Albrecht of Brandenburg (1490 to 1545): Archbishop of Magdeburg and Mainz, whose accumulation of offices was paid for with Fugger loans and indulgences; he took 100,000 gulden for his vote in the imperial election

Albrecht of Brandenburg was Archbishop of Magdeburg, administrator of Halberstadt, from 1514 Archbishop of Mainz and from 1518 a cardinal. According to the NDB, the payments to the Curia for this accumulation of offices were financed by the Fuggers and raised through the indulgence sale for St Peter's that provoked Luther's theses. In the election of Charles V he had his vote paid for with 100,000 gulden. He collected 8,933 relic particles.

Life dates

28 Jun 1490-24 Sep 1545 (55 years old)

Country

Germany

Institutions

Archdiocese of Mainz
Archdiocese of Magdeburg

Category

Financial misconduct

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Background

Course of events

1. Albrecht was born on 28 June 1490, was administrator of Halberstadt from 1513, Archbishop and Elector of Mainz from 1514 and a cardinal from 1 August 1518. He died in Mainz on 24 September 1545.
   Evidence: Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Deutsche Biographie), NDB, Kopf des Artikels

   „Erzbischof und Kurfürst von Mainz (seit 1514), Kardinal (seit 1.8.1518), * 28.6.1490, † 24.9.1545 Mainz“

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. For the pallium of 24,000 gulden and further fees, according to the ADB, Albrecht borrowed 30,000 gulden from the Fuggers. The NDB writes that the money for the unusual accumulation of benefices was a business financed by the Fuggers and raised through the indulgence sale for St Peter's. The Britannica confirms the division: half each to Albrecht and Leo X.
   Evidence: Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Deutsche Biographie), ADB

   „nahm der Erwählte bei dem Handlungshause Fugger 30000 G. auf“

   Evidence: Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Deutsche Biographie), NDB, Biographie

   „ein vom Haus Fugger finanziertes Geschäft“

   Evidence: Cambridge University Press (Wikisource), Artikel Tetzel, Johann

   „Half the proceeds in his province were to go to him, half to Leo X.“

2. In the imperial election he voted for Charles V and, like other electors, had his vote paid for with 100,000 gulden. The NDB describes him as more driven by material interests than theologically and pastorally oriented.
   Evidence: Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Deutsche Biographie), NDB, Biographie

   „wobei er sich, ähnlich wie andere Kurfürsten, seine Stimme mit 100000 Gulden bezahlen ließ“

Response of the Church

1. The NDB at the same time defends Albrecht: it is unjust to say that he gave the occasion for the Reformation, since the trade was staged by the Curia itself. He owned 8,933 relic particles, to which several million years of indulgence were to attach.
   Evidence: Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Deutsche Biographie), NDB, Biographie

   „als Reliquiensammler 8933 Partikeln besaß, an die sich einige Millionen Jahre Ablaß schließen sollten“

   Evidence: Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Deutsche Biographie), NDB, Biographie

   „dieser war vielmehr von der Kurie selbst in Szene gesetzt worden“

See also

• 1300-1562 · 262 years

  Sale of indulgences, forgiveness of sins for money

  • Germany
  • Vatican City
  • United Kingdom
  • Financial misconduct
• Person 1460-1519 · about 59 years old

  Johann Tetzel (c. 1460 to 1519): Dominican, inquisitor and indulgence preacher whose sales of 1517 provoked Luther's theses; the Britannica calls him a salesman, the Catholic Encyclopedia unjustly reviled

  • Germany
  • Financial misconduct
• Person 1475-1521 · about 46 years old

  Pope Leo X (Giovanni de' Medici)

  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Financial misconduct

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   Historische Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Deutsche Biographie): Albrecht, in: Neue Deutsche Biographie, Bd. 1 (1953), und Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, 1 January 1953. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   Cambridge University Press (Wikisource): Tetzel, Johann, in: Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Bd. 26, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.