Bishopric of Constance
Encyclopedia
The Bishopric of Constance was a diocese
of the Roman Catholic Church
and ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from about 585 until 1821. Its seat was Konstanz
at the western end of Lake Constance
in the south-west corner of Germany. The diocese covered, in present-day borders, a large part of Switzerland
, the largest part of Baden-Württemberg
, and a small part of Austria
.
The Diocese of Constance was founded in the late 6th century in the course of the christianization
of the Alamanni
tribes around Lake Constance
and the High Rhine
. About 585 the seat of the Bishop of Vindonissa
in the Aargau
was moved to the former Roman castrum
of Constance. The Bishops of Constance originally were subordinate to the Archdiocese of Besançon, since 782 they were subordinate to the Archbishopric of Mainz
. The area of the Constance diocese within the Duchy of Swabia
stretched from the Gotthard Pass in the south to the Stuttgart
region in the north, then the largest of the Holy Roman Empire
.
From the 12th century until 1803 the Prince-Bishop
ric of Constance was an ecclesiastical Imperial State
, confirmed by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa
in a 1155 deed, though its territory was diminuished with the rise of the Swiss Confederacy
and the House of Habsburg. During the Early Middle Ages
the bishops were also the political ruler of Konstanz, however towards the end of the 12th century their power was reduced to a small zone around the Cathedral as Konstanz made efforts to gain the status of a Free imperial city
. Numerous bishops hence fell into conflict with the citizens and in 1527, during the Protestant Reformation
, the administrative seat of the Prince-Bishop was finally moved to nearby Meersburg
. However Konstanz fell to the Counter-Reformation
induced by the Habsburgs, who finally incorporated the city into their Further Austria
n possessions in 1548.
In the course of the German Mediatisation
in 1803, the Prince-Bishopric was dissolved as a state and became part of the Margraviate of Baden
. The diocese was finally dissolved by Pope Pius VII
in 1821, after disobedient Vicar general Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenberg
had been elected diocesan administrator upon the death of the last bishop Karl Theodor von Dalberg
in 1817. While Wessenberg was supported by the government of the Grand Duchy of Baden
, the Pope never recognized his election. The Pope disagreed with Wessenberg's liberal views, and by a bull
of 16 August 1821 dissolved the diocese in order to prevent Wessenberg from becoming bishop. The area of the diocese in Baden became part of the newly established Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg in 1827 and the Swiss lands fell to the Diocese of Basel, whereas the cantons of Obwalden
and Nidwalden
, parts of Uri
, Glarus
and Zürich
are provisorily administrated by the Diocese of Chur up to today.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from about 585 until 1821. Its seat was Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
at the western end of Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
in the south-west corner of Germany. The diocese covered, in present-day borders, a large part of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the largest part of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, and a small part of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Christianization
The historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...
of the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
tribes around Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
and the High Rhine
High Rhine
The High Rhine is the name used in Germany for the part of the Rhine River that flows westbound from Lake Constance to Basel.The High Rhine begins at the outflow of the Rhine from the Untersee in Stein am Rhein and turns into the Upper Rhine in Basel...
. About 585 the seat of the Bishop of Vindonissa
Vindonissa
Vindonissa was a Roman legion camp at modern Windisch, Switzerland. It was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added....
in the Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
was moved to the former Roman castrum
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
of Constance. The Bishops of Constance originally were subordinate to the Archdiocese of Besançon, since 782 they were subordinate to the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
. The area of the Constance diocese within the Duchy of Swabia
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
stretched from the Gotthard Pass in the south to the Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
region in the north, then the largest of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
From the 12th century until 1803 the Prince-Bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
ric of Constance was an ecclesiastical Imperial State
Imperial State
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.Rulers of Imperial States were...
, confirmed by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
in a 1155 deed, though its territory was diminuished with the rise of the Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
and the House of Habsburg. During the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
the bishops were also the political ruler of Konstanz, however towards the end of the 12th century their power was reduced to a small zone around the Cathedral as Konstanz made efforts to gain the status of a Free imperial city
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
. Numerous bishops hence fell into conflict with the citizens and in 1527, during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, the administrative seat of the Prince-Bishop was finally moved to nearby Meersburg
Meersburg
Meersburg is a town of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany at Lake Constance.It is famous for its charming medieval city. The lower town and upper town are reserved for pedestrians only and connected by two stairways and a steep street .-History:The name of the town means "Burg on the...
. However Konstanz fell to the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
induced by the Habsburgs, who finally incorporated the city into their Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
n possessions in 1548.
In the course of the German Mediatisation
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
in 1803, the Prince-Bishopric was dissolved as a state and became part of the Margraviate of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
. The diocese was finally dissolved by Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
in 1821, after disobedient Vicar general Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenberg
Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenberg
Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenberg was a German writer and scholar, and liberal Catholic churchman as well as Vicar general and administrator of the Diocese of Constance...
had been elected diocesan administrator upon the death of the last bishop Karl Theodor von Dalberg
Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg
Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg was Archbishop-Elector of Mainz, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince of Regensburg, primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and Grand-Duke of Frankfurt.-Biography:...
in 1817. While Wessenberg was supported by the government of the Grand Duchy of Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
, the Pope never recognized his election. The Pope disagreed with Wessenberg's liberal views, and by a bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of 16 August 1821 dissolved the diocese in order to prevent Wessenberg from becoming bishop. The area of the diocese in Baden became part of the newly established Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg in 1827 and the Swiss lands fell to the Diocese of Basel, whereas the cantons of Obwalden
Obwalden
Obwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 33,997 of which 4,043 are foreigners. Its capital is Sarnen. The canton contains the geographical centre of Switzerland.-History:...
and Nidwalden
Nidwalden
Nidwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 40,287 of which 4,046 are foreigners. The capital is Stans.-History:...
, parts of Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
, Glarus
Canton of Glarus
The Canton of Glarus is a canton in east central Switzerland. The capital is Glarus.The population speaks a variety of Alemannic German.The majority of the population identifies as Christian, about evenly split between the Protestant and Catholic confessions.-History:According to legend, the...
and Zürich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
are provisorily administrated by the Diocese of Chur up to today.
Famous bishops
- Solomon ISolomon I, Bishop of ConstanceSolomon I was the Bishop of Constance from an unknown date between 835 and 847 until his death. He was the first of an "episcopal dynasty" which ruled Constance until 919 and briefly held the Diocese of Freising from 884 until 906 and that of Chur from 913 until 949.In 847, his diocese was the...
(835-871) - Gebhard I von Wetterau, von Tegerfelden (873-875)
- Solomon IISolomon II, Bishop of ConstanceSolomon II was the Bishop of Constance from 875 until his death. He was a relative of his predecessor and namesake Solomon I and stood in the middle of an "episcopal dynasty." He was commended for his life when the Annales Fuldenses record his death. He was succeeded by his own namesake and...
(875-889) - Solomon IIISolomon III, Bishop of ConstanceSolomon III was the Bishop of Constance from 890 to his death. In 885, the Emperor Charles III made him archchancellor of the Empire, for Konstanz was then the greatest diocese in Swabia, which had been Charles' original kingdom and was still his home most of the time...
(890-919) - Conrad IConrad of Constance-Life:Conrad was a member of the powerful Welf family, son of Count Heinrich of Altdorf. After an education at the cathedral school in Constance, he became provost of Constance Cathedral and in 934 was made Bishop of Constance....
(934-975) - St GebhardGebhard of ConstanceSaint Gebhard was a bishop of Constance from 979 until 995. He founded the Benedictine abbey of Petershausen in 983.-External links:*...
(979-995) - Gebhard IIIGebhard (III) of ConstanceGebhard III was Bishop of Constance and defender of papal rights against imperial encroachments during the Investiture Controversy.He was a son of Berthold II, Duke of Carinthia, and a brother of Berthold II, Duke of Swabia...
(1084-c.1106) - Konrad von Tegerfelden (1208-1233)
- Hugo von HohenlandenbergHugo von HohenlandenbergHugo von Hohenlandenberg was Bishop of Konstanz from 1496 to 1529, and again in 1530 and 1531 until his death in 1532.-Biography:...
(1496-1532) - Johann von Lupfen (1532-1537)
- Johann von Weeze (1537-1548)
- Christoph Metzler (1549-1561)
- Mark Sittich von Hohenems (1561-1589)
- Andreas von Österreich (1589-1600)
- Johann Georg von Hallwyl (1601-1604)
- Jakob Fugger (1604-1626)
- Werner von Praßberg (1626-1627)
- Johann von Waldburg (1627-1639)
- Johann Franz I. von Praßberg und Altensummerau (1645-1689)
- Marquard Rudolf von Rodt (1689-1704)
- Johann Franz Schenk von StauffenbergJohann Franz Schenk von StauffenbergJohann Franz Schenk von Stauffenberg was Prince-Bishop of Constance from 1704 to 1740 and Prince-Bishop of Augsburg from 1737 to 1740.-Biography:...
(1704-1740) - Hugo Damian von Schönborn (1740-1743)
- Kasimir Anton von Sickingen (1743-1750)
- Franz Konrad von Rodt (1750-1775)
- Maximilian Christof von Rodt (1775-1799)
- Karl Theodor von DahlbergKarl Theodor Anton Maria von DalbergKarl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg was Archbishop-Elector of Mainz, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince of Regensburg, primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and Grand-Duke of Frankfurt.-Biography:...
(1799-1817)
External links
- :de:Liste der Bischöfe von Konstanz - complete list of bishops