Albert I of Germany (July 1255-1 May 1308) was Duke of Austria and Styria from 27 December 1282 to 1 May 1308, succeeding Rudolf I of Germany and preceding Frederick the Fair, and King of the Romans from 27 July 1298 to 1 May 1308, succeeding Adolf of Germany and preceding Henry VII of Germany.
Biography[]
Albrecht as Duke of Austria, 1291
Albert was born in July 1255 to the House of Habsburg, the son of Rudolph I of Germany and Gertrude of Hohenburg. His father gave him the Duchy of Austria and the Duchy of Styria as fiefs, but Wenceslaus II of Bohemia scotched his father's attempts at securing Albert's nomination as Holy Roman Emperor; he also failed to succeed Ladislaus IV of Hungary in 1290. Adolf of Nassau was elected Adolf of Germany in 1291 by prince-electors fearing a hereditary Habsburg monarchy, so in 1298 he was instead elected King of the Romans by nobles opposing King Adolf.
At the Battle of Gollheim on 2 July 1298, Albert killed Adolf in battle and was crowned at Frankfurt on 27 July 1298, and then at Aachen Cathedral on 24 August. He had a keen sense of justice when his own interests were not involved, with serfs and Jews both finding a friend in him. In 1303, Pope Boniface VIII recognized him as King of the Romans, and in 1306 he secured the throne of Bohemia for his son Rudolf I of Bohemia. On 1 May 1308, he was murdered at Windisch on the Reuss River by his nephew John Parricida after depriving him of his inheritance, and Henry VII of Germany succeeded him.