Bishop of Passau
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Passau is a diocese
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Germany
. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of München und Freising. The diocese covers an area of 5,442 km². The current bishop is Wilhelm Schraml.
and the Danube
, Christianity found a foothold in the third century, during a period of Roman domination, and a Bishop of Lorch certainly existed in the fourth. During the great migrations, Christianity on the Danube was completely rooted out, and the Celtic and Roman population was annihilated or enslaved.
In the region between the Lech River
and the Enns, the wandering Bajuvari were converted to Christianity in the seventh century, while the Avari
, to the east, remained pagan. The ecclesiastical organization of Bavaria was brought about by St. Boniface, who, with the support of Duke Odilo, erected the four sees of Freising, Ratisbon, Passau, and Salzburg. He confirmed as incumbent of Passau, Bishop Vivilo, or Vivolus, who had been ordained by Pope Gregory III
, and who was for a long time the only bishop in Bavaria. Thenceforth, Vivilo resided permanently at Passau
, on the site of the old Roman colony of Batavis. Here was a church, the founder of which is not known, dedicated to St. Stephen. To Bishop Vivilo's diocese was annexed the ancient Lorch, which meanwhile had become a small and unimportant place. By the duke's generosity, a cathedral was soon erected near the Church of St. Stephen, and here the bishop lived in common with his clergy.
The boundaries of the diocese extended westwards to the Isar River, and eastwards to the Enns. In ecclesiastical affairs Passau was probably, from the beginning, suffragan to Salzburg. Through the favour of Dukes Odilo and Tassilo
, the bishopric received many gifts, and several monasteries arose — e.g. Niederaltaich Abbey
, Niedernburg Abbey, Mattsee Abbey, Kremsmünster Abbey
— which were richly endowed. Under Bishop Waltreich (774-804), after the conquest of the Avari, who had assisted the rebellious Duke Tassilo, the district between the Enns and the Raab River was added to the diocese, which thus included the whole eastern part (Ostmark
) of Southern Bavaria and part of what is now Hungary
. The first missionaries to the pagan Hungarians went out from Passau, and in 866 the Church sent missionaries to Bulgaria
.
Passau, the outermost eastern bulwark of the Germans, suffered most from the incursions of the Hungarians. At that time many churches and monasteries were destroyed. When, after the victory the battle of Lech, the Germans pressed forward and regained the old Ostmark, Bishop Adalbert (946-971) hoped to extend his spiritual jurisdiction over Hungary. His successor Piligrim
(971-91), who worked successfully for the Christianization of Pannonia
, aspired to free Passau from the metropolitan authority of Salzburg, but was completely frustrated in this, as well as in his attempt to assert the metropolitan claims which Passau was supposed to have inherited from Lorch, and to include all Hungary in his diocese. By founding many monasteries in his diocese he prepared the way for the princely power of later bishops. He also built many new churches and restored others from ruins. His successor, Christian (991-1002) received in 999 from Emperor Otto III the market privilege and the rights of coinage, taxation, and higher and lower jurisdiction. Emperor Henry II granted him a large part of the North Forest. Henceforward, indeed, the bishops ruled as princes of the empire, although the title was used for the first time only in a document in 1193. Under Berengar (1013–45) the whole district east of the Viennese forest as far as Letha
and March was placed under the jurisdiction of Passau. During his time the cathedral chapter made its appearance, but there is little information concerning its beginning as a distinct corporation with the right of electing a bishop. This right was much hampered by the exercise of imperial influence.
At the beginning of the Investiture Controversy
, St. Altmann occupied the see (1065–91) and was one of the few German bishops who adhered to Pope Gregory VII
. Ulrich I, Count of Höfft (1092–1121), who was for a time driven from his see by Emperor Henry IV, furthered monastic reforms and the Crusades. Reginmar (1121–38), Reginbert, Count of Hegenau (1136–47) who took part in the crusade of Conrad III, and Conrad of Austria (1149–64), a brother of Bishop Otto of Freising
, were all much interested in the foundation of new monasteries and the reform for those already existing. Ulrich, Count of Andechs(1215–21), was formally recognized as a prince of the empire at the Reichstag of Nuremberg in 1217. The reforms which were begun by Gebhard von Plaien (1221–32) and Rüdiger von Rodeck (1233–1250) found a zealous promoter in Otto von Lonsdorf (1254–65), one of the greatest bishops of Passau. He took stringent measures against the relaxed monasteries, introduced the Franciscans and Dominicans
into his diocese, promoted the arts and sciences, and collected the old documents which had survived the storms of the preceding period, so that to him we owe almost all our knowledge of the early history of Passau. (See Schmidt, "Otto von Lonsdorf, Bischof zu Passau", Würzburg, 1903.) Bishop Peter, formerly Canon of Breslau, contributed to the House of Habsburg by bestowing episcopal fiefs on the sons of King Rudolph.
Under Bernhard of Brambach (1285–1313) began the struggles of Passau to become a free imperial city. After an uprising in May, 1298, the bishop granted the burghers, in the municipal ordinance of 1299, privileges in conformity with what was called the Bernhardine Charter. The cathedral having been burned down in 1281, he built a new cathedral which lasted until 1662. Albert III von Winkel (1363–80) was particularly active in the struggle with the burghers and in resisting the robber-knights. The Black Death
visited the bishopric under Gottfried II von Weitzenbeck (1342–62). George I von Hohenlohe (1388–1421), who, after 1418, was imperial chancellor, energetically opposed the Hussites. During the time of Ulrich III von Nussdorf (1451–79) the diocese suffered its first great curtailment by the formation of the new Diocese of Vienna (1468). This diocese was afterwards further enlarged at the expense of Passau by Pope Sixtus IV
. Towards the close of the fifteenth century the conflict between an Austrian candidate for the see and a Bavarian brought about a state of war in the diocese.
The Protestant Reformation
was kept out of all the Bavarian part of the diocese, except the Countship of Ortenburg, by the efforts of Ernest of Bavaria
who, though never consecrated, ruled the diocese from 1517 to 1541. Lutheranism found many adherents, however, in the Austrian portion. Wolfgang I Count of Salm (1540–55) and Urban von Trennbach (1561–98) led the counter-Reformation
. Under Wolfgang the Peace of Passau
was concluded, in the summer of 1552. The last Bavarian prince-bishop was Urban, who in his struggles during the Reformation received substantial aid for the Austrian part of the diocese from Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
, and, after 1576, from Emperor Rudolph II. All the successors of Urban were Austrians. Bishop Leopold I (1598–1625) (also Bishop of Strasburg after 1607) was one of the first to enter the Catholic League of 1609. In the Thirty Years' War
he was loyal to his brother, Emperor Ferdinand II. Leopold II Wilhelm
(1625–62), son of Ferdinand II, a pious prince and a great benefactor of the City of Passau, especially after the great conflagration of 1662, finally united five bishoprics.
The Bishop-Prince Wenzelaus von Thun (1664–73) began the new cathedral which was completed thirty years later by his successor Cardinal John Philip von Lamberg. The Cardinal-Prince and his nephew, also Cardinal-Prince Joseph Dominicus von Lamberg, some time later successor to his uncle (1723–62), both became cardinals. They were brother and son to Franz Joseph I, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg, and both front-line diplomats for the Austrian court.
When Vienna was raised to an archdiocese in 1722, he relinquished the parishes beyond the Viennese Forest, hence was exempted from the metropolitan authority of Salzburg, and obtained the pallium for himself and his successors. Leopold Ernst, Count of Firmian (1763–83), created cardinal in 1772, established an institute of theology at Passau and, after the suppression of the Jesuits
, founded a lyceum. Under Joseph, Count of Auersperg (1783–95), Emperor Joseph II took away two-thirds of the diocese to form the diocese of Linz and diocese of St. Pölten. The last prince-bishop, Leopold von Thun (1796–1826), saw the secularization of the old bishopric in 1803; the City of Passau and the temporalities on the left bank of the Inn River
and the right bank of the Ilz River went to Bavaria, while the territory on the left banks of the Danube and of the Ilz went to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
and afterwards to Austria. On 22 February 1803, when the Bavarians marched into Passau, the prince-bishop withdrew to his estates in Bohemia
, and never revisited his former residence.
By the Concordat of 1818, the diocese was given new boundaries. After the death of the last prince-bishop, Passau's exemption from metropolitan power ceased, and the diocese became suffragan of Munich-Freising.
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 Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of München und Freising. The diocese covers an area of 5,442 km². The current bishop is Wilhelm Schraml.
History
The Diocese of Passau may be considered the successor of the ancient Diocese of Lorch (Laureacum). At Lorch, a Roman station and an important stronghold at the junction of the Enns RiverEnns River
The Enns is a southern tributary of the Danube River, joining northward at Enns, Austria. The Enns River spans , in a flat-J-shape. It flows from its source near the towns of Gasthofalm and Flachau, generally eastward through Radstadt, Schladming, and Liezen, then turns north near Hieflau, to flow...
and the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, Christianity found a foothold in the third century, during a period of Roman domination, and a Bishop of Lorch certainly existed in the fourth. During the great migrations, Christianity on the Danube was completely rooted out, and the Celtic and Roman population was annihilated or enslaved.
In the region between the Lech River
Lech River
The Lech is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube in length with a drainage basin of .Its source is located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, where the river rises from lake Formarinsee in the Alps at an altitude of...
and the Enns, the wandering Bajuvari were converted to Christianity in the seventh century, while the Avari
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
, to the east, remained pagan. The ecclesiastical organization of Bavaria was brought about by St. Boniface, who, with the support of Duke Odilo, erected the four sees of Freising, Ratisbon, Passau, and Salzburg. He confirmed as incumbent of Passau, Bishop Vivilo, or Vivolus, who had been ordained by Pope Gregory III
Pope Gregory III
Pope Saint Gregory III was pope from 731 to 741. A Syrian by birth, he succeeded Gregory II in March 731. His pontificate, like that of his predecessor, was disturbed by the iconoclastic controversy in the Byzantine Empire, in which he vainly invoked the intervention of Charles Martel.Elected by...
, and who was for a long time the only bishop in Bavaria. Thenceforth, Vivilo resided permanently at Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
, on the site of the old Roman colony of Batavis. Here was a church, the founder of which is not known, dedicated to St. Stephen. To Bishop Vivilo's diocese was annexed the ancient Lorch, which meanwhile had become a small and unimportant place. By the duke's generosity, a cathedral was soon erected near the Church of St. Stephen, and here the bishop lived in common with his clergy.
The boundaries of the diocese extended westwards to the Isar River, and eastwards to the Enns. In ecclesiastical affairs Passau was probably, from the beginning, suffragan to Salzburg. Through the favour of Dukes Odilo and Tassilo
Tassilo
Tassilo – also spelled Thassilo – is a male name of westgerman origin. It is the diminutive form of the name Tasso/Tazzo.Tasso/Tazzo itself is the diminutive form of Taginbert, which is of westgerman origin and means "glittering as the day"...
, the bishopric received many gifts, and several monasteries arose — e.g. Niederaltaich Abbey
Niederaltaich Abbey
Niederaltaich Abbey or Niederaltaich Monastery is a house of the Benedictine Order founded in 731 , situated in the village of Niederalteich on the Danube in Bavaria....
, Niedernburg Abbey, Mattsee Abbey, Kremsmünster Abbey
Kremsmünster Abbey
Kremsmünster Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Kremsmünster in Upper Austria.-History:The monastery was founded in 777 by Tassilo III, Duke of Bavaria...
— which were richly endowed. Under Bishop Waltreich (774-804), after the conquest of the Avari, who had assisted the rebellious Duke Tassilo, the district between the Enns and the Raab River was added to the diocese, which thus included the whole eastern part (Ostmark
March of Austria
The March of Austria was created in 976 out of the territory that probably formed the earlier March of Pannonia. It is also called the Margraviate of Austria or the Bavarian Eastern March. In contemporary Latin, it was the marchia Austriae, Austrie marchionibus, or the marcha Orientalis...
) of Southern Bavaria and part of what is now Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The first missionaries to the pagan Hungarians went out from Passau, and in 866 the Church sent missionaries to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
Passau, the outermost eastern bulwark of the Germans, suffered most from the incursions of the Hungarians. At that time many churches and monasteries were destroyed. When, after the victory the battle of Lech, the Germans pressed forward and regained the old Ostmark, Bishop Adalbert (946-971) hoped to extend his spiritual jurisdiction over Hungary. His successor Piligrim
Piligrim
Piligrim was Bishop of Passau. Piligrim was ambitious, but also concerned with the Christianization of Hungary....
(971-91), who worked successfully for the Christianization of Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
, aspired to free Passau from the metropolitan authority of Salzburg, but was completely frustrated in this, as well as in his attempt to assert the metropolitan claims which Passau was supposed to have inherited from Lorch, and to include all Hungary in his diocese. By founding many monasteries in his diocese he prepared the way for the princely power of later bishops. He also built many new churches and restored others from ruins. His successor, Christian (991-1002) received in 999 from Emperor Otto III the market privilege and the rights of coinage, taxation, and higher and lower jurisdiction. Emperor Henry II granted him a large part of the North Forest. Henceforward, indeed, the bishops ruled as princes of the empire, although the title was used for the first time only in a document in 1193. Under Berengar (1013–45) the whole district east of the Viennese forest as far as Letha
Letha
Letha is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe and former member of the female villain team, the Grapplers.-Publication history:...
and March was placed under the jurisdiction of Passau. During his time the cathedral chapter made its appearance, but there is little information concerning its beginning as a distinct corporation with the right of electing a bishop. This right was much hampered by the exercise of imperial influence.
At the beginning of the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
, St. Altmann occupied the see (1065–91) and was one of the few German bishops who adhered to Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
. Ulrich I, Count of Höfft (1092–1121), who was for a time driven from his see by Emperor Henry IV, furthered monastic reforms and the Crusades. Reginmar (1121–38), Reginbert, Count of Hegenau (1136–47) who took part in the crusade of Conrad III, and Conrad of Austria (1149–64), a brother of Bishop Otto of Freising
Otto of Freising
Otto von Freising was a German bishop and chronicler.-Life:He was the fifth son of Leopold III, margrave of Austria, by his wife Agnes, daughter of the emperor Henry IV...
, were all much interested in the foundation of new monasteries and the reform for those already existing. Ulrich, Count of Andechs(1215–21), was formally recognized as a prince of the empire at the Reichstag of Nuremberg in 1217. The reforms which were begun by Gebhard von Plaien (1221–32) and Rüdiger von Rodeck (1233–1250) found a zealous promoter in Otto von Lonsdorf (1254–65), one of the greatest bishops of Passau. He took stringent measures against the relaxed monasteries, introduced the Franciscans and Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
into his diocese, promoted the arts and sciences, and collected the old documents which had survived the storms of the preceding period, so that to him we owe almost all our knowledge of the early history of Passau. (See Schmidt, "Otto von Lonsdorf, Bischof zu Passau", Würzburg, 1903.) Bishop Peter, formerly Canon of Breslau, contributed to the House of Habsburg by bestowing episcopal fiefs on the sons of King Rudolph.
Under Bernhard of Brambach (1285–1313) began the struggles of Passau to become a free imperial city. After an uprising in May, 1298, the bishop granted the burghers, in the municipal ordinance of 1299, privileges in conformity with what was called the Bernhardine Charter. The cathedral having been burned down in 1281, he built a new cathedral which lasted until 1662. Albert III von Winkel (1363–80) was particularly active in the struggle with the burghers and in resisting the robber-knights. The Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
visited the bishopric under Gottfried II von Weitzenbeck (1342–62). George I von Hohenlohe (1388–1421), who, after 1418, was imperial chancellor, energetically opposed the Hussites. During the time of Ulrich III von Nussdorf (1451–79) the diocese suffered its first great curtailment by the formation of the new Diocese of Vienna (1468). This diocese was afterwards further enlarged at the expense of Passau by Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
. Towards the close of the fifteenth century the conflict between an Austrian candidate for the see and a Bavarian brought about a state of war in the diocese.
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...
was kept out of all the Bavarian part of the diocese, except the Countship of Ortenburg, by the efforts of Ernest of Bavaria
Ernest of Bavaria
Ernest of Bavaria was Prince-elector-archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne from 1583 to 1612 as successor of the expelled Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg. He was also bishop of Münster, Hildesheim, Freising and Liège....
who, though never consecrated, ruled the diocese from 1517 to 1541. Lutheranism found many adherents, however, in the Austrian portion. Wolfgang I Count of Salm (1540–55) and Urban von Trennbach (1561–98) led 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...
. Under Wolfgang the Peace of Passau
Peace of Passau
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had won a victory against Protestantism in the Schmalkaldic War of 1547. Many Protestant princes were unhappy with the religious terms of the Augsburg Interim imposed after this victory. In January 1552, led by Maurice of Saxony, many formed an alliance with Henry II of...
was concluded, in the summer of 1552. The last Bavarian prince-bishop was Urban, who in his struggles during the Reformation received substantial aid for the Austrian part of the diocese from Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
Albert V was Duke of Bavaria from 1550 until his death. He was born in Munich to William IV and Marie Jacobaea of Baden.-Early life:Albert was educated at Ingolstadt under good Catholic teachers...
, and, after 1576, from Emperor Rudolph II. All the successors of Urban were Austrians. Bishop Leopold I (1598–1625) (also Bishop of Strasburg after 1607) was one of the first to enter the Catholic League of 1609. In the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
he was loyal to his brother, Emperor Ferdinand II. Leopold II Wilhelm
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria was an Austrian military commander, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1647 to 1656, and a patron of the arts.-Biography:...
(1625–62), son of Ferdinand II, a pious prince and a great benefactor of the City of Passau, especially after the great conflagration of 1662, finally united five bishoprics.
The Bishop-Prince Wenzelaus von Thun (1664–73) began the new cathedral which was completed thirty years later by his successor Cardinal John Philip von Lamberg. The Cardinal-Prince and his nephew, also Cardinal-Prince Joseph Dominicus von Lamberg, some time later successor to his uncle (1723–62), both became cardinals. They were brother and son to Franz Joseph I, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg, and both front-line diplomats for the Austrian court.
When Vienna was raised to an archdiocese in 1722, he relinquished the parishes beyond the Viennese Forest, hence was exempted from the metropolitan authority of Salzburg, and obtained the pallium for himself and his successors. Leopold Ernst, Count of Firmian (1763–83), created cardinal in 1772, established an institute of theology at Passau and, after the suppression of the Jesuits
Suppression of the Jesuits
The Suppression of the Jesuits in the Portuguese Empire, France, the Two Sicilies, Parma and the Spanish Empire by 1767 was a result of a series of political moves rather than a theological controversy. By the brief Dominus ac Redemptor Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus...
, founded a lyceum. Under Joseph, Count of Auersperg (1783–95), Emperor Joseph II took away two-thirds of the diocese to form the diocese of Linz and diocese of St. Pölten. The last prince-bishop, Leopold von Thun (1796–1826), saw the secularization of the old bishopric in 1803; the City of Passau and the temporalities on the left bank of the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
and the right bank of the Ilz River went to Bavaria, while the territory on the left banks of the Danube and of the Ilz went to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
and afterwards to Austria. On 22 February 1803, when the Bavarians marched into Passau, the prince-bishop withdrew to his estates in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, and never revisited his former residence.
By the Concordat of 1818, the diocese was given new boundaries. After the death of the last prince-bishop, Passau's exemption from metropolitan power ceased, and the diocese became suffragan of Munich-Freising.
Ordinaries
| № | Name | from | to | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valentin of Raetia | ? | 475 | ||
| Vivilo | 739 | ? | ||
| Beatus | ? | 753/754 | ||
| 1 | Sidonius | 753 | 756 | |
| Anthelm | ? | ? | ||
| 2 | Wisurich | 770 | 777 | |
| 3 | Waldrich | 777 | 804/805 | |
| 4 | Urolf | 804/805 | 806 | |
| 5 | Hatto | 806 | 817 | |
| 6 | Reginhar | 818 | 838 | |
| Vacancy | 838 | 840 | ||
| 7 | Hartwig | 840 | 866 | |
| 8 | Ermanrich | 866 | 874 | |
| 9 | Engelmar | 875 | 897 | |
| 10 | Wiching | 898 | 899 | |
| 11 | Richard | 899 | 902 | |
| 12 | Burkhard | 903 | 915 | |
| 13 | Gumpold | 915 | 932 | |
| 14 | Gerhard | 932 | 946 | |
| 15 | Adalbert | 946 | 970/971 | |
| 16 | Piligrim Piligrim Piligrim was Bishop of Passau. Piligrim was ambitious, but also concerned with the Christianization of Hungary.... |
971 | 991 | Sieghardinger |
| 17 | Christian | 991 | 1013 | First bishop with secular authority |
| 18 | Berengar | 1013 | 1045 | |
| 19 | Egilbert | 1045 | 1065 | Engelbert |
| 20 | Altmann | 1065 | 1091 | |
| 20a | Hermann of Eppenstein | 1085 | 1087 | counter-bishop of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century... |
| 21 | Ulrich | 1092 | 1121 | Ulrich I. |
| 22 | Reginmar | 1121 | 1138 | |
| 23 | Reginbert of Hagenau | 1138 | 1147/1148 | |
| 24 | Conrad I of Babenberg | 1148/1149 | 1164 | Son of Leopold III, Margrave of Austria Leopold III, Margrave of Austria Saint Leopold III was the Margrave of Austria in 1073–1136. He is the patron saint of Austria, of the city of Vienna, of Lower Austria, and, jointly with Saint Florian, of Upper Austria. His feast day is November 15.-Biography:... and Agnes von Waiblingen; also Archbishop of Salzburg (as Conrad II) |
| 25 | Rupert I | 1164 | 1165 | |
| Albo | 1165 | 1169 | vertrieben | |
| Henry I of Berg | 1169 | 1172 | resigned, later Bishop of Würzburg from 1191 until his death in 1197 | |
| 26 | Diepold of Berg | 1172 | 1190 | Theobald |
| 27 | Wolfger of Erla | 1191 | 1204 | |
| 28 | Poppo | 1204 | 1206 | Cathedral provost of Aquileia Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times... |
| 29 | Manegold of Berg Manegold of Berg Manegold of Berg was abbot of St. George's Abbey in the Black Forest, Kremsmünster Abbey and Tegernsee Abbey, and Bishop of Passau.... |
1206 | 1215 | |
| 30 | Ulrich II | 1215 | 1221 | |
| 31 | Gebhard I of Plain | 1222 | 1232 | |
| 32 | Rüdiger of Bergheim | 1233 | 1249 | Bishop of Chiemsee Bishopric of Chiemsee The Bishopric of Chiemsee was a Roman Catholic diocese based on the islands of the Chiemsee in Bavaria, Germany.-History of the Bishopric :... 1216–1233; excommunicated and deposed by Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:... |
| 33 | Konrad I, Duke of Silesia-Glogau Konrad I, Duke of Silesia-Glogau Konrad I of Głogów was Duke of Głogów from 1251 until his death.He was the fourth son of Henry II the Pious, Duke of Wroclaw, by his wife Anna, daughter of King Ottokar I of Bohemia.-Life:... |
1249 | 1249 | From 1248 to 1251 was, with his older brother Bolesław II the Bald, Piast duke of the Silesian duchies of Legnica Duchy of Legnica The Duchy of Legnica or Duchy of Liegnitz was one of the Duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Legnica in Lower Silesia.... and Jawor Duchy of Jawor Duchy of Jawor was one of the Duchies of Silesia, with a capital in Jawor. It was created in 1274 as a subdivision of the Duchy of Legnica in Lower Silesia under the rule of Henry V the Fat, the eldest son of Duke Bolesław II the Bald... ). Also duke of Głogów, again with his brother until his brother's death, and continued to rule there until his own in 1274. |
| 34 | Berthold of Pietengau | 1250 | 1254 | |
| 35 | Otto of Lonsdorf | 1254 | 1265 | |
| 36 | Wladislaw of Silesia | 1265 | 1265 | |
| 37 | Petrus, Bishop of Passau | 1265 | 1280 | Canon Canon (priest) A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule .... of Breslau |
| 38 | Wichard of Pohlheim | 1280 | 1282 | |
| 39 | Gottfried | 1282 | 1285 | Protonotary of Rudolf of Habsburg Rudolph I of Germany Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties... , German king |
| 40 | Bernhard of Prambach | 1285 | 1313 | |
| Vacancy due to disputed election | 1313 | 1317 | ||
| Albert II, Duke of Austria Albert II, Duke of Austria Albert II of Austria , known as the Wise or the Lame, was Duke of Austria.-Life:Albert II was born at Habsburg, the son of Albert I of Germany, Rex Romanorum, and Elisabeth of Tirol... |
1313 | 1313 | ||
| Gebhard II | 1313 | 1315 | ||
| 41 | Henri de la Tour-du-Pin | 1317 | 1319 | |
| 42 | Albert II of Saxe-Wittenberg | 1320 | 1342 | |
| 43 | Gottfried of Weißeneck | 1342 | 1362 | |
| 44 | Albert III of Winkel | 1363 | 1380 | |
| 45 | Johann of Scharffenberg | 1381 | 1387 | |
| 46 | Hermann Digni | 1387 | 1388 | |
| 47 | Rupert of Berg | 1388 | 1390 | |
| 48 | George of Hohenlohe | 1390 | 1423 | |
| 49 | Leonhard of Laiming | 1423/1424 | 1451 | |
| 50 | Ulrich of Nußdorf | 1451 | 1479 | |
| 51 | George Hessler | 1480 | 1482 | seit 1477 Kardinal |
| 52 | Friedrich Mauerkircher | 1482 | 1485 | |
| 53 | Frederick of Öttingen | 1485 | 1490 | |
| 54 | Christopher of Schachner | 1490 | 1500 | |
| 56 | Wiguleus Fröschl of Marzoll | 1500 | 1517 | |
| 57 | Ernest of Bavaria Ernest of Bavaria (1500–1560) Duke Ernest of Bavaria was Administrator of the dioceses of Passau and Salzburg and pledge Lord of Glatz.- Background and education :Ernest was a member of the Bavarian noble Wittelsbach family... |
1517 | 1541 | Administrator |
| 57 | Wolfgang of Salm | 1541 | 1555 | |
| 58 | Wolfgang of Closen | 1555 | 1561 | |
| 59 | Urban of Trennbach | 1561 | 1598 | |
| 60 | Leopold V, Archduke of Austria Leopold V, Archduke of Austria Leopold V, Archduke of Further Austria was the son of Archduke Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria, and the younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand II, father of Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria... |
1598 | 1625 | |
| 61 | Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria was an Austrian military commander, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1647 to 1656, and a patron of the arts.-Biography:... |
1625 | 1662 | |
| 62 | Archduke Charles Joseph of Austria Archduke Charles Joseph of Austria Charles Joseph was an Archduke of Austria and Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights . He was also the bishop of Olmütz, and Breslau, Passau.... |
1662 | 1664 | |
| 63 | Wenzeslaus of Thun | 1664 | 1673 | |
| 64 | Sebastian of Pötting | 1673 | 1689 | |
| 65 | John Philip of Lamberg | 1689 | 1712 | Cardinal from 1700 |
| 67 | Raymund Ferdinand, Count of Rabatta | 1713 | 1722 | |
| 68 | Joseph Dominic of Lamberg | 1723 | 1761 | Cardinal from 1737 |
| 69 | Joseph Maria, Count of Thun | 1761 | 1763 | |
| 70 | Leopold Ernst von Firmian Leopold Ernst von Firmian Leopold Ernst von Firmian was an Austrian bishop and Cardinal.He was bishop of Seckau from 1739 to 1763, campaigning against Protestantism. He also acted as coadjutor bishop or administrator of the bishopric of Trento, from 1748 to 1758. As Prince-Bishop of Passau from 1763 to 1783, he was a more... |
1763 | 1783 | Cardinal from 1772 |
| 71 | Joseph Francis Anton of Auersperg | 1783 | 1795 | Cardinal from 1789 |
| 72 | Thomas John Caspar, Count of Thun-Hohenstein | 1795 | 1796 | |
| 73 | Leopold Leonard, Imperial Count of Thun | 13 December 1796 | 22 October 1826 | Last Prince-Bishop |
| 74 | Karl Joseph, Baron of Riccabona | 25 December 1826 | 25 May 1839 | |
| 75 | Heinrich of Hofstätter | 6 July 1839 | 12 May 1875 | |
| 76 | Joseph Francis of Weckert | 4 October 1875 | 13 March 1889 | |
| 77 | Antonius von Thoma Antonius von Thoma Antonius von Thoma was Bishop and later Archbishop of the Archdiocese of München und Freising from 1889 until his death in 1897.Born 1 March 1829, Nymphenburg, he was ordained a priest on 29 June 1853 in the Archdiocese of München und Freising, aged 24... |
24 March 1889 | 23 October 1889 | |
| 78 | Michael of Rampf | 8 December 1889 | 29 March 1901 | |
| 79 | Anton of Henle | 3 April 1901 | 18 October 1906 | |
| 80 | Sigismund Felix, Baron of Ow-Felldorf Sigismund Felix Freiherr von Ow-Felldorf Sigismund Felix Freiherr von Ow-Felldorf was the Bishop of Passau, Germany from 1907 until his death in 1936.He was first consecrated by Bishop Ignatius von Senestréy and... |
18 October 1906 | 11 May 1936 | |
| 81 | Simon Konrad Landersdorfer, OSB Order of Saint Benedict The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests... |
11 September 1936 | 27 October 1968 | |
| 82 | Antonius Hofmann | 27 October 1968 | 15 October 1984 | |
| 83 | Franz Xaver Eder | 15 October 1984 | 8 January 2001 | |
| 84 | Wilhelm Schraml | 13 December 2001 | incumbent | |