Albert II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg

Albert II
Albert II
	Count of Holstein-Rendsburg
	Seal of Albert II from around 1402
Born	c. 1369
Died	28 September 1403; Dithmarschen (Ditmarsh)
Buried	Itzehoe
Noble family	House of Schauenburg
Spouse(s)	Agnes of Saxe-Lauenburg
Father	Henry II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg
Mother	Ingeborg of Mecklenburg

Last updated March 07, 2019

Albert II of Holstein (c. 1369– 28 September 1403 in Dithmarschen (Ditmarsh)) was the ruling Count of Holstein-Rendsburg from his father's death, in 1381 or 1384, until 1397. From 1397 until his death, he was Count of Holstein-Segeberg.^[1]

Dithmarschen is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Nordfriesland, Schleswig-Flensburg, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, and Steinburg, by the state of Lower Saxony, and by the North Sea. From the 15th century up to 1559 Dithmarschen was an independent peasants' republic within the Holy Roman Empire and a member of the Hanseatic League.

Count (Male), or Countess (Female), is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. The etymologically related English term, "county" denoted the land owned by a count. Equivalents of the rank of count exist or have existed in the nobility structures of some non-European countries, such as hakushaku during the Japanese Imperial era.

Holstein-Rendsburg is the name of a county that existed from 1290 to 1459, ruled by a line of the Schauenburg family.

Life

He was a son of Henry II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg and his wife, Ingeborg of Mecklenburg. After his father's death, his uncle Nicholas coordinated, as the senior member of the House of Schauenburg, the cooperation of the various Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein. Nicholas died on 28 August 1397. After Nicholas' death, Albert II and his elder brother Gerhard VI divided the counties of Holstein and Stormarn among themselves. Albert II chose Segeberg as his residence, he also wanted a share of the Duchy of Schleswig, which Gerhard VI held as a fief from King Olaf II of Denmark. However, under Danish law, he was not entitled to part of the fief.

Count Henry II of Holstein-Rendsburg was count of Holstein-Rendsburg and pledge lord of Southern Schleswig. He ruled jointly with his younger brother, Count Nicholas.

Nicholas, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Rendsburg was a titular Count of Schauenburg. Together first with his brother and then with his nephews, Nicholas was the co-ruling Count of Holstein-Rendsburg from 1340 until his death. In 1390 Nicholas and his nephews inherited Holstein-Kiel, which itself included former Holstein-Plön through reversion in 1350. So except of Holstein-Pinneberg Nicholas and his nephews had united all of Holstein. He was also co-ruler of Schleswig from 1375 to 1386. He was thus a leading member of the House of Schauenburg and an influential figure in the area north of the Elbe. He was the second son of Count Gerhard III of Holstein-Rendsburg and his wife, Sophia of Werle.

The Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein were titles of the Frankish Empire. The dynastic family came from the County of Schauenburg near Rinteln on the Weser in Germany. Together with its ancestral possessions in Bückeburg and Stadthagen, the House of Schauenburg ruled the County of Schauenburg and the County of Holstein. The comital titles of Holstein were subject to the liege lord, the Dukes of undivided Saxony till 1296, and thereafter the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg.

His father-in-law, Duke Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg raided Ditmarsh. This triggered a renewal in 1402-1404 of the ongoing feud between Ditmarsh and the Counts of Holstein-Rendsburg. The background of this conflict was that the farming communities of Ditmarsh were officially subjects of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, but in practice, Ditmarsh was an independent area, subject only to the Emperor. For decades, the Counts of Holstein-Rendsburg tried to subjugate the area. After his raid, Eric withdrew across Albert II's territory, and the farmers of Ditmarsh accused Albert II of complicity. Albert II denied having anything to do with Eric's raid. The lower nobility and councillors pushed Albert and Gerhard to renew their attempts to conquer Ditmarsh. Albert followed this advice energetically. During the fighting in Ditmarsh, he fell off his horse while making an evasive maneuver, and died of his injuries.^[2]

Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg was a son of Eric II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg and Agnes of Holstein.

A feud, referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, beef, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another. Intense feelings of resentment trigger the initial retribution, which causes the other party to feel equally aggrieved and vengeful. The dispute is subsequently fuelled by a long-running cycle of retaliatory violence. This continual cycle of provocation and retaliation makes it extremely difficult to end the feud peacefully. Feuds frequently involve the original parties' family members or associates, can last for generations, and may result in extreme acts of violence. They can be interpreted as an extreme outgrowth of social relations based in family honor.

Marriage

Albert was married to Agnes (d. before 1415), a daughter of Duke Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg (d. 1412) and Sophia of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1416). The marriage remained childless.

Related Research Articles

Albert I was a Duke of Saxony, Angria, and Westphalia; Lord of Nordalbingia; Count of Anhalt; and Prince-elector and Archmarshal of the Holy Roman Empire. Even though his grandfather Albert the Bear had held the Saxon dukedom between 1138 and 1142, this Albert is counted as the first.

Adolphus XI of Schauenburg, as Adolph I Duke of Schleswig, and as Adolph VIII Count of Holstein-Rendsburg, was the mightiest vassal of the Danish realm.

The House of Schaumburg was a dynasty of German rulers. Until c. 1485, it was also known as the House of Schauenburg. Together with its ancestral possession, the County of Schaumburg, the family also ruled the County of Holstein and its partitions Holstein-Itzehoe, Holstein-Kiel, Holstein-Pinneberg, Holstein-Plön, Holstein-Segeberg and Holstein-Rendsburg and through the latter at times also the Duchy of Schleswig.

Eric I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg German duke

Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg (c.1280–1360) was a son of John I, Duke of Saxony, and Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland, a daughter or grandchild of Birger jarl. He ruled Saxony jointly with his uncle Albert II and his brothers Albert III and John II, first fostered by Albert II, until coming of age. In 1296 Eric, 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. Eric then ruled the branch duchy of Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg until 1338.

John II of Saxe-Lauenburg was the eldest son of John I of Saxony and Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland, a daughter or grandchild of Birger jarl. He ruled Saxony jointly with his uncle Albert II and his brothers Albert III and Eric I, first fostered by Albert II, until coming of age. In 1296 John II, 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. John II then ruled the branch duchy of Saxe-Mölln, later extended to become Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln. In 1314 he officiated as Saxon Prince-elector in an election of a German king.

Albert III of Saxe-Lauenburg (1281–1308) was a son of John I, Duke of Saxony and Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland, a daughter or granddaughter of Birger Jarl. He ruled Saxony jointly with his uncle, Albert II, and his brothers Eric I and John II until their 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.

Eric V of Saxe-Lauenburg was a member of the House of Ascania; son of Duke Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sophia of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Eric V and his brother John IV jointly succeeded their father in 1412 as dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg. After John IV had died in 1414, Eric ruled alone.

Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg was a member of the House of Ascania and Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg from 1426 to 1463. His full title was Duke of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia, however only ruling the branch duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg between 1426 and 1463.

Magnus II of Saxe-Lauenburg was the eldest surviving son of Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg, daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious. In 1571 Magnus II ascended the throne after his father Francis I resigned due to indebtedness. Two years later Francis I, helped by his other son Francis (II), deposed Magnus II and re-ascended. Magnus' violent and judicial attempts to regain the duchy failed. In 1588 he was imprisoned for the remainder of his life.

Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg, was the third son of Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg, daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious of Saxony. From 1581 on he ruled Saxe-Lauenburg as duke.

Gerhard VI was the Count of Holstein-Rendsburg from 1382, and Duke of Schleswig as of 1386.

Gerhard I, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe was the only count of Holstein-Itzehoe.

John I, Count of Holstein-Kiel was a member of the House of Schauenburg. He was Count of Holstein-Kiel from 1261 until his death.

References

Erich Hoffmann, Geschichte Schleswig-Holsteins, vol. 4/2: Spätmittelalter und Reformationszeit, Neumünster, 1990.
Georg Waitz, Schleswig-Holsteins Geschichte in drei Büchern, vol. 1, book 1, Göttingen 1851

Footnotes

↑ Detlev Kraack, "Die frühen Schauenburger als Grafen von Holstein und Stormarn (12.-14. Jahrhundert)", in: E. Imberger, D. Lohmeier and I. Momsen (eds.): Die Fürsten des Landes. Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg, Wachholtz, Neumünster, 2008, p. 28-51, in particular genealogical table 2 on page 51: descendants of Henry the Iron
↑ Georg Waitz, Schleswig-Holsteins Geschichte in drei Büchern, vol. 1, book 1, Göttingen, 1851, p. 290-291

Albert II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg House of Schauenburg Born:c. 1369 Died: 28 September 1403
Preceded by Henry II and Nicholas as Counts of Holstein-Rendsburg	Counts of Holstein-Rendsburg 1381/1384–1397 with his brother Gerhard VI (1381/1384–1404) and his uncle Nicholas (1340–1397)	Succeeded by Gerhard VI
Preceded by Adolph IX as Count of Holstein-Kiel (line extinct in 1390, merged into Rendsburg)
New division	Count of Holstein-Segeberg 1397–1403	Segeberg reverted to Holstein-Rendsburg

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[1] Detlev Kraack, "Die frühen Schauenburger als Grafen von Holstein und Stormarn (12.-14. Jahrhundert)", in: E. Imberger, D. Lohmeier and I. Momsen (eds.): Die Fürsten des Landes. Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg, Wachholtz, Neumünster, 2008, p. 28-51, in particular genealogical table 2 on page 51: descendants of Henry the Iron

[2] Georg Waitz, Schleswig-Holsteins Geschichte in drei Büchern, vol. 1, book 1, Göttingen, 1851, p. 290-291