 Bernhard was the youngest of the seven sons of Albert the Bear (d. 1170), Duke of Saxony from 1138 to 1142 and first Margrave of Brandenburg from 1157, by his wife Sophie of Winzenburg.In 1157 he was present together with his father and brothers at the funeral of the Wettin margrave Conrad of Meissen.Two years later, Bernhard accompanied Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to Italy with his brother Margrave Otto I of Brandenburg.