Albert I, Margrave of Meissen

Who was Albert I, Margrave of Meissen?

Albert I, the Proud, was the Margrave of Meissen from 1190 until his death in 1195. His father was Otto II, his mother Hedwig of Brandenburg. He was a member of the House of Wettin.

His father did not intend to let Albert succeed him, preferring his younger brother Dietrich. Albert did not accept this and started a war against his father and brother. In 1188, he even took his father prisoner. Under the orders of Frederick I, he had to set him free but he was able to obtain the title. Nevertheless, the conflict with his brother continued as he tried to regain the margraviate.

After Albert died in 1195 with no children to succeed him. Meissen, with its rich mines, was seized by the emperor Henry VI as a vacant fief of the empire. Dietrich finally came into possession of his inheritance in 1198, following Henry's death in 1197.