Albrecht of Brandenburg-Culmbach

Albrecht, Margrave of Brandenburg-Culmbach, was born in Ansbach on March 28, 1522. The son of Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Culmbach, he was raised under the pious guardianship of his uncle, Georg of Brandenburg, following his father's early death. Known in his youth for a daring and impulsive nature, Albrecht chose a military career upon reaching his majority. His fiery spirit and martial exploits earned him the nickname "the German Alcibiades." He initially served Emperor Charles V during the French campaign of 1544 and in the Schmalkaldic War of 1546. However, in 1552, Albrecht aligned himself with the Evangelical princes in opposition to the Emperor, seeking to curb imperial authority across the German lands.

His aggressive campaign led to a series of destructive conflicts. After laying waste to Lüneburg, his forces clashed with those of his former ally, Elector Moritz of Saxony, at the bloody Battle of Sievershausen on July 9, 1553. Although Moritz was mortally wounded in the engagement, Albrecht's armies suffered a catastrophic defeat. Following further military disasters at Brunswick and Eulenberg in 1554, Albrecht fled to France accompanied by only sixteen followers. During his exile and adversity, he acknowledged the hand of God in his suffering and expressed profound repentance for his past actions. Through the intercession of his family, he sought the restoration of his lands at Regensburg. While visiting his brother-in-law, Margrave Charles II of Baden, in Pforzheim, he was stricken with a fatal illness and died on January 8, 1557, firm in his Christian faith.

Albrecht is traditionally remembered in sacred music as the author of the German hymn of resignation and trust, "Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit" ("What my God wills, be done alway"). First appearing on broadsheets in Nürnberg and Dresden between 1554 and 1556, the song became a cherished source of consolation across Germany during times of bereavement and trial. While some early sources suggested the text was written for Albrecht or dedicated to him rather than composed by his own pen, several hymnologists have maintained his authorship, seeing the text as a reflection of his late repentance. The hymn inspired numerous English translations, including Benjamin Latrobe's "The will of God is always best" (1789) and Nathaniel Langdon Frothingham's "Whate'er God will, let that be done" (1870).