Ernest of Bavaria (1500–1560)
Encyclopedia
Duke Ernest of Bavaria (born: 13 June 1500 in Munich
, died: 7 December 1560 in Glatz
) was Administrator of the dioceses of Passau and Salzburg and pledge Lord of Glatz.
family. He was the third son of Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich
and his wife Kunigunde
, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III
.
In 1506 Albert issued a Primogeniture
Act, stipulating that Bavaria should remain undivided. The result was that his two younger sons Louis
and Ernest were excluded from the government. Louis's parents decided that he should follow an ecclesiastical career instead. After Albert died in 1508, the Bavarian court historian Johannes Aventinus
was entrusted with providing Ernest with a suitable education. Ernest and Louis travelled to Italy, here he worked in Pavia
and attended lectures from the famous legal scholar Jason Magnus. Ernest also travelled to Paris and to Saxony with John of Malentein, who later became Bishop of Seckau
.
In 1515 Louis enrolled at the University of Ingolstadt
. He soon became a member of Sodalitas Ingolstatiensis, a literary society founded by Aventinus, after a suggestion by the Humanist
Conrad Celtis.
the brothers William and Louis,succeeded in 1514 to have Ernest appointed Coadjutor of Bishop Wiguleus Fröschl of Marzoll in Passau. The papal confirmation the appointment on 28 Januar 1517.
Although Ernest had not been ordained, he was appointed Administrator of the Diocese of Passau after the death of Bishop Fröschl in 1517. Nevertheless, he did not give up his claim to the co-regency in the Duchy of Bavaria-Munich. His hereditary claims were supported by Archduke of Ferdinand I
. The issue was finally settled in 1534 by the Treaty of Linz between the royal houses of Habsburg
and Wittelsbach
. In 1536, Ernest gave up his claims, in exchange for a severance payment of .
As administrator of Passau, Ernest turned against the followers of Martin Luther
and against the Anabaptists. In 1522, he participated in the Provincial Synod in Mühldorf am Inn and in 1527 he took part in the conference in Salzburg. In 1524 he joined an alliance between the South German bishops, the dukes of Bavaria and the Archduke Ferdinand to enforce the Edict of Worms. On his instigation, the Reformer Leonhard Kaiser was handed over to the secular authorties in 1527 and burned at the stake in Schärding
, then part of the district of Burghausen
. In 1532, Ernest was present at the imperial Diet in Augsburg and in 1532 in Regensburg.
As an entrepreneur, Ernest participated in Bohemian mines and traded in precious metals. He carried out transactions to Vienna, Prague, Leipzig and Antwerp, and maintained close relations with the South German trading cities.
whereby Ernest was appointed coadjutor of the archbishop of Salzburg as compensation for the Bavarian help in the German Peasants' War
. The chapter duely proposed his appointment to the Pope, who rejected the proposal. To enable a new appointment procedure, Ernest resigned from his position as administrator of the diocese of Passau.
After the death of Bishop Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg
of Salzburg, Ernest was elected as administrator of Salzburg by the chapter on 21 April 1540. The Pope confirmed his election on 21 May of that year, subject to the condition that within ten years, Ernest should be ordained as a priest or otherwise he would have to abandon the archdiocese. He took possession of the diocese on 12 October 1540.
In Salzburg, like before in Passau, Ernest was lenient towards the Protestant movement. Perhaps an understanding of the intellectual and social causes of the Reformation
may have played a role. He contributed little to the intellectual and spiritual revival of Catholicism; he recognized, however, the social and economic developments of his time. He attended the Diet of Regensburg in 1541 and held provincial synods in 1544 and 1553. He was a capable administrator: he brought order to the country's finances and introduced administrative reforms. Like in Passau he loved economic enterprises. He was involved in Alpine mining, cattle and grain trade, and at dealing in coins.
Even as Archbishop-designate Ernest delayed his ordination. In his will, dated 25 September 1550, he explained that he had never intended to become a priest. He repeatedly asked the Pope for dispensation
of the higher orders, but this was finally denied in 1554. The Pope presented him with the choice of being ordained immediately or resignation. Ernest opted to resign and on 16 July 1554 he left to his successor, Michael of Kuenburg.
in 1549. In 1549, Glatz was considered part of Bohemia. Included in the purchase was the Lordship of Hummel
, which Ernest gave to his son Eustace on 10 December 1549. Eustace was his illegitimate son, until he was legitimized as a noble descendant of Ernest by Pope Julius III in 1550. In 1546, Ernest was accepted by the Estates
of Bohemia as a landed subject.
Ernest settled permanently in Glatz in 1556. He did not resume hist former economic and business activities. Although he no longer held an ecclesiastical office, he committed himself to the Counter Reformation and in 1558, he and Emperor Ferdinand I
, called a synod. The primary aim of this synod was to test the beliefs of the clergy. A questionnaire had been developed by the Cistercian abbots John of Grüssau
and Leonhard of Fürstenfeld
.
Ernest also reformed the administration of Glatz, employing qualified officials, whom he had brought with him from Salzburg and Bavaria. He expanded the castle of Glatz. His purchase of Glatz included the privilege to mint coints, so he started minting coins showing the Bohemian lion on one side and the coats of arms of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
, the Duchy of Bavaria
and the County of Glatz on the other side.
To round off his possessions, Ernest purchased in 1556 the East Bohemian Lordships of Rychnov nad Kněžnou
, Litice Castle
, Potštejn
, Solnice
and Černíkovice
.
Ernest died in 1560 and was buried in Glatz. A short time later, however, his body was transferred to Munich and buried in the Wittelsbach crypt in the Church of Our Lady
. The pledge lordship of Glatz was inherited by his nephew Albert V
, who sold it to Maximilian II
in 1567.
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, died: 7 December 1560 in Glatz
Glatz
Glatz can refer to :Places* Glatz, German name of a city in Lower Silesia, since 1945 Kłodzko, Poland* Landkreis Glatz, Prussian/German county 1816–1945, in the Province of Lower Silesia* Grafschaft Glatz, Duchy of Glatz, since 1348People...
) 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 WittelsbachWittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
family. He was the third son of Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich
Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich , , from 1467 Duke of Bavaria-Munich, from 1503 Duke of the reunited Bavaria.-Biography:...
and his wife Kunigunde
Kunigunde of Austria
Kunigunde of Austria was an Austrian Archduchess member of the House of Habsburg and by marriage Duchess of Bavaria-Munich and since 1503 over all Bavaria....
, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
.
In 1506 Albert issued a Primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
Act, stipulating that Bavaria should remain undivided. The result was that his two younger sons Louis
Louis X, Duke of Bavaria
Louis X , was Duke of Bavaria , together with his older brother William IV, Duke of Bavaria...
and Ernest were excluded from the government. Louis's parents decided that he should follow an ecclesiastical career instead. After Albert died in 1508, the Bavarian court historian Johannes Aventinus
Johannes Aventinus
Johannes Aventinus was a Bavarian historian and philologist. He wrote Annals of Bavaria, a valuable record of the early history of Germany...
was entrusted with providing Ernest with a suitable education. Ernest and Louis travelled to Italy, here he worked in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
and attended lectures from the famous legal scholar Jason Magnus. Ernest also travelled to Paris and to Saxony with John of Malentein, who later became Bishop of Seckau
Roman Catholic Diocese of Graz-Seckau
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Graz-Seckau is a diocese comprising the Austrian state of Styria and is part of the Ecclesiastical province of Salzburg.-History:...
.
In 1515 Louis enrolled at the University of Ingolstadt
University of Ingolstadt
The University of Ingolstadt was founded in 1472 by Louis the Rich, the Duke of Bavaria at the time, and its first Chancellor was the Bishop of Eichstätt. It consisted of five faculties: humanities, sciences, theology, law and medicine, all of which were contained in the Hoheschule...
. He soon became a member of Sodalitas Ingolstatiensis, a literary society founded by Aventinus, after a suggestion by the Humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
Conrad Celtis.
Administrator of Passau
With the support of Emperor Maximilian IMaximilian 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...
the brothers William and Louis,succeeded in 1514 to have Ernest appointed Coadjutor of Bishop Wiguleus Fröschl of Marzoll in Passau. The papal confirmation the appointment on 28 Januar 1517.
Although Ernest had not been ordained, he was appointed Administrator of the Diocese of Passau after the death of Bishop Fröschl in 1517. Nevertheless, he did not give up his claim to the co-regency in the Duchy of Bavaria-Munich. His hereditary claims were supported by Archduke of Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
. The issue was finally settled in 1534 by the Treaty of Linz between the royal houses of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
and Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
. In 1536, Ernest gave up his claims, in exchange for a severance payment of .
As administrator of Passau, Ernest turned against the followers of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and against the Anabaptists. In 1522, he participated in the Provincial Synod in Mühldorf am Inn and in 1527 he took part in the conference in Salzburg. In 1524 he joined an alliance between the South German bishops, the dukes of Bavaria and the Archduke Ferdinand to enforce the Edict of Worms. On his instigation, the Reformer Leonhard Kaiser was handed over to the secular authorties in 1527 and burned at the stake in Schärding
Schärding
Schärding is a town in northern Upper Austria, Austria, capital of the district of the same name, and a major port on the Inn River. As of 2001, it has a population of 5,052. Historically it was owned by the Wittelsbach family, which reflects on the town's architecture...
, then part of the district of Burghausen
Burghausen
Burghausen may refer to several places in Germany:*Burghausen, Altötting, a town in southeastern Bavaria*Burghausen bei Münnerstadt, part of Münnerstadt in northern Bavaria*Burghausen bei Freising, part of Kirchdorf an der Amper in central Bavaria...
. In 1532, Ernest was present at the imperial Diet in Augsburg and in 1532 in Regensburg.
As an entrepreneur, Ernest participated in Bohemian mines and traded in precious metals. He carried out transactions to Vienna, Prague, Leipzig and Antwerp, and maintained close relations with the South German trading cities.
Administrator of Salzburg
In accordance with the agreement from 1516, the brothers William and Louis sought to ensure that Ernest would be the next person to rule the Archdiocese of Salzburg. In 1525, the made an agreement with the Salzburg cathedral chapterCathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
whereby Ernest was appointed coadjutor of the archbishop of Salzburg as compensation for the Bavarian help in the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
. The chapter duely proposed his appointment to the Pope, who rejected the proposal. To enable a new appointment procedure, Ernest resigned from his position as administrator of the diocese of Passau.
After the death of Bishop Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg
Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg
Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg was a statesman of the Holy Roman Empire, a Cardinal and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1519 to his death....
of Salzburg, Ernest was elected as administrator of Salzburg by the chapter on 21 April 1540. The Pope confirmed his election on 21 May of that year, subject to the condition that within ten years, Ernest should be ordained as a priest or otherwise he would have to abandon the archdiocese. He took possession of the diocese on 12 October 1540.
In Salzburg, like before in Passau, Ernest was lenient towards the Protestant movement. Perhaps an understanding of the intellectual and social causes of the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
may have played a role. He contributed little to the intellectual and spiritual revival of Catholicism; he recognized, however, the social and economic developments of his time. He attended the Diet of Regensburg in 1541 and held provincial synods in 1544 and 1553. He was a capable administrator: he brought order to the country's finances and introduced administrative reforms. Like in Passau he loved economic enterprises. He was involved in Alpine mining, cattle and grain trade, and at dealing in coins.
Even as Archbishop-designate Ernest delayed his ordination. In his will, dated 25 September 1550, he explained that he had never intended to become a priest. He repeatedly asked the Pope for dispensation
Dispensation
Dispensation may refer to:* Dispensation , the suspension, by competent authority, of general rules of law in particular cases in the Catholic Church* Dispensation , a period in history according to various religions...
of the higher orders, but this was finally denied in 1554. The Pope presented him with the choice of being ordained immediately or resignation. Ernest opted to resign and on 16 July 1554 he left to his successor, Michael of Kuenburg.
Pledge Lord of Glatz
When the end of his ecclesiastical career loomed, Ernest purchased the County of Glatz from John III of PernsteinJohn III of Pernstein
John of Pernstein was High Treasurer of Moravia from 1506 and 1516 and Landeshauptmann of Moravia from 1515 to 1519 and from 1526 to 1528 and Governor of Moravia from 1530 to 1532...
in 1549. In 1549, Glatz was considered part of Bohemia. Included in the purchase was the Lordship of Hummel
Lordship of Hummel
The Lordship of Hummel is a historic landscape in the western part of the former County of Glatz in Silesia.- The Hummel Castle :The focus of the Lordship of Hummel was Hummel Castle, located on a mountain above the valley of the Bystrzyca Dusznicka river, approximately 3 km west of Duszniki Zdrój...
, which Ernest gave to his son Eustace on 10 December 1549. Eustace was his illegitimate son, until he was legitimized as a noble descendant of Ernest by Pope Julius III in 1550. In 1546, Ernest was accepted by the Estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
of Bohemia as a landed subject.
Ernest settled permanently in Glatz in 1556. He did not resume hist former economic and business activities. Although he no longer held an ecclesiastical office, he committed himself to the Counter Reformation and in 1558, he and Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
, called a synod. The primary aim of this synod was to test the beliefs of the clergy. A questionnaire had been developed by the Cistercian abbots John of Grüssau
Grüssau Abbey
Grüssau Abbey also known as Krzeszów Abbey refers to a historical Cistercian monastery in Krzeszów in Lower Silesia, and to a house of the Benedictine Order in the town of Bad Wimpfen in Baden-Württemberg, where the German Grüssau community moved in 1947, after their former abbey had become...
and Leonhard of Fürstenfeld
Fürstenfeld Abbey
Fürstenfeld Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria, Germany.It is situated about 25 km north-west of Munich. The abbey was one of the household monasteries of the Wittelsbachs...
.
Ernest also reformed the administration of Glatz, employing qualified officials, whom he had brought with him from Salzburg and Bavaria. He expanded the castle of Glatz. His purchase of Glatz included the privilege to mint coints, so he started minting coins showing the Bohemian lion on one side and the coats of arms of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken.-Overview:→ History before 1394 see main article County of Zweibrücken→ History before 1444 see main article County of Veldenz...
, the Duchy of Bavaria
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria was the only one of the stem duchies from the earliest days of East Francia and the Kingdom of Germany to preserve both its name and most of its territorial extent....
and the County of Glatz on the other side.
To round off his possessions, Ernest purchased in 1556 the East Bohemian Lordships of Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Rychnov nad Knežnou
Rychnov nad Kněžnou is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 12,000 inhabitants.This is a small town, with a sprinkling of other small towns in the vicinity. The nearest big city is Hradec Králové which is about 32 km to the west...
, Litice Castle
Litice Castle
Litice Castle is a castle 7 km west of Žamberk in the Ústí nad Orlicí District, in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic.-History:The steep slopes of the foothills of the Orlické hory gave the advantage of a strategic position to the gothic castles being founded there at the close of the...
, Potštejn
Potštejn
Potštejn is municipality, Hradec Králové Region in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District. From the end of the 19th century till 1924 the name Potštýn nad Orlicí was used....
, Solnice
Solnice
Solnice is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic....
and Černíkovice
Černíkovice (Rychnov nad Kněžnou District)
Černíkovice is a village and municipality in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. -References:...
.
Ernest died in 1560 and was buried in Glatz. A short time later, however, his body was transferred to Munich and buried in the Wittelsbach crypt in the Church of Our Lady
Munich Frauenkirche
The Frauenkirche is a church in the Bavarian city of Munich that serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and seat of its Archbishop. It is a landmark and is considered a symbol of the Bavarian capital city.The church towers are widely visible because of local height...
. The pledge lordship of Glatz was inherited by his nephew Albert V
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...
, who sold it to Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
in 1567.