Bishopric of Würzburg

Bishopric of Würzburg Bistum Würzburg
State of the Holy Roman Empire
← 1168–1803 →
Flag Coat of arms
Würzburg, shown within modern Germany.
Capital	Würzburg
Language(s)	East Franconian German
Religion	Roman Catholic
Government	Theocracy
Prince-Bishop
- 743–55     (founding Bishop)	St Burchard I
- 1165–70     (first Prince-Bishop)	Herold von Hochheim
- 1795–1808     (Prince-Bishop to 1803)	Georg Karl von Fechenbach
Historical era	Middle Ages
- Bishopric founded	743
- Raised to prince-bishopric	1168
- Prince-Bishops styled     Dukes in Franconia	1441
- Ecclesiastical Prince     of Franconian Circle	1500
- Secularised and      annexed by Bavaria	February 25, 1803 1803
- Ceded to Ferdinand and      raised to Grand Duchy	30 September 1806

The Bishopric of Würzburg (German: Würzburg) was a prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg was a diocese from 743. In the 18th century, its bishop was often also Bishop of Bamberg. The last few prince-bishops resided at the Würzburg Residence, which is one of the grandest baroque palaces in Europe.

As a consequence of the 1801 Treaty of Lunéville, the Bishopric of Würzburg was secularized in 1803 and annexed by the Elector 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 Würzburg, 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 Würzburg was reestablished in 1821 without temporal power.

Contents 1 Duke in Franconia 2 Coat of arms 3 Bishops of Würzburg, 743–1808 4 See also 5 References 6 References

Duke in Franconia

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 Würzburg 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. The Bishop of Würzburg was more properly the Duke in Franconia (Herzog in Franken) rather than the Duke of Franconia (Herzog von Franken) during this time although both titles were used.

Coat of arms

In 741 or 742 the first bishop of Würzburg was consecrated by Saint Boniface. The charge of the original coat of arms showed the “Rennfähnlein” 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 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 Rennfähnlein 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 Rennfähnlein in the second and fourth field.^[1]

Bishops of Würzburg, 743–1808

Secular power lost in 1803. Territory ceded to Bavaria until 1805.

See also

• Würzburg Cathedral for burial locations of most Würzburg bishops
• Ebrach Abbey Beginning with the 13th century, the bishops of Würzburg had their hearts brought to the monastery in Ebrach (entrails to the chapel of the Marienburg, bodies to the St. Kilian 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. The prince-bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn broke with this tradition and had his heart buried in the Neubaukirche.

References

• Peter Kolb und Ernst-Günther Krenig (Hrsg.): Unterfränkische Geschichte. Würzburg 1989.
• Alfred Wendehorst: Das Bistum Würzburg Teil 1: Die Bischofsreihe bis 1254. Germania Sacra, NF 1: Die Bistümer der Kirchenprovinz Mainz, Berlin 1962.
• Alfred Wendehorst: Das Bistum Würzburg Teil 2 - Die Bischofsreihe von 1254 bis 1455. In: Max-Planck-Institut für Geschichte (Hg.): Germania Sacra - Neue Folge 4 - Die Bistümer der Kirchenprovinz Mainz. Berlin 1969. ISBN 9783110012910.
• Alfred Wendehorst: Das Bistum Würzburg Teil 3: Die Bischofsreihe von 1455 bis 1617. Germania Sacra, NF 13: Die Bistümer der Kirchenprovinz Mainz, Berlin/New York 1978.
• Alfred Wendehorst: Das Bistum Würzburg 1803-1957. Würzburg 1965.
• Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung für den Deutschen Orden e.V. und Historische Deutschorden-Compaigne zu Mergentheim 1760 e.V. (Hrsg.): 1300 Jahre Würzburg - Zeichen der Geschichte, Bilder und Siegel der Bischöfe von Würzburg. Heft 23. Lauda-Königshofen 2004.

Links to related articles Franconian Circle (1500–1806) of the  Holy Roman Empire Ecclesiastical Bamberg · Eichstätt · Mergentheim · Würzburg Secular Ansbach · Bayreuth · Henneberg (Römhild, Schleusingen) · Hohenlohe-Waldenburg · Löwenstein-Wertheim · Schwarzenberg Counts / Lords Castell · Erbach · Hausen · Hohenlohe-Neuenstein · Limpurg (Gaildorf, Speckfeld) · Reichelsberg · Rieneck · Seinsheim · Welzheim · Wertheim · Wiesentheid Cities Nuremberg · Rothenburg · Schweinfurt · Weißenburg · Windsheim Catholic League (1609–35) within the  Holy Roman Empire     Abbacies Ellwangen Kempten Bishoprics Augsburg Constance Eichstätt Passau Speyer Straßburg Worms Würzburg  and Bamberg Archbishoprics Mainz Cologne Trier Duchies Bavaria

References