Albert I, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Albert I or Albrecht (July 25, 1336, Munich – December 13, 1404, The Hague) was a feudal ruler of the counties of Holland, Hainaut, and Zeeland in the Low Countries. Additionally he held a portion of the Bavarian province of Straubing, it being his Bavarian ducal line's appanage and seat.
He was the third son of Empress Margaret, daughter of William III, Count of Holland and Hainaut, from her marriage with Ludwig of Bavaria. Ludwig also had sons from his first marriage. Albert was originally a younger son, apportioned at best an appanage. He was only 10 years old when his father the Emperor died, leaving ost of his Bavarian inheritance to the eldest half-brother, but also some appanages to the younger sons.
He married in Passau after July 19, 1353, Margarete of Brieg (1342/43 – 1386), and had seven children:
- Johanna (1356/61 – December 31, 1386, Karlstein), married on September 29, 1370 Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
- Katharina (c. 1361 – 1400, Hattem), married in Geertruidenberg in 1379 William I, Duke of Jülich and Guelders (d. 1402)
- Margaret (1363 – January 23, 1423, Dijon), married in Cambrai in 1385 John, Duke of Burgundy
- William VI, Count of Holland (1365–1417)
- Albert II (1369 – January 21, 1397, Kelheim)
- Johanna (1373, Munich – October 17, 1410, Vienna), married in Vienna in 1390 Albert IV of Austria.
- John, Count of Holland (1374/76 – 1425), Bishop of Liège
He also had several illegitimate children.
His elder brother, William V, Count of Hainaut, had engaged in a long struggle with their mother, obtaining Holland and Zeeland from her in 1354, and Hainaut on her death in 1356. However, William's insanity resulted in the appointment of Albert as governor of his brother's territories. William lived for some time; Albert did not formally succeed him until his death in 1388, by which time he had already married his daughters to a number of Imperial princes and other nobles. The eldest daughter to have issue was Margaret; her son Philip III, Duke of Burgundy would ultimately inherit Albert's territories.
He made a second marriage in 1394 in Heusden with Margaret of Cleves (c. 1375 – 1412), sister of Adolf I, Duke of Cleves, but they had no children.
On Albert's death in 1404, he was succeeded by his eldest son, William. A younger son, John III, became Bishop of Liège. However, on William's death in 1417, a war of succession broke out between John and William's daughter Jacqueline of Hainaut. This would be the last episode of the Hook and Cod wars and place the counties into Burgundian hands.