John I, Duke of Saxony


John I ruled as duke of Saxony from 1260 until 1282.
John was the elder son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen, a daughter of Otto the Child. John and his younger brother Albert II jointly ruled the Duchy of Saxony after the death of their father Albert I in 1260. In 1269, 1272, and 1282 the brothers gradually divided their land within the three territorially unconnected Saxon areas, thus preparing a partition. As part of this arrangement John I became Burgrave of Magdeburg in 1269. In the imperial election in 1273, Albert II represented the jointly ruling brothers.
In 1270, John married Ingeborg Birgersdotter of Småland, a daughter or grandchild of Birger jarl. They had eight children, among them the following:
John I resigned in 1282 in favour of his three minor sons Eric I, John II and Albert III. Later John I entered the Franciscan monastery in Wittenberg, becoming its warden, which position he held until he died. John I's sons and their uncle Albert II continued the joint rule in Saxony. John died in Wittenberg.