Albert the Great

1193–1206 to 1280 · Doctor 1931

Origin: Swabia, traditionally Lauingen
Historical identity: Medieval German / Swabian
Affiliation: Dominican (OP)

Life and work

Dominican philosopher, theologian and investigator of the natural world. His teaching and commentaries helped integrate Aristotelian learning into Latin intellectual life; Thomas Aquinas was among his students.

Places and activities

Padua

c. early 1220s

Studied the liberal arts and entered the Dominican community.

Benedict XVI: Albert the Great

Paris

c. 1240s-1248

Taught theology and worked on the reception of Aristotle.

Benedict XVI: Albert the Great

Cologne

1248-1280; interrupted by appointments and travel

Founded the Dominican studium, taught and wrote; died in Cologne.

Benedict XVI: Albert the Great

Regensburg

1260-1262

Served briefly as bishop before returning to scholarly and preaching work.

Benedict XVI: Albert the Great

Journeys

1248: Was sent to establish a theological school in Cologne.

Catholic Encyclopedia

Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Albertus Magnus

Primary sources

Further reading

Wikipedia

Albert the Great

Dates and research notes

Birth is uncertain, often placed around 1200. Traditional dates extend from c. 1193 to c. 1206.

Selected sourced locations; not a complete itinerary. All geographic coordinates are approximate.

Lifetime associations, not citizenship or a claim that all affiliations were held simultaneously.

Editorial institute and critical-edition portal, not a promise of freely readable full text.

Official modern biographical overview; not contemporary evidence for the saint's travels.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907. Biographical article.

Oxford University Press, 2011. Recommended reference; consult the relevant entry and its bibliography. Not treated as read evidence for individual seed claims.

Updated 2026-11-01