Albert of Brandenburg
A German cardinal whose sale of indulgences to fund his ambitions directly sparked Martin Luther's furious protest and the Protestant Reformation.
1490–1545 (age 55)·Catholic cardinal·Birthday: June 28
Biography
Albert of Brandenburg was a princely cleric of the Renaissance, less a man of deep faith and more a shrewd political operator. By his mid-twenties, he held two archbishoprics—Mainz and Magdeburg—a blatant violation of church law that required a massive papal dispensation. To pay for this, and to fund his artistic patronage and lavish lifestyle, he struck a deal with Rome to promote the sale of indulgences in his territories. This mercenary approach to salvation ignited the outrage of an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther, who nailed his 95 Theses to a church door in 1517. Albert, initially trying to manage the crisis, became a leading defender of the Catholic faith against the spreading Reformation, his legacy forever tied to the religious earthquake he helped trigger.
#1 When Albert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1490
Albert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1490Born
1495Started school
1503Became a teenager
1506Could drive
1508Could vote
1511Turned 21
1520Turned 30
1530Turned 40
1540Turned 50
1545Died at 55
Key Achievements
- Served as the Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg simultaneously, a powerful and lucrative dual role.
- His agreement to sell indulgences to pay off debts was the immediate catalyst for Martin Luther's 95 Theses.
- Became a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and a major political elector of the Holy Roman Empire.
- Was a significant patron of the arts, commissioning works from Matthias Grünewald and others.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the House of Hohenzollern, a dynasty that would later rule Prussia and Germany.
He amassed one of the largest collections of holy relics in Europe, claiming to own over 8,000 items.
The famous Isenheim Altarpiece was created for a hospital in his territory under his patronage.
“The indulgence is granted for the building of St. Peter's, and for the salvation of your own soul.”
