Albert (or Albertus) was born into the wealthy Bavarian family
of the Count of Bollstädt, being the eldest son in the family.
He was later given the name "Magnus" (The Great) and also
"Doctor Universalis" to indicate the esteem that he was held in
by his contemporaries. He spent his early years in Lauingen and
must have been educated at home or at a school close to his
home. His uncle lived in Padua so, since the university there
was famous for liberal arts, it was a natural place for his
studies. After studying liberal arts at the University of Padua
he joined the Dominican Order at Padua in 1223 being attracted
by the teachings of Jordan of Saxony who was the head of the
Order. This meant that he was not tied to a parish or a
monastery, so could study and teach over a wide area. After
joining the Dominican Order, he studied and taught at Padua,
Bologna, Cologne and other German convents in Hildesheim,
Freiburg, Ratisbon, Strasburg, and Cologne. He was sent to the
Dominican convent of Saint-Jacques at the Un