ALBERT II. (1397-1439), German king, king of Bohemia and
Hungary, and (as Albert V.) duke of Austria, was born on the
10th of August 1397, the son of Albert IV. of Habsburg, duke of
Austria. He succeeded to the duchy of Austria on his father's
death in 1404. After receiving a good education, he undertook
the government of Austria in 1411, and succeeded, with the
aid of his advisers, in ridding the duchy of the evils which
had arisen during his minority. He assisted the German king,
Sigismund, in his campaigns against the Hussites, and in
1422 married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Sigismund,
who designated him as his successor. When the German king
died in 1437, Albert was crowned king of Hungary on the
1st of January 1438, and although crowned king of Bohemia
six months later, he was unable to obtain possession of the
country. He was engaged in warfare with the Bohemians and
their Polish allies, when on the 18th of March 1438 he was
chosen German king at Frankfort, an honour which he does
not appear to have sought. Afterwards engaged in defending
Hungary against the attacks of the Turks, he died on the
27th of October 1439 at Langendorf, and was buried at
Stuhlweissenburg. Albert was an energetic and warlike prince,
whose short reign gave great promise of usefulness for Germany.
This article is from the 1911 edition of an
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