Albert III, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg
| Albert III | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg | |
.jpg) |
|
| Elector of Saxony | |
| Reign | 1419–1422 |
| Predecessor | Rudolf III |
| Successor | Frederick I |
| Spouse(s) | Euphemia of Oels |
| Noble family | House of Ascania |
| Father | Wenceslaus I, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg |
| Mother | Cecilia of Carrara |
| Born |
c. 1383 Wittenberg, Saxony |
| Died | before 12 November 1422 Wittenberg |
Albert III (German: Albrecht III.; c. 1375/1380 – before 12 November 1422) was the last Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg and Elector of Saxony from the House of Ascania. After his death, King Sigismund ceded his duchy and the Saxon electoral dignity to Margrave Frederick IV of Meissen from the House of Wettin.
Albert was probably born in the Saxon Wittenberg residence, the younger son of Duke Wenceslaus I, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg and his wife Cecilia, daughter of Francesco I da Carrara, Lord of Padua.
He first appeared in written documents in 1407. When his elder brother, Elector Rudolf III was poisoned in 1419, Albert took over the rule of Saxe-Wittenberg. Also known as "Albert the Poor", he inherited a land exhausted by the War of the Lüneburg Succession and Rudolf's long-time feud with the Archbishops of Magdeburg. With an empty state purse, he could scarcely afford any servants and led a very lonely life.
In order to generate some income, he controversially imposed the right to charge stall taxes on markets in the town of Wittenberg in 1421. He got into such conflict with the citizens that it almost led to an armed clash, as this right had belonged to the town for generations. Finally the Hohenzollern elector Frederick of Brandenburg was called in to referee the dispute. He decided that the behaviour of the townsfolk to their lord was inappropriate, but supported their market rights on condition that an apology was tendered to Albert.
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