THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
the benefit of a higher evangelical education he established Latin high-schools, and founded at Konigsberg a school which in 1544, 7. Later Ef- with the assistance of Luther and forts in Melanchthon, he converted into a uni- Behalf of versity. As first rector he called Georg the Refor- Sabinus, son-in-law of Melanchthon, mation. but his character rather hampered the development of the institution. A still greater impediment was the appointment, in 1549, of the former Nuremberg reformer Andreas Osiander as first theological professor, his doctrine of justification calling forth controversies (see Osiander, Andreas). After Osiander's death (1552), his son-in-law Johann Funck (q.v.) gained such influence over the duke that he appointed none but followers of Osiander, whose opponents, headed by J. Morlin, were obliged to leave the country. The political and ecclesiastical confusion finally became so great that a Polish commission was forced to interfere, and in 1566 Funck and two of his party were executed as " disturbers of the peace, traitors, and promoters of the Osiandrian heresy." The former advisers of the duke were then reinstated.
These painful experiences caused Albert to long for rest and the restoration of peace in Church and country. He recalled Morlin and Martin Chemnitz, and, in consequence of a resolution of the synod, which met in 1567, to abide by the corpus doctrines. of the Lutheran Church, he caused them to prepare the Corpus doctrina Pruthenicum (or Wiederholung der Summa und Inhalt der rechten allgemeinen christlichen Kirchenlehre-repetitio corporis doctrince Christiana) in which the Osiandrian errors were also refuted. This symbol, which was approved by the estates, Albert published with a preface, dated July 9, 1567, in which it was stated that " no one shall be admitted to any office in Church or school who does not approve of and accept it."
After the settlement of the doctrinal questions, a revision of the former church-order was undertaken, the outcome of which was the Kirchenordnung und Ceremonien, published in 1568. The vacant episcopal sees of Pomesania and Samland were filled by the appointment of G. Venediger (Venetus) and J. Morlin, respectively, after arrangements had been made with the estates as to the election, jurisdiction, and salary of the bishops, whereby the old episcopal constitution of the Prussian Church was established and assured. Thus, notwithstanding the trials of his last years, Albert saw the full development of the Evangelical Church in the duchy of Prussia, and quiet and peace restored before his death. He left a beautiful testimony of his evangelical faith in his testament for Albert Frederick, his son by his second wife, Anna of Brunswick, whom he had married in 1550. His last words were: " Into thy hands I commit my spirit, thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth." David Erdmann-|\
Bibliography: Sources: M. Luther, Brief e, ed. by W. M. L. de Wette and J. K. Scideiiuinn, (> vols., Berlin, 1826 - 73; P. Melanchthon, Briefe an Albrecht /Icrzoa ron Preussen, ed. by K. Faber, Berlin, 1X17; .1. VoiKt, Brief irechsel der beruhmtesten Gelehrter des Zeitaltcrs der Reformation mil Herzog Albrecht von Preussen, KoniKKberg, 1841; T.
Kolde, Analecta lutherana, Gotha, 1883; P. Tschackert, Urkundenbuch zur Reformationsgeschichte des Herzogtums Preussen, vols, i.-iii. (vols, xliii.-xlv. of Publikationen aus den k. preussischen Staats-Archiven, Berlin, 1890). General Literature: D. H. Arnold, Historic der Konigsberger Universitat, vol. i., Konigsberg, 1746; idem, Kurzgefassle Kirchengeschichte von Preussen, ib. 1769; F. S. Bock, Leben und Thaten Albrechts des Aeltern, ib. 1750; L. von Baczko, Geschichte Preussens, vol. iv., ib. 1795; A. R. Gebser and C. A. Hagen, Der Dom zu Konigsberg, ib. 1835; L. von Ranke, Deutsche Geschichte im Zeitalter der Reformation, vol. ii., Berlin, 1843, Eng. transl., new ed., Robert A. Johnson, London, 1905 (very good); W. Moller, Andreas Osiander, Elberfeld, 1870; ADB, vol. i.; K. A. Hase, Herzog Albrecht von Preussen und seine Hofprediger, ib. 1879 (an elaborate monograph); K. Lohmeier, Herzog Albrecht von Preussen, Danzig, 1890; H. Prutz, Herzog Albrecht von Preussen, in Preussische Jahrbiicher, lxvi. 2, Berlin, 1890; E. Joachim, Die Politik des letzten Hochmeisters in Preussen, Albrecht von Brandenburg, 3 vols., Leipsic, 1892- 94; P. Tschackert, Herzog Albrecht von Preussen als reformatorische Persbnlichkeit, Halle, 1894.
ALBERT OF RIGA: Founder of the German power among the Esthonians and Letts; d. at Riga Jan. 17, 1229. He was a nephew of Hartwig, archbishop of Bremen, and is first mentioned as canon in that city. In 1199 he was ordained bishop of Uexkull, in the territory of the Livonians, as the successor of Bishop Berthold (see Berthold of Livonia) who had perished the previous year in an uprising of the pagan inhabitants. Though organized missionary work had been carried on among the Letts and the Livonians since 1184, they had shown themselves hostile to the new creed, and it fell to Albert to maintain his episcopal title and to spread the Gospel by the sword. Aided by a papal bull he succeeded in raising a large force of crusaders, and in the year 1200 appeared on the shores of the Dwina, where he met with little resistance from the Livonians. In 1201 he founded the town of Riga, and for the protection of his dominions and the extension of his conquests organized the Order of the Brothers of the Sword (q.v.), whose grand master was made subordinate to his authority. The Christianizing of the country was promoted by the introduction of Cistercian and Premonstrant monks, and by 1206 almost the entire Livonian population had been baptized. In 1207 Albert received Livonia as a fief from the German king, together with the title of " Prince of the Empire." Three years later he was confirmed by Innocent III. as bishop of the territories of the Livonians and the Letts, and, without receiving the dignity of archbishop, was granted the right to nominate and ordain bishops for such territorial conquests as might be made from the heathen peoples to the northeast. He now met with formidable rivalry from the Brothers of the Sword, whose grand master desired to make himself independent of the bishop. The Danes, also, by the acquisition of Ltibeck in 1215, became a powerful factor in the politics of the eastern Baltic. Though forced for a time to make concessions to both, Albert by courage and a wise use of circumstances, succeeded in retaining his power unimpaired. From 1211 to 1224 vigorous campaigns were carried on against the heathen Esthonians to the northeast, who, although aided by the Russian rulers of Novgorod and Pskov, were compelled to submit to the German power. The Danish influence speedily disappeared, and the