Albert II, Duke of Austria

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For other persons named Albert of Austria, see Albert of Austria (disambiguation).

Albert II of Austria (Habsburg, December 12, 1298 – Vienna, August 16, 1358, known as the Wise or the Lame) was Duke of Austria.

1 Life
2 Family and children
3 Notes
4 References

[edit] Life

Albert II was born the son of Albert I of Germany, Rex Romanorum, on December 12, 1298. He became the joint ruler of all Habsburg lands with his younger brother, Otto the Merry in 1330, while increasing his possessions by the inheritance of his wife Joan, which was made up of the County of Pfirt and several cities. Furthermore, Albert succeeded in establishing his claims on Carinthia and Carniola against John of Bohemia. Albert's high reputation is shown by the fact that Pope Benedict XII asked him to mediate in the church's conflict with Emperor Louis the Bavarian in 1335. Also, King Philippe VI of France 1337 asked him for his help against Emperor Louis and against King Edward III of England. Nevertheless, Albert remained faithful to the Emperor until Louis' death. He established the "Albertinian House Rule" (Albertinische Hausordnung) to predetermine the rules of succession in the Austrian lands, which, however, was disregarded after his death and only renewed by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. It later became a part of the Pragmatic Sanction, so that it effectively remained one of the basic laws of Austria until 1918. Styria owes him its (former) constitution, the so-called "Mountain Book" (Bergbüchel); the same is true for Carinthia.

Under Albert's rule, the construction of the Gothic Choir in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna was started, which is why it is also known as Albertinian Choir. There are only suspicions about his temporal paralysis ("Albert the Lame"), but usually polyarthritis is mentioned as the cause. However, it did not prevent him from fathering four children: Rudolf, who succeeded him as duke, Frederick (2nd Duke), Albert III (3rd Duke), and Leopold (3rd co-Duke). His land grieved when Albert died on August 16, 1358.

[edit] Family and children

He married 15 February 1324 to Countesse Johanna of Pfirt, daughter of Count Ulrich III of Pfirt and had the following children:

Rudolf IV of Austria November 1 1339,Vienna–July 27 1365, Milan). Married but line extincted.
Frederick III of Austria (1347, Vienna–1362, Vienna). Died unmarried.
Albert III of Austria (September 9, 1349,Vienna–August 29, 1395, Castle Laxenburg).
Leopold III(November 1, 1351,Vienna–July 9, 1386, Sempach).
Katharina (1342, Vienna–10 January 1381, Vienna), Abbess of St.Klara in Vienna.
Margarete (1346, Vienna–14 January 1366, Brno), married to:
1. in Passau 4 September 1359 to Count Meinhard III of Gorizia-Tyrol;
2. in Vienna 1364 to Margrave Johann Heinrich of Moravia.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

Gabrielle Caerr-Stamm: Johanna von Pfirt, Gattin des Habsburgers Albrecht II. Herzog von Österreich oder das europäische Schicksal einer Elsässerin ("wife of Habsburg Albert II Duke of Austria or the European Fate of an Alsacian"). Sundgaugeschichtsverein, Riedisheim 1996, ISBN 2-908498-06-5.
Franz Kurz: Österreich unter Herzog Albrecht dem Lahmen ("Austria under Duke Albert the Lame"), Haslinger, Linz 1819.

Preceded by: Frederick I	Duke of Austria and Duke of Styria jointly with Otto the Merry	Succeeded by: Rudolf IV
Preceded by: Henry V	Duke of Carinthia Originally co-ruler to Otto the Merry	Succeeded by: Rudolf IV