Albert III, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg

Albert III of Saxe-Lauenburg (1281 – 1308) was a son of John I, Duke of Saxony and Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland (*ca. 1253–30 June 1302*, in Mölln), a daughter or grandchild of Birger jarl. He ruled Saxony jointly with his uncle Albert II and his brothers Eric I and John II, first fostered by Albert II, until 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 from dukedom in 1282 in favour of his three minor sons Albert III, Eric I, and John II. However, their uncle Albert II first fostered them. Albert III and his brothers came to age and joint the government. 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 before 20 September 1296, when 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 territory 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 trilateral condominium. Albert III then held Saxe-Ratzeburg, however, he already deceased in 1308. His brother Eric I inherited part of his share, while Albert's widow Margaret of Brandenburg-Salzwedel retained the other part, which also fell to Eric I on her death.^[3] However, his other brother then claimed a part for him, so in 1321 Eric passed Bergedorf (including Vierlande) on to John II, whose share thus became known since as Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln and Eric's as Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg.

Marriage and issue

In 1302 Albert III married Margaret of Brandenburg-Salzwedel, becoming one of the Saxon consorts, and they had the following two children:

• Albert (Albrecht) of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (*?–1344*), married Sophia of Ziegenhain
• Eric of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (*?–1338*)

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