albert was originally a younger son, apportioned at best an appanage. He was only 10 years old when his father died, leaving most of his Bavarian inheritance to his eldest half-brother,Louis V, Duke of Bavaria,but also some appanages to the younger sons.
His elder brother,William V, Count of Holland,had engaged in a long struggle with their mother, obtaining Holland and Zeeland from her in 1354, and Hainaut on her death in 1356. William was supported by the party ofburghersof the cities. They were opposed in this by theHook faction,the party of disaffected nobles who were supporters of Empress Margaret. Margaret had resigned her sovereignty in favour of her son William V, but the result was a period of great upheavals and chaos which gave rise to the formation of these two opposing parties.
Regent of Holland[edit]
William'sinsanityresulted in the appointment of the then 22-year-old Albert as governor (orregentorruwaard) of his brother's territories from 1358 onwards. During Albert's regency, affairs ran smoothly and trade improved.Troubles between the two political parties,theHoeks( "Hooks" ) andKabeljauws( "Cods" ), remained barely beneath the surface. William lived for another thirty years. Albert did not formally succeed him until his death in 1388, by which time he had already arranged the marriage of his daughters to a number of Imperial princes and other nobles. The eldest daughter to have children wasMargaret;her sonPhilip III, Duke of Burgundywould ultimately inherit Albert's territories.
Count of Holland[edit]
In Albert's own reign, troubles erupted between the Hoeks and the Kabeljauws because of a woman. Albert always hadmistresses,but this time his attentions were drawn toAleid van Poelgeest,[2]a member of the Kabeljauw party. She was considered very beautiful and was able to gain political influence which was resented. A plot was hatched among the Hoeks as well as members of Albert's household. On 22 September 1392 Aleid was murdered inThe Hagueby Hoek nobles.[2]
In his rage Albert persecuted the Hoeks, by sword and fire, conquering one castle after the other. Even his own son and heir, William, did not feel safe and went to live in Hainault. During his last years, Albert fought theFrisians.They were beaten time and time again, but were never completely conquered.
On Albert's death in 1404, he was succeeded by his eldest son,William.A younger son,John III,becameBishop of Liège.However, on William's death in 1417, a war of succession broke out between John and William's daughterJacqueline of Hainaut.This would be the last episode of theHook and Cod warsand would lead to the counties being placed intoBurgundianhands.
Family and children[edit]
Albert married inPassauafter 19 July 1353,Margaret of BriegfromSilesia(1342/43 – 1386),[2]and had seven children, all of whom lived to adulthood:
- Katherine of Bavaria(c. 1361 – 1400,Hattem), married inGeertruidenbergin 1379William I of Gelders and Jülich.
- Joanna of Bavaria(c. 1362 – 1386), marriedWenceslaus, King of the Romans.
- Margaret of Bavaria(1363 – 23 January 1423,Dijon), married inCambraiin 1385John the Fearless.[2]
- William II, Duke of Bavaria(1365–1417),[2]married also in 1385,Margeret,sister ofJohn the Fearless.Father ofJacqueline of Hainault.
- Albert II, Duke of Bavaria(1369 – 21 January 1397,Kelheim).
- Joanna Sophia(c. 1373 – 15 November 1410,Vienna), married on 15 June 1395Albert IV, Duke of Austria.
- John, Count of Holland(1374/76 – 1425),Bishop of Liège.[3]
He also had severalillegitimatechildren.
Albert contracted a second marriage in 1394 inHeusdenwithMargaret of Cleves(c. 1375 – 1412),[4]sister ofAdolph I, Duke of Cleves,but they had no children. He died inThe Hague,aged 68.
References[edit]
- ^van Oostrom 1992,p. 6.
- ^abcdevan Oostrom 1992,p. 37.
- ^Wavrin 2012,p. 132.
- ^van Oostrom 1992,p. 37-38.
Sources[edit]
- van Oostrom, F. P. (1992).Court and Culture: Dutch Literature, 1350-1450.Translated by Pomerans, Arnold J. University of California Press.
- Wavrin, Jean de (2012). Hardy, William (ed.).Recueil Des Chroniques Et Anchiennes Istories de la Grant Bretaigne, A Present Nomme Engleterre: From 1422-1431(in French). Vol. 3. Cambridge University Press.
See also[edit]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1336 births
- 1404 deaths
- 14th-century dukes of Bavaria
- 15th-century dukes of Bavaria
- Nobility from Munich
- Counts of Holland
- Counts of Hainaut
- House of Wittelsbach
- Knights of the Garter
- 14th-century people from the Holy Roman Empire
- Sons of emperors
- Children of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
- Sons of kings
- 14th-century counts in Europe
- 15th-century counts in Europe