Surnamed: "The Degenerate" (Der Entartete)
Parents: Henry III, margrave of Meissen, and Constantia of Austria
Born: 1240
House: Wettin
Spouse(s): (1) Margaret, daughter of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Isabella of England, then (2) Kunigarde, daughter of Otto of Eisenberg, then (3) Elisabeth, heiress of Nordhalben
Predecessor: Henry III
Reign: 1288 – 1292
Brief: Albert II enters the history books as the landgrave of Thuringia and the count palatine of Saxony in 1265. His father, Henry III, retained Meissen until his death in 1288. A younger brother received smaller portions of the domain. In 1274, Albert married his mistress and attempted to deprive his legitimate children from the succession, sparking a short civil war within Saxony. With the deaths of an uncle, Theodoric, and Henry III, the succession dispute became acute since the fighting expanded over all of Meissen. In 1288, Albert was captured by his eldest surviving son, Frederick, forcing the Treaty of Rochlitz which deprived the margrave of much of his lands. Meissen itself Albert retained until 1292 when he sold it to his nephew, Frederick Tuta, in defiance of his own children. He further angered his children by selling Thuringia to the German King Adolf of Nassau. When Albert finally died in 1314, Albert I, the new German king, claimed the territory for himself via the old treaty. Albert finally resolved the issues with his son when his son married the daughter of his step-mother, thereby uniting both halves of the family. His death in 1305 pushed Albert over the edge. He gave up any remaining claims to his lands and handed them to Frederick, dying several years later at Erfurt.
Brief: Albert II enters the history books as the landgrave of Thuringia and the count palatine of Saxony in 1265. His father, Henry III, retained Meissen until his death in 1288. A younger brother received smaller portions of the domain. In 1274, Albert married his mistress and attempted to deprive his legitimate children from the succession, sparking a short civil war within Saxony. With the deaths of an uncle, Theodoric, and Henry III, the succession dispute became acute since the fighting expanded over all of Meissen. In 1288, Albert was captured by his eldest surviving son, Frederick, forcing the Treaty of Rochlitz which deprived the margrave of much of his lands. Meissen itself Albert retained until 1292 when he sold it to his nephew, Frederick Tuta, in defiance of his own children. He further angered his children by selling Thuringia to the German King Adolf of Nassau. When Albert finally died in 1314, Albert I, the new German king, claimed the territory for himself via the old treaty. Albert finally resolved the issues with his son when his son married the daughter of his step-mother, thereby uniting both halves of the family. His death in 1305 pushed Albert over the edge. He gave up any remaining claims to his lands and handed them to Frederick, dying several years later at Erfurt.
Date of Death: 13 November 1314
Successor: Frederick I
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
Successor: Frederick I
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Nicholas I, pope of Rome (867)
- Malcolm III, king of Scotland (1093)
- Fulk, king of Jerusalem (1143)
- Albert I, margrave of Brandenburg (1170)
- Ivan II, grand prince of Moscow (1359)
- Franz Joseph II, prince of Liechtenstein (1989)
