Albert V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg

Albert V
Duke of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln
Reign	1356 – 1370
Predecessor	John III
Successor	Eric III
Born	mid-1330s
Died	1370
Spouse	Catherine of Werle-Güstrow
House	House of Ascania
Father	Albert IV
Mother	Beata of Schwerin

Albert V of Saxe-Lauenburg (mid 1330s – 1370) was the second son of Duke Albert IV of Saxe-Lauenburg and Beata of Schwerin (*?–before 1341*), daughter of Gunzelin VI, Count of Schwerin. Albert succeeded his elder brother John III in 1356 as Duke of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln, a branch duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg. He died without an heir and was succeeded by his younger brother Eric III.

Albert V, short in money, sold – after consenting with his brother Eric III – the Herrschaft of Mölln to the city of Lübeck in return for 9737.50 Lübeck marks. The parties agreed upon a repurchase, however, only by the duke or his heirs for themselves, but not as a middleperson for someone else.^[1] Lübeck considered this acquisition crucial, since Mölln was an important stage for trade between Brunswick and Lunenburg – here especially salt – via Lübeck to Scandinavia and back. Therefore, Lübeck manned Mölln with armed guards maintaining law and order on the roads.

However, thrifty Albert V, plotted for new sources of revenues. So Albert and his cousin Eric II of Saxe-Lauenburg–Ratzeburg-Lauenburg agreed on ravaging merchants and other travellers passing their duchies near Hamburg. So in 1363 the city of Hamburg and Adolphus VII, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Kiel, supported by his relative Prince-Archbishop Albert II of Bremen, freed the streets northeast of the city from the brigandage by Eric II and Albert V, conquering the latter's castle in Bergedorf.

By 25 January 1366 Albert married Catherine of Werle-Güstrow (*?–after 17 December 1402*), daughter of Lord Nicholas III of Werle-Güstrow. Catherine and Albert had no children.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Albert V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg

16. Albert I, Duke of Saxony 8. John I, Duke of Saxony 17. Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg 4. John II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 18. Birger Jarl 9. Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland 19. Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden 2. Albert IV, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 20. Gerard I, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Itzehoe 10. Henry I, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Rendsburg 21. Elisabeth of Mecklenburg 5. Elisabeth of Schauenburg and Holstein-Rendsburg 22. Florence of Bronckhorst 11. Heilwig of Bronckhorst 23. Ermengarde of Anholt 1. Albert V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 24. Gunzelin III, Count of Schwerin 12. Niklot I, Count of Schwerin-Wittenburg 25. Margaret of Mecklenburg 6. Gunzelin VI, Count of Schwerin 26. John I, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Kiel 13. Elisabeth of Schauenburg and Holstein-Kiel 27. Elisabeth of Saxony 3. Beata of Schwerin 28. Otto III, Count of Tecklenburg 14. Otto IV, Count of Tecklenburg 29. Richarda of Mark 7. Richardis (Rixa) of Tecklenburg 30. Frederick I, Count of Rietberg 15. Beatrix of Rietberg 31. Beatrix of Horstmar

Notes

1. Elisabeth Raiser, Städtische Territorialpolitik im Mittelalter: eine vergleichende Untersuchung ihrer verschiedenen Formen am Beispiel Lübecks und Zürichs, Lübeck and Hamburg: Matthiesen, 1969, (Historische Studien; 406), p. 88, simultaneously: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 1969.

Albert V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg House of Ascania Born: mid-1330s Died: 1370
Regnal titles
Preceded by John III	Duke of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln 1356–1370	Succeeded by Eric III