Albert I

Albert I (born c. 1100—died Nov. 18, 1170) was the first margrave of Brandenburg and founder of the Ascanian dynasties. He was one of the main leaders of 12th-century German expansion into eastern Europe. In 1123 Albert inherited Saxon estates between the Harz Mountains and the middle reaches of the Elbe River from his father, Otto the Rich. After his mother’s death in 1142, he received the central German possessions of the Billung dynasty, but...