Person

Albert, Duke of Prussia

1490–1568 · 16th century · Also known as Albert of Prussia, Albrecht of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Albrecht of Prussia

Albert, Duke of Prussia, a Hohenzollern of the Ansbach line, was the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Order in Prussia. In 1525, advised by Martin Luther, he converted to Lutheranism and secularised the Order's state as the Duchy of Prussia under the Polish crown, the first Protestant state. The bishops of Samland and Pomesania handed him their secular powers.

Albert, Duke of Prussia
Image: Lucas Cranach the Elder · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

State of the Teutonic OrderImpact, Decline, Summary

Mentioned in 5 state histories

State of the Teutonic OrderBishopric of PomesaniaBishopric of SamlandTeutonic Order MergentheimDuchy of Prussia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Albert, Duke of Prussia. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/albert-duke-of-prussia
MLA
“Albert, Duke of Prussia.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/albert-duke-of-prussia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Albert, Duke of Prussia.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/albert-duke-of-prussia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Albert, Duke of Prussia’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/albert-duke-of-prussia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻