David of Burgundy was a bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of Utrecht. The illegitimate son of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...

, he was made bishop of Utrecht by his father from 1456 to 1496 in an attempt to enforce more centralised Burgundian control over the Netherlands. He also served as bishop of Thérouanne from 1451 to 1456. He is the third longest-reigning bishop of Utrecht after Balderic and Willibrord

Willibrord

__notoc__Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands...

.

Life

David of Burgundy was bishop of Terwaan from 1451. Thanks to a joint effort between the Cods

Hook and Cod wars

The Hook and Cod wars comprise a series of wars and battles in the County of Holland between 1350 and 1490. Most of these wars were fought over the title of count of Holland, but some have argued that the underlying reason was because of the power struggle of the bourgeois in the cities against...

 and Burgundy, he was appointed as bishop of Utrecht

Utrecht (city)

Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...

 by the pope. The Utrecht chapters

Chapter (religion)

Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....

, however, had elected the Hook

Hook and Cod wars

The Hook and Cod wars comprise a series of wars and battles in the County of Holland between 1350 and 1490. Most of these wars were fought over the title of count of Holland, but some have argued that the underlying reason was because of the power struggle of the bourgeois in the cities against...

-favoured provost Gijsbrecht van Brederode

Gijsbrecht van Brederode

Gijsbrecht van Brederode was bishop-elect of Utrecht from 1455 to 1456.Gijsbrecht van Brederode was a son of Walraven I van Brederode and the brother of Reinoud II van Brederode. He was provost in Utrecht and as leader of the Hook faction, led the resistance against Rudolf van Diepholt...

 as bishop. But Philip the Good forced the Nedersticht

Utrecht (province)

Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...

 to accept David's appointment on 3 August, 1456 at the treaty of IJselstein. The Oversticht had to be forcefully convinced as well. Deventer

Deventer

Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...

 was besieged for five weeks

Siege of Deventer (1456)

The Siege of Deventer was a siege of Deventer in 1456 during a struggle between Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy and the church, the nobility and cities of the Oversticht ....

 before it surrendered. This situation led to a civil war, and David fled from Utrecht in 1459 to settle in the newly-acquired Wijk bij Duurstede

Wijk bij Duurstede

- The city of Wijk bij Duurstede :The city is located on the Rhine. At Wijk bij Duurstede, the Kromme Rijn branches off, and the main branch is called Lek River downstream from Wijk bij Duurstede....

. Thanks to Burgundian support and clever politics, his authority rose. A breakthrough meant the capture of Gijsbrecht van Brederode

Gijsbrecht van Brederode

Gijsbrecht van Brederode was bishop-elect of Utrecht from 1455 to 1456.Gijsbrecht van Brederode was a son of Walraven I van Brederode and the brother of Reinoud II van Brederode. He was provost in Utrecht and as leader of the Hook faction, led the resistance against Rudolf van Diepholt...

 and his brother Reinoud in 1470. Another effective measure was the creation of the Schive, a central court of appeal that was above city law.

Because of the burgundian power of that time, David of Burgundy was one of the most powerful bishops in Europe. He appointed the schout

Schout

In Dutch-speaking areas, a schout was a local official appointed to carry out administrative, law enforcement and prosecutorial tasks. The office was abolished with the introduction of administrative reforms during the Napoleonic period.- Functions:...

, wrested criminal jurisdiction from the council, controlled the tolls and lessened the influence of the city on the farmlands. But the death of his half-brother Charles the Bold in 1477 changed everything. David's politics led to a revolt of supporters of the Hook

Hook and Cod wars

The Hook and Cod wars comprise a series of wars and battles in the County of Holland between 1350 and 1490. Most of these wars were fought over the title of count of Holland, but some have argued that the underlying reason was because of the power struggle of the bourgeois in the cities against...

 party in 1481. A new civil war erupted and David was captured. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...

 had to intervene to free the bishop and end the revolt in 1483. David's last years were focussed on restoring the financial situation that had been ruined by the civil war of 1481-1483, and balancing the influence of the Habsburgs, that had by then come to possess Holland, and Guelders. David died in 1496 and was buried in the church of Wijk bij Duurstede

Wijk bij Duurstede

- The city of Wijk bij Duurstede :The city is located on the Rhine. At Wijk bij Duurstede, the Kromme Rijn branches off, and the main branch is called Lek River downstream from Wijk bij Duurstede....

.

David of Burgundy was an artlover; he attracted artists to his court and gave a powerful impulse to the construction of the Dom Church in Utrecht. He modernised his residence, the Duurstede Castle

Duurstede Castle

Castle Duurstede is a medieval castle in Wijk bij Duurstede in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands.-Origin and development:The castle originated in the 13th century. Around 1270, Zweder I van Zuylen van Abcoude built a freestanding keep on a raised and moated site near the lost city Dorestad...

 at Wijk bij Duurstede, and he is also responsible for the large church there. The Museum Catharijneconvent

Museum Catharijneconvent

The Museum Catharijneconvent is a national museum of religious art in Utrecht. It is located in the former Catharijneconvent, having been sited there since 1979. Its collections include those of the museum of religious art of the Catholic Archbishopric of Utrecht, located in the convent until...

 holds a beautiful Cope

Cope

The cope is a liturgical vestment, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour....

of David of Burgundy.