State of the Holy Roman Empire (1168?1803)
The
Prince-Bishopric of Wurzburg
(
German
:
Furstbistum Wurzburg; Hochstift Wurzburg
) was an
ecclesiastical principality
of the
Holy Roman Empire
located in
Lower Franconia
, west of the
Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg
.
Wurzburg
had been a diocese since 743. As established by the
Concordat
of 1448, bishops in Germany were chosen by the canons of the cathedral chapter and their election was later confirmed by the pope. Following a common practice in Germany, the prince-bishops of Wurzburg were frequently elected to other ecclesiastical principalities as well.
[a]
The last few prince-bishops resided at the
Wurzburg Residence
, which is one of the grandest
Baroque
palaces in Europe.
As a consequence of the 1801
Treaty of Luneville
, Wurzburg, along with the other ecclesiastical states of Germany, was
secularized
in 1803 and absorbed into the
Electorate of Bavaria
. In the same year
Ferdinand III
, former
Grand Duke of Tuscany
, was compensated with the
Electorate of Salzburg
. In the 1805
Peace of Pressburg
, Ferdinand lost Salzburg to the
Austrian Empire
, but was compensated with the new
Grand Duchy of Wurzburg
, Bavaria having relinquished the territory in return for the
Tyrol
. This new state lasted until 1814, when it was once again annexed by Bavaria.
The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wurzburg
was reestablished in 1821 without temporal power.
Duke of Franconia
[
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]
In 1115,
Henry V
awarded the territory of Eastern Franconia (
Ostfranken
) to his nephew
Conrad of Hohenstaufen
, who used the title "Duke of Franconia". Franconia remained a Hohenstaufen power base until 1168, when the Bishop of Wurzburg was formally ceded the ducal rights in Eastern Franconia. The name "Franconia" fell out of usage, but the bishop revived it in his own favour in 1442 and held it until the reforms of
Napoleon Bonaparte
abolished it.
Coat of arms
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The charge of the original coat of arms showed the "Rennfahnlein" banner, quarterly argent and gules, on a lance or, in bend, on a blue shield.
In the 14th century another coat of arms was created, the "Rechen" or rake. The coat of arms represents the holism of heaven and earth. The three white pikes represent the Trinity of God and the four red pikes, directed to earth, stand for the four points of the compass, representing the whole spread of earth. The red colour represents the blood of Christ.
The prince-bishops used both within their personal coat of arms. The Rechen and the Rennfahnlein represented the diocese, while the other (usually two) fields showed the personal coat of arms of the bishop's family. The coat of arms showed the Rechen in the first and third field, the Rennfahnlein in the second and fourth field.
[1]
Prince-Bishops of Wurzburg, 1168?1803
[
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]
Secular power lost in 1803. Territory ceded to Bavaria until 1805.
See also
[
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]
- Wurzburg Cathedral
? for burial locations of most Wurzburg bishops
- Ebrach Abbey
? beginning with the 13th century, the bishops of Wurzburg had their
hearts
brought to Ebrach Abbey (entrails to the
Marienkirche
, bodies to Wurzburg cathedral). About 30 hearts of bishops, some of which had been desecrated during the
German Peasants' War
, are said to have found their final resting place at Ebrach. Prince-Bishop
Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn
broke with this tradition and had his heart buried in the
Neubaukirche
at Wurzburg.
Gallery
[
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]
-
-
-
Schloss
Werneck
, built 1733-1745 for Friedrich Karl von Schonborn
-
Veitshochheim
summer residence
-
Coat of arms
Notes
[
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]
- ^
For instance, Johann Franz Schonborn was first elected prince-bishop of Wurzburg in 1642, then elector of Mainz in 1647, and finally prince-bishop of Worms in 1663.
References
[
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]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Peter Kolb und Ernst-Gunther Krenig (Hrsg.):
Unterfrankische Geschichte
. Wurzburg 1989.
- Alfred Wendehorst:
Das Bistum Wurzburg Teil 1: Die Bischofsreihe bis 1254
. Germania Sacra, NF 1: Die Bistumer der Kirchenprovinz Mainz, Berlin 1962.
- Alfred Wendehorst:
Das Bistum Wurzburg Teil 2 - Die Bischofsreihe von 1254 bis 1455
. In: Max-Planck-Institut fur Geschichte (Hg.):
Germania Sacra - Neue Folge 4 - Die Bistumer der Kirchenprovinz Mainz
. Berlin 1969.
ISBN
978-3-11-001291-0
.
- Alfred Wendehorst:
Das Bistum Wurzburg Teil 3: Die Bischofsreihe von 1455 bis 1617
. Germania Sacra, NF 13: Die Bistumer der Kirchenprovinz Mainz, Berlin/New York 1978.
- Alfred Wendehorst:
Das Bistum Wurzburg 1803-1957
. Wurzburg 1965.
- Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung fur den Deutschen Orden e.V. und Historische Deutschorden-Compaigne zu Mergentheim 1760 e.V. (Hrsg.):
1300 Jahre Wurzburg - Zeichen der Geschichte, Bilder und Siegel der Bischofe von Wurzburg
. Heft 23. Lauda-Konigshofen 2004.
Links to related articles
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