Bishop of Brandenburg
Encyclopedia
The Bishopric of Brandenburg was a Roman Catholic diocese
established by Otto the Great in 948, including the territory between the Elbe
on the west, the Oder
on the east, and the Schwarze Elster
on the south, and taking in the Uckermark
to the north. Its seat was Brandenburg upon Havel. It was a state of the Holy Roman Empire
for some time, probably starting at 1161/1165, but never managed to gain control over a significant territory, being overshadowed by the Margraviate of Brandenburg
, which was originally seated in the same city. Chapter and cathedral, surrounded by further ecclesiastical institutions, were located on Dominsel (cathedral island), which formed a prince-episcopal immunity
district, distinct from the city of Brandenburg. Only in 1929 the - meanwhile former - immunity district was incorporated into the city itself.
The diocese was originally a suffragan of Mainz
, but in 968 it came under the archiepiscopal jurisdiction of Magdeburg
. The Lutician uprising of 983
practically annihilated it; bishops continued to be named, but they were merely titular, until the downfall of the Wends
in the twelfth century and the German eastward settlement
in the diocesan region revived the bishopric.
Bishop Wigers (1138–60) was the first of a series of bishops of the Premonstratensian Order, which chose the occupants of the see
until 1447; in that year a bull of Nicholas V
gave the right of nomination to the elector of Brandenburg, with whom the bishops stood in a close feudal relation.
As rulers of imperial immediacy, regnant in a, however, dispersed territory partitioned into the four bailiwicks of Brandenburg/Havel, Ketzin
, Teltow
and Ziesar
, the prince-bishops resided in their fortress in Ziesar. The last actual bishop was Matthias von Jagow
(d. 1544), who took the side of the Reformation
, married, and in every way furthered the undertakings of Elector Joachim II
.
There were two more nominal bishops, but on the petition of the latter of these, the electoral prince John George
, the secularisation of the bishopric was undertaken and finally accomplished, in spite of legal proceedings to reassert the imperial immediacy of the prince-bishopric within the Empire
and so to likewise preserve the diocese, which dragged on into the seventeenth century.
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...
established by Otto the Great in 948, including the territory between the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
on the west, the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
on the east, and the Schwarze Elster
Schwarze Elster
The Black Elster or Schwarze Elster is a 179 km long river in eastern Germany, in the states Saxony, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, right tributary of the Elbe. Its source is in the Upper Lusatia region, near Elstra....
on the south, and taking in the Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
to the north. Its seat was Brandenburg upon Havel. It was a state 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...
for some time, probably starting at 1161/1165, but never managed to gain control over a significant territory, being overshadowed by the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
, which was originally seated in the same city. Chapter and cathedral, surrounded by further ecclesiastical institutions, were located on Dominsel (cathedral island), which formed a prince-episcopal immunity
Sovereign immunity
Sovereign immunity, or crown immunity, is a legal doctrine by which the sovereign or state cannot commit a legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution....
district, distinct from the city of Brandenburg. Only in 1929 the - meanwhile former - immunity district was incorporated into the city itself.
History
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...
, but in 968 it came under the archiepiscopal jurisdiction of Magdeburg
Archbishopric of Magdeburg
The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese and Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River....
. The Lutician uprising of 983
Lutici
The Lutici were a federation of West Slavic Polabian tribes, who between the 10th and 12th centuries lived in what is now northeastern Germany. Four tribes made up the core of the federation: the Redarians , Circipanians , Kessinians and Tollensians...
practically annihilated it; bishops continued to be named, but they were merely titular, until the downfall of the Wends
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
in the twelfth century and the German eastward settlement
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
in the diocesan region revived the bishopric.
Bishop Wigers (1138–60) was the first of a series of bishops of the Premonstratensian Order, which chose the occupants of the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
until 1447; in that year a bull of Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician...
gave the right of nomination to the elector of Brandenburg, with whom the bishops stood in a close feudal relation.
As rulers of imperial immediacy, regnant in a, however, dispersed territory partitioned into the four bailiwicks of Brandenburg/Havel, Ketzin
Ketzin
Ketzin is a town in the Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Havel, 17 km northwest of Potsdam, and 40 km west of Berlin.-Geography:...
, Teltow
Teltow
Teltow is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany.-Geography:Teltow is part of the agglomeration of Berlin. The distance to the Berlin city centre is , while the distance to Potsdam is ....
and Ziesar
Ziesar
Ziesar is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km southwest of the town of Brandenburg....
, the prince-bishops resided in their fortress in Ziesar. The last actual bishop was Matthias von Jagow
Matthias von Jagow
Matthias von Jagow was a Bishop of Brandenburg and reformer in Brandenburg.- Life and work :He was a member of the old noble von Jagow family from the Altmark. He studied theology and law and was for a while, Dean of the nunnery at Spandau...
(d. 1544), who took the side of the 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...
, married, and in every way furthered the undertakings of Elector Joachim II
Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg
Joachim II Hector was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg . A member of the House of Hohenzollern, Joachim II was the son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg, and his wife Elizabeth of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden...
.
There were two more nominal bishops, but on the petition of the latter of these, the electoral prince John George
John George, Elector of Brandenburg
John George of Brandenburg was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and a Duke of Prussia...
, the secularisation of the bishopric was undertaken and finally accomplished, in spite of legal proceedings to reassert the imperial immediacy of the prince-bishopric within the 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...
and so to likewise preserve the diocese, which dragged on into the seventeenth century.
Bishops of Brandenburg
- 949–968: Dietmar
- 968–980: Dodilo
- 980–1004: Volkmar
- 992–1018: Wigo
- 1022–1032: Luizo
- 1032-1048: Rudolf
- 1048–1051: Dankwart
- 1068–1080: Dietrich I
- 1080–1092: Volkmar II
- 1100–1122: Hartbert
- 1124–1137: Ludolf
- 1137–1138: Landbert
- 1138–1160: Wiggar
- 1160–1173: Wilman
- 1173–1179: Sigfried ISiegfried, Count of AnhaltSiegfried of Anhalt was born as the third son of Sophie of Winzenburg and her husband Albert the Bear, then Count of Anhalt, of the House of Ascania. He was educated as a Roman Catholic clerk. In 1168 he was elected Archbishop of Bremen, but failed to gain control of the See...
- 1179–1190: Baldran
- 1190–1192: Alexius
- 1192–1205: Norbert
- 1205–1216: Baldwin
- 1216–1220: Siegfried II
- 1221–1222: Ludolf von Schanebeck, claimant, but not enthroned
- 1221–1222: Wichmann von Arnstein, counter-claimant, also not enthroned
- 1222–1241: Gernot
- 1241–1251: Rutger of AmmendorfVon Ammendorf Family----The von Ammendorf family, now extinct, was a family of Brandenburg nobility from which the von Blumenthal and von Grabow families originated.- History :...
- 1251–1261: Otto von Mehringen
- 1261–1278: Heinrich I von Osthenen (or Ostheeren)
- 1278–1287: Gebhard
- 1287–1290: Heidenreich
- 1290–1291: Richard, refused the appointment
- 1291–1296: Dietrich, not enthroned
- 1296–1302: Vollrad von Krempa
- 1303–1316: Friedrich of Plötzkau
- 1316–1324: Johann I von Tuchen
- 1324–1327: Heinrich II Count of BarbyBarby, GermanyBarby is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe river, near the confluence with the Saale, approx. southeast of Magdeburg...
, not enthroned - 1327–1347: Ludwig Schenk von Reindorf (or Neuendorf)
- 1347–1365: Dietrich II Kothe
- 1366–1393: Dietrich III von der Schulenburg
- 1393–1406: Heinrich III von Bodendiek (or Bodendieck)
- 1406–1414: Henning von Bredow
- 1414: Friedrich von Grafeneck, Prince-Bishop of AugsburgPrince-Bishopric of AugsburgThe Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg was one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, which belonged to the Swabian Circle.-Early period:...
- 1415–1420: Johann von Waldow, Bishop of LebusBishopric of LebusThe Bishopric of Lebus was a Roman Catholic diocese and later an ecclesiastical territory of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed from 1125 until 1598...
- 1420: Friedrich von Grafeneck, again
- 1421–1459: Stephan BodeckerStephan BodeckerStephan Bodecker was the 37th Bishop of Brandenburg and a Christian Hebraist. He is known as the most important of all bishops of Brandenburg....
- 1459–1472: Dietrich IV von Stechow
- 1472–1485: Arnold von Burgsdorff
- 1485–1507: Joachim I von Bredow
- 1507–1520: Hieronymus Schulz (or Scultetus), later Bishop of HavelbergBishopric of HavelbergThe Bishopric of Havelberg was a Roman Catholic diocese founded by King Otto I, King of the Germans, in 946. The diocese was suffragan to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Its most famous bishop was Anselm of Havelberg. Its seat was in Havelberg in the Northern March and it roughly covered the...
- 1520–1526: Dietrich V von Hardenberg, Lutheran
- 1526–1544: Matthias von Jagow, Lutheran
- 1544–1546: Sede vacanteSede vacanteSede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
- 1546–1560: Joachim II of Münsterberg-OelsJoachim of Münsterberg-OelsJoachim of Münsterberg was a Duke of Münsterberg and from 1536 to 1542 also Duke of Oels...
- 1560-1569/71: John George, Elector of BrandenburgJohn George, Elector of BrandenburgJohn George of Brandenburg was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and a Duke of Prussia...
, RegentRegentA regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
(Verweser) - 1569/71: Joachim Frederick, Elector of BrandenburgJoachim Frederick, Elector of BrandenburgJoachim III Frederick , of the House of Hohenzollern, was Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1598 until his death.-Biography:...