Albert III, Duke of Austria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Albert III
Albert III, 16th century portrait
Duke of Austria
Reign	1365–1395
Predecessor	Rudolf IV the Founder
Successor	Albert IV the Patient
Born	9 September 1349 Vienna, Austria
Died	29 August 1395(1395-08-29) (aged 45) Laxenburg Castle, Austria
Burial	St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna
Spouse	Elisabeth of Bohemia Beatrice of Nuremberg
Issue	Albert IV, Duke of Austria
House	House of Habsburg
Father	Albert II of Austria
Mother	Joanna of Pfirt

Albert III of Austria (born September 9, 1349 – died August 29, 1395) was a very important ruler. He was a member of the House of Habsburg, a powerful royal family. People knew him as Albert with the Braid (Albrecht mit dem Zopf). He ruled as the Duke of Austria from 1365 until he passed away.

Albert III's Life Story

Albert III was born in Vienna, the capital of Austria. He was the third son of Duke Albert II and his wife Joanna of Pfirt. His father had a rule that all four sons should rule together. But when his father died in 1358, his oldest brother, Rudolf IV, took charge.

Rudolf IV made a special law called the Privilegium Maius. This law gave him even more power. However, Rudolf did not have any children. So, he had to share his power with his younger brothers again. In 1365, Rudolf IV, Albert III, and Leopold III all signed a document. This document officially started the Vienna University. Rudolf died a few months later when he was only 25 years old.

Sharing Power: The Treaty of Neuberg

After Rudolf's death, Albert became the oldest living brother. His second-born brother, Frederick III, had already died. So, Albert took over the rule and shared it with his younger brother, Leopold III. Both brothers were officially given control of several areas. These included the Duchy of Austria, Duchy of Styria, Duchy of Carinthia, and Duchy of Carniola. This was done by Emperor Charles IV.

In 1369, the Habsburg dukes gained control of Tyrol. This happened after a long fight with Duke Stephen II of Bavaria. In 1368, the brothers also bought the city of Freiburg in Swabia. They tried to take the port city of Trieste on the Adriatic Sea. But they failed in a fight with the Republic of Venice in 1369-1370. Trieste was finally won in 1382. Its citizens asked for Austrian protection from Venice.

In 1374, the dukes inherited more lands in Windic March and Istria. They added these to the Duchy of Carniola. The next year, they got the area of Feldkirch in Swabia. This became the main part of the Habsburg lands in what is now Vorarlberg.

Over time, the brothers started to disagree. In 1379, Albert and Leopold signed the Treaty of Neuberg. This treaty divided the Habsburg lands between them. Albert received Austria proper, which was called Austria Inferior. Leopold received Styria, Carinthia, Carniola (called Austria Interior), Tyrol (called Austria Superior), and the family's original lands in Swabia (called Austria Anterior).

This division split the Habsburg family into two main branches: the Albertinian Line and the Leopoldian line. This made them weaker when competing with other powerful families. The split lasted until 1490. That's when Archduke Sigismund gave his lands to his cousin, King Maximilian I.

Challenges and Achievements

In 1377, Albert went on a special journey called a crusade. He traveled to Prussia to fight against some non-Christian tribes.

Meanwhile, the Habsburgs' expansion in Swabia caused problems with the growing Swiss Confederacy. This led to armed rebellions. In 1386, Duke Leopold III and many Austrian nobles were killed. This happened in a terrible defeat at the Battle of Sempach. After this, Albert became the sole ruler again. He managed both his own lands and his young nephews' lands. Another attempt to control Swabia failed. Albert's knights were defeated again by the Swiss in the Battle of Näfels in 1388. Albert then had to agree to a ceasefire.

In Austria, Albert's rule was good for the country. He supported the arts and sciences. Albert himself was a very smart person. He was especially good at mathematics and astrology. The oldest book still kept at the Austrian National Library belonged to him. It is a 1386 Gospel Book.

The duke made the University of Vienna bigger. During a time when there were two popes, he got permission from Pope Urban VI to start a theology department there. He also continued building St. Stephen's Cathedral. He tried to make Vienna look as grand as Emperor Charles' city of Prague. Albert's nickname, "with the Braid," came from his special hairstyle. This was part of a short-lived knightly order he had started.

By the end of his rule, Albert had made his control over the Austrian duchy very strong. It stretched along the Danube River. In 1378, when Emperor Charles IV died, there was a fight over who would rule next. Albert joined forces with Jobst of Moravia and Sigismund against the weak king Wenceslaus. Albert seemed like he might become the German king himself. However, he died in August 1395. He was at his hunting lodge in Laxenburg. He was getting ready for a military plan to remove Wenceslaus from power. Albert is buried in the Ducal Crypt at Stephansdom cathedral in Vienna.

Albert's Family

Albert III was married two times. His first marriage was after March 19, 1366. He married Elisabeth of Bohemia. She was a daughter of the emperor Charles IV. They did not have any children, and Elisabeth died when she was only fifteen.

Afterward, he married Beatrix of Nuremberg. She was a daughter of Frederick V of Nuremberg. Her mother was Elisabeth of Meissen.

Beatrix gave him his only son, Albert IV. Albert IV became the next ruler. But he soon had to give control of some lands to his cousins, William and Leopold IV. The Albertinian line of the family ended when Ladislaus the Posthumous died in 1457.

Images for kids

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  Albert inaugurates the Collegium ducale (left), theological lecture (right), contemporary illumination

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  Albert and his wives Elisabeth (left) and Beatrix (right), Habsburg pedigree, 1497

See also

In Spanish: Alberto III de Austria para niños