Albert III, Duke of Bavaria

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Albert III, Duke of Bavaria.
Albert III, Duke of Bavaria.

Albert III of Bavaria-Munich (27 March 140129 February 1460), (German: Albrecht III. der Fromme, Herzog von Bayern-München), since 1438 Duke of Bavaria-Munich.

[edit] Life

Albert was born in Munich.

He had earlier in 1429 been engaged to Elisabeth, the daughter of Eberhard III, Count of Württemberg, but she had eloped and married a Count of Werdenberg, who had been a page at her fathers court.

As administrator of his father, Duke Ernest, in the former duchy of Bavaria-Straubing he secretly married Agnes Bernauer, a maid from Augsburg, in 1432, but his father was against this marriage. In 1435, when Agnes lived in Straubing, Ernest ordered to murder Agnes Bernauer. She was accused of witchcraft, thrown into the River Danube and drowned while Albert was absent hunting. Albert then allied with Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt against Ernest.

After reconciliation with his father Albert married princess Anna of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen-Einbeck and had ten children with her.

In 1438 he followed his father as duke of Bavaria-Munich. In 1440 he abstained the offered Bohemian crown and after the extinction of the dukes of Bavaria-Ingolstadt he also released this duchy to his father's cousin Henry XVI of Bavaria-Landshut in 1447.

In 1455 Albert founded the Benedictine monastery in Andechs.

He died in Munich in 1460.

[edit] Family and children

He was married in Munich ca. 1435 with Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck, daughter of Duke Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Agnes of Braunschweig and had the following children:

  1. John IV, Duke of Bavaria (4 October 1437, Munich–18 November 1463, Haidhausen).
  2. Ernst (26 August 1438, Munich–29 February 1460, Straubing).
  3. Sigismund of Bavaria (1439, Straubing–1 February 1501, Blutenburg Castle).
  4. Albrecht (24 December 14401445, Straubing).
  5. Margarete (1 January 1442, Munich–14 October 1479, Mantua), married in Mantua 10 May 1463 to Federico I Gonzaga.
  6. Elisabeth (2 February 14435 March 1486, Leipzig), married in Leipzig 19 November 1460 to Elector Ernst of Saxony.
  7. Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria (15 December 1447, Munich–10 March 1508, Munich).
  8. Christoph, Duke of Bavaria (6 January 14498 August 1493, Rhodos).
  9. Wolfgang (1 November 145124 May 1514, Landsberg am Lech), a canon in Passau, Augsburg and Köln.
  10. Barbara (9 June 1454, Munich–24 June 1472, Munich), a nun in Munich.

Also he had at least three illegitimate children.

Preceded by
Ernest
Duke of Bavaria-Munich
1438–1460
Succeeded by
John IV
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