Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Born in Cölln, Albert was the younger son of John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg. After their father''s death, Albert and his older brother Joachim I Nestor became margraves of Brandenburg in 1499, but only his older brother held the title of an elector of Brandenburg. Having studied at the university of Frankfurt (Oder), Albert entered the ecclesiastical profession, and in 1513 became archbishop of Magdeburg at the age of 23 and administrator of the Diocese of Halberstadt. In 1514 he obtained the Electorate of Mainz, and in 1518 was made a cardinal at the age of 28. Meanwhile to pay for the pallium of the see of Mainz and to discharge the other expenses of his elevation, Albert had borrowed 21,000 ducats from Jacob Fugger, and had obtained permission from Pope Leo X to conduct the sale of indulgences in his diocese to obtain funds to repay this loan, aslong as half the collection was forwarded to the Papacy. An agent of the Fuggers subsequently traveled in the Cardinal''s retinue in charge of the cashbox.