Franz Georg von Schönborn (15 June 1682 – 18 January 1756) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1729 until 1756, and the Prince-Bishop of Worms

Bishopric of Worms

The Bishopric of Worms was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Located on both banks of the Rhine around Worms just north of the union of that river with the Neckar, it was largely surrounded by the Palatinate. Worms had been the seat of a bishop from Roman times...

 and Prince-Provost of Ellwangen from 1732 until 1756.

Biography

Franz Georg was born in Mainz

Mainz

Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...

, the ninth son of the Count of Schönborn

Schönborn

- Places :* Schönborn, Brandenburg, in the Elbe-Elster district, Brandenburg* Bad Schönborn, in the district of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg* Schönborn, Rhein-Hunsrück, in the Rhein-Hunsrück district, Rhineland-Palatinate...

 and the nephew of Lothar Franz von Schönborn

Lothar Franz von Schönborn

Lothar Franz von Schönborn was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1694 until 1729, and the Bishop of Bamberg from 1693 until 1729.Lothar Franz was born in Steinheim am Main in 1655 to Count Philip Erwin of Schönborn...

, the Archbishop-Elector 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...

. Franz Georg's brothers were Johann Philipp Franz, Friedrich Karl and Hugo Damian, all three important churchmen. Beginning in 1702 he studied law, philosophy, theology, geography, history, and language at Salzburg

Salzburg

-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...

, Siena

Siena

Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...

, and Leiden. After completing his studies he travelled to the Vatican

Vatican City

Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 and England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Through the influence of his uncle, Franz Georg gained valuable contacts in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor

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...

 in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

. After his uncle died in 1729 and Franz Ludwig, Archbishop-Elector of Trier

Trier

Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....

 succeeded him vacating his own see, Franz Georg was unanimously elected the new Archbishop of Trier and thus appointed Prince-Elector of Trier. Owing to the protection of the Papacy in 1732 he was also elected the Prince-Bishop of Worms

Worms, Germany

Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...

 and the Prince-Provost

Prince-Provost

Prince-Provost is a rare title for a monastic superior with the ecclesiastical style of provost who is a Prince of the Church in the sense that he also ranks as a secular 'prince' , notably a Reichsfürst of the Holy Roman Empire, holding a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly coequal to an actual...

 of Ellwangen Abbey

Ellwangen Abbey

Ellwangen Abbey was the earliest Benedictine monastery established in the Duchy of Swabia, at the present-day town of Ellwangen an der Jagst, Baden-Württemberg about 100 km north-east of Stuttgart.-Imperial abbey:...

.

Politically Franz Georg sided with the House of Habsburg, and through it the Archbishopric-Electorate of Trier became involved in the great conflicts of the day. In the second half of his reign, Franz Georg retired from active involvement in politics, and focused on administration and construction projects. From 1737 until 1753 he constructed a Baroque

Baroque

The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 residence in Ellwangen

Ellwangen

Ellwangen an der Jagst, officially Ellwangen , in common use simply Ellwangen is a town in the district of Ostalbkreis in the east of Baden-Württemberg in Germany...

. Beginning in 1739 he began the extension of the Philippsburg of Ehrenbreitstein

Ehrenbreitstein

Ehrenbreitstein may refer to:, a district of Koblenz* Ehrenbreitstein Fortress * Ehrenbreitstein , the hill on which the fortress stands on the east bank of the Rhine...

 in Coblenz. He also constructed a new summer residence. Despite being pious, Franz Georg worked hard to increase the level of education amongst the populace. He outlawed several pilgrimages, holidays and exorcisms. Towards the end of his life Franz Georg's power declined with that of his families. He died in Philippsburg in 1756 and was buried in the Cathedral of Trier

Cathedral of Trier

The Cathedral of Saint Peter is a church in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the oldest cathedral in the country. The edifice is notable for its extremely long life span under multiple different eras each contributing some elements to its design, including the center of the main chapel...

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