Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg

Duke Johann Albrecht

Duke Johann Albrecht Ernst Konstantin Friedrich Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (8 December 1857-16 February 1920) was the regent of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1897-1901 and the Duchy of Brunswick from 1907-1913.

Johann Albrecht was born in Schwerin the fifth child of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II and his first wife Princess Auguste of Reuss (1822-1862). On the death of his brother Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III in 1897, Johann Albrecht was appointed to act as regent for his nephew Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV until he came of age on the April 9, 1901 when he assumed personal control of the Grand Duchy.

In 1907 Johann Albrecht was selected to act as regent of the Duchy of Brunswick following the death of Prince Albrecht of Prussia. He acted as regent for Prince Ernest Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale who was prevented from taking over the duchy in 1884 by Otto von Bismarck due to the rift between the royal houses of Hanover and Hohenzollern. The regency came to an end on November 1, 1913 when Prince Ernest Augustus' son Ernest Augustus was permitted to ascend to Duchy following his marriage to Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia the only daughter of the German Emperor William II which help heal the rift between the two houses.

Johann Albrecht was married twice firstly in Weimar on November 6, 1886 to Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1854-1908) the daughter of Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He was married secondly in Braunschweig on the 15 December 1909 to Princess Elisabeth of Stolberg-Rossla (1885-1969), who would following his death marry his half brother Duke Adolf Friedrich in 1924. Both of Johann Albrecht's marriages were childless.