Albrecht III. from Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz

Albrecht III. von Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz (* in the second half of the 14th century; † 1420 , probably in Bludenz ) was the last count of Bludenz. After his death, his county in what is now Vorarlberg came to the Dukes of Austria .

origin

Coat of arms of the Counts of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg

Albrecht III. came from the Swabian nobility. His family, a branch of the Counts of Werdenberg and a branch line of the Counts of Montfort , were descendants of the Count Palatine of Tübingen . The Heiligenberg branch of the Werdenbergs goes back to Count Hugo I von Werdenberg-Heiligenberg († 1280). His grandson, Count Albrecht I of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg († around 1365), was involved in a feud with Count Rudolf IV of Montfort-Feldkirch († around 1375), from which the Dukes of Austria benefited.

Albrecht III. was one of the four grandchildren of Count Albrecht I. During the division of rule with his brothers in 1377/78 and 1387 he received the County of Bludenz with the dominions of Eglofs and Schellenberg, where he founded the Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz line, which was already part of the died out in the male line.

Katharina von Werdenberg-Heiligenberg, the mother of Count Friedrich VII of Toggenburg , was one of his sisters. His brothers were Count Albrecht IV of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg († around 1416), who ruled over the County of Heiligenberg , and Count Heinrich IV. Of Werdenberg-Rheineck († around 1392). He was also an uncle of Count Rudolf II von Werdenberg-Rheineck .

progeny

Albrecht III. was since 1383 with Countess Ursula von Schaunberg († after August 10, 1412), a daughter of Count Heinrich VII. von Schaunberg († 1390) and Countess Ursula von Görz zu Schöneck, Neuhaus and Uttenstein († after 1383), married. From this marriage he had a son and five daughters.

• Kunigunde (around 1385; † between February 5, 1438 and November 26, 1443) ⚭ (around 1404) with Count Wilhelm V of Montfort-Tettnang († around 1439); Progeny. She later led an alliance coat of arms, on the left the Montfort coat of arms of her husband, on the right as her family coat of arms the Heiligenberger Stiege. Around 1404 her husband had her father temporarily arrested, which the Dukes of Austria used as an excuse for military action against Count Wilhelm V.
• Agnes (* around 1385; † after June 24, 1427 and before 1436) ⚭ 1st (around 1404) with Count Heinrich VI. von Rottenburg († 1411); ⚭ 2. (1415) with Count Eberhard VI. von Kirchberg († 1440); descendants from both marriages.
• Johann III. (* around / after 1394; † probably before October 31, 1412)
• Verena (Frena) (* around 1390/95; † after May 27, 1441) ⚭ (around 1412) with Count Wolfhart (Wolfhard) V. von Brandis († 1456); Progeny. As Freiherr von Blumenegg , Count Wolfhart was one of the "imperial direct" nobles. In 1417 he was enfeoffed by King Siegmund with the ban on blood; in 1430 he was granted the privilege that only a court of the Counts of Brandis could bring charges against his subjects.
• Katharina (* around 1395; † after December 21, 1439) ⚭ (around 1415) with Count Hans (Johann) von Sax-Misox († 1427); two sons and two daughters. Her alliance seal shows her husband's coat of arms and her own Heiligenberg coat of arms.
• Margaretha (* around / after 1400; † before March 1, 1443) ⚭ (around 1425) with Freiherr Thüring von Aarburg († 1457); a daughter. In her alliance coat of arms she had the Aarburg coat of arms of her husband and her Heiligenberg coat of arms.

After the death of the last Count of Toggenburg in 1436, all daughters (except Agnes) or their descendants inherited parts of his inheritance.

Life

Count Albrecht III. officiated in 1382 as the Austrian governor in Swabia and in 1391 concluded an alliance with the city and lordship of Feldkirch , which had come under the rule of the Dukes of Austria through a purchase in 1379. Since he had no "hereditary" offspring, he sold his county Bludenz with the Montafon to Duke Albrecht III in 1394 . from Austria. The contractual provisions, however, left him the rule in his county for life and a right of repurchase in the event that a son should be born to him.

In 1396 he was Austrian Vogt of the Feldkirch rule . During the Appenzell Wars , he stayed in exile at Rothenfels Castle in the Allgäu from around 1405 to 1408. During the Council of Constance he was loyal to Duke Frederick IV of Austria, although he should have had his subjects on his side. On the orders of King Siegmund , several cities in the Lake Constance region announced the feud to him, who declared him deposed and asked his subjects to pay homage to him as king and to drive out their city lord, taking over Friedrich von Toggenburg after the conquest of the county Feldkirch threatened war. Count Albrecht III. and his subjects, however, resisted, and remained on the side of the Dukes of Austria.

After Albrecht's death, his county passed to the Dukes of Austria without complications. His only son had died around 1412, and his five daughters received financial compensation.

Legends

• Count Albrecht III was one of his contemporaries. Called Albrecht the Peaceful or Albrecht the Affable .
• A legend developed about the time he and his family spent in exile with his family during the Appenzell Wars until his return around 1408, which was particularly widespread in the regional historiography of Vorarlberg in the 20th century and which should have a real core. According to this, he is said to have voluntarily chosen to be exiled out of consideration for the political situation at the time and the welfare of his subjects, in order to make it easier for them to take sides with the Appenzell people .

literature

• Karl Heinz Burmeister : The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. from Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz. In: Bludenzer Geschichtsblätter 2009, issue 90 + 91, pp. 28–70 digitized
• Alois Niederstätter : Vorarlberg in the Middle Ages (= ders .: History of Vorarlbegs , Bd. 1). University publishing house Wagner, Innsbruck, 2014
• Alois Niederstätter : Austrian History 1278-1411. The rule of Austria. Prince and country in the late Middle Ages. Ueberreuter Publishing House, Vienna, 2001

Individual evidence

1. ^ Alois Niederstätter: Austrian history. 2001, p. 268
2. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. 2009, p. 285
3. ^ Family tree, see Alois Niederstätter: Österreichische Geschichte. 2001, p. 273
4. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. 2009, p. 34
5. ^ Alois Niederstätter: Austrian history. 2001, p. 272
6. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. , 2009, p. 37ff., On the key data p. 30, p. 33 and p. 35
7. ↑ cf. Alois Niederstätter: Vorarlberg in the Middle Ages , 2014, p. 89f.
8. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. , 2009, p. 41ff., Also p. 30 and p. 35
9. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. , 2009, p. 35
10. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. , 2009, p. 44ff. and p. 30
11. ↑ cf. Alois Niederstätter: Vorarlberg in the Middle Ages , 2014, p. 167
12. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. , 2009, p. 6ff., P. 30 and p. 33
13. ^ Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. , 2009, p. 53ff., P. 30 and p. 33
14. ↑ Information on this from Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. 2009, pp. 28-30
15. ↑ Alois Niederstätter: Austrian History , 2001, p. 272
16. ^ Alois Niederstätter: Austrian history. 2001, p. 189
17. ^ Alois Niederstätter: Vorarlberg in the Middle Ages. (= History of Vorarlberg, Vol. 1), Innsbruck 2014, p. 273
18. ↑ Information on this from Karl Heinz Burmeister: The five daughters of Count Albrecht III. 2009, p. 39
19. ↑ cf. Alois Niederstätter: Austrian History. 2001, p. 100
20. ↑ cf. Alois Niederstätter: Vorarlberg in the Middle Ages , 2014, p. 95