Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

Albert II
Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
File:Albrecht von Brandenburg-Ansbach (aka).jpg Albert in a painting by Benjamin Block, 1643
Spouse(s)	Henriette Louise of Württemberg-Mömpelgard Sophie Margarete of Oettingen-Oettingen Christine of Baden-Durlach
Noble family	Hohenzollern
Father	Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Mother	Countess Sophie of Solms-Laubach
Born	(1620-09-18)18 September 1620 Ansbach
Died	Ansbach
Buried	Johanniskirche in Ansbach

Albert II or V of Brandenburg-Ansbach (18 September 1620 – 22 October 1667) was a German prince, who was Margrave of Ansbach from 1634 until his death.

Life

File:Albrecht von Brandenburg-Ansbach Miniatur.jpg

Albert in a miniature of 1634

Born in Ansbach, Albert was the second son of Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1582–1625) and his wife Sophie (1594–1651), daughter of John George, Count of Solms-Laubach. On Joachim Ernst's death Albert's elder brother Frederick III succeeded him in Ansbach from 1625 onwards, initially under their mother's guardianship, but he was killed without issue in the Thirty Years' War in 1634. Albert thus succeeded him, though again the early years of his rule were under his mother's guardianship, only taking up full government responsibilities when his minority ended in 1639.

With much diplomatic skill, he manoeuvred Brandenburg-Ansbach through the last ten years of the war and through administrative reforms, support for the guilds and cultural life and a good credit policy he promoted the beginnings of post-war reconstruction. He offered refuge to religious refugees from Austria and in 1647 or 1662 granted them lands in Treuchtlingen and Berolzheim. Albert's main advisor on this was his former teacher Johannes Limnäus. Active in the politics of the Holy Roman Empire, he sent troops to back the war against the Ottoman Empire.

A typical Baroque absolute ruler, he died at Ansbach in 1667. He was buried in the Johanniskirche in that city.

Marriage and issue

File:Henriette Luise von Württemberg (aka).jpg

Albert's first wife, Henriette Louise of Württemberg-Mömpelgard, in a painting by Benjamin Block, 1643

In Stuttgart on 31 August 1642 he married Henriette Louise (1623–1650), daughter of Louis Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Montbéliard, with the following children:

• Sophie Elisabeth (*/†1643)
• Albertine Luise (1646–1670)
• Sophie Amalie (*/† 1649)

He married for a second time on 15 October 1651 at Oettingen, to Sophie Margarete (1634–1664), daughter of Joachim Ernst, Count of Oettingen-Oettingen, with the following children:

• Luise Sophie (1652–1668)
• John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1654–1686)

∞ 1. 1673 Princess Johanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach (1651–1680)
∞ 2. 1681 Princess Eleonore of Sachsen-Eisenach (1662–1696)

• Albrecht Ernst (1659–1674)
• Dorothea Charlotte (1661–1705)

∞ 1687 Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1667–1739)

• Eleonore Juliane (1663–1724)

∞ 1682 Frederick Charles, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental (1652–1698)

He married for a third time on 6 August 1665 in Durlach, to Christine (1645–1705), daughter of Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach. This marriage was childless.

Ancestors

Family of Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach

16. Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg               8. Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg                       17. Elizabeth of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden               4. John George, Elector of Brandenburg                             18. George, Duke of Saxony               9. Magdalena of Saxony                       19. Barbara Jagiellon               2. Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach                                   20. John V, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst               10. Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt                       21. Margaret of Brandenburg (1511–1577)               5. Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst                             22. Wolfgang I, Count of Barby-Mühlingen               11. Agnes of Barby-Mühlingen                       23. Agnes of Mansfeld               1. Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach                                         24. Otto of Solms-Laubach               12. Frederick Magnus I, Count of Solms-Laubach                       25. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               6. John George I of Solms-Laubach                             26. John III, Count of Wied               13. Agnes of Wied                       27. Elisabeth of Nassau-Dillenburg               3. Sophie of Solms-Laubach                                   28. Ernest III of Schönburg-Waldenburg               14. George II of Schönburg-Glauchau                       29. Amalia of Leisnig               7. Margaret of Schönburg-Glauchau                             30. Henry XIII of Reuss-Plauen-Greiz               15. Dorothea of Reuss-Plauen                       31. Amalia of Mansfeld-Vorderort

Sources

• (German) Hanns Hubert Hofmann: Albrecht V.. In: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). Band 1, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1953, S. 163 f. (Onlinefassung)
• (German) M. Spindler, A. Kraus: Geschichte Frankens bis zum Ausgang des 18. Jahrhunderts, München 1997. ISBN 3-406-39451-5

Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach House of Hohenzollern Born: 18 September 1620 Died: 22 October 1667
Preceded by Frederick III	Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach 1634–1667	Succeeded by John Frederick