Albert I of Käfernburg

Who was Albert I of Käfernburg?

Albert I of Käfernburg was the eighteenth Archbishop of Magdeburg.

He was the son of Gunther III, Count of Käfernburg, and began his studies at Hildesheim, completing them later at Paris and Bologna. At an early age he was made a prebendary of the Magdeburg cathedral, and in 1200 was appointed Provost of the Cathedral Chapter by Innocent III. Through the influence of the Bishop of Halberstadt, he was nominated as the successor of Ludolph, Archbishop of Magdeburg. After receiving the papal approbation, which was at first withheld, partly on account of those who had taken part in his election and partly on his account of his attitude towards Philip of Swabia, Albert proceeded to Rome, where he was consecrated bishop by the Pope and received the pallium.

He entered Magdeburg on Palm Sunday, 15 April 1207, and five days later a conflagration destroyed many of the buildings in the city, including his own cathedral. One of his first cares was to repair the damage wrought by fire, and in 1208 he laid the cornerstone of the present cathedral, which, though completed 156 years later, serves as his most fitting memorial.