Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg
Encyclopedia
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg ' onMouseout='HidePop("41985")' href="/topics/Bremervörde">Vörde
) was a Prince-Archbishop of Bremen (as Henry III), then Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück
(as Henry II), then Prince-Bishop of Paderborn (as Henry IV). The Roman Catholic Church
never confirmed the Lutheran Henry as (arch-)bishop.
of Saxe-Lauenburg (1543–1581) and is wife Sibylle of Saxony
, who had both converted to Lutheranism
. Henry was raised Lutheran, but educated Catholic. At the age of ten, he was promised a prebend as canon
at the cathedral chapter
at Cologne
. Since 1564 he studied at the University of Cologne
under law professor Dr. Conrad Betzdorf, who housed him and his brother Frederick
and was their mentor
.
The schism
was not yet so definite, as it looks in the retrospect. The Holy See
still hoped the Reformation
would be a merely temporary phenomenon, while its protagonists still expected all the Roman church to reform, so that there would be no schism. While his youth is recorded as wild, he is recalled as a quiet student. During his studies in Cologne Henry came to know and love Anna von Broich (Borch), who lived as foster child with Betzdorf, since her parents, Cologne's Burgomaster
Heinrich von Broich and his wife Ursula, had perished in the plague in 1553. In 1565 he received the prebend and in the following year he advanced to canonicate.
In 1524 the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen had subjected the autonomous farmers' republic of the Land of Wursten
, but the Wursteners still hoped for a liberation and support from the neighbouring Saxe-Lauenburgian exclave of the Land of Hadeln. So the enfranchised capitular canons, which were mostly Lutherans since the Reformation, of Bremen Cathedral
and Hamburg Cathedral chapter (with only three votes) elected Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg archbishop on 17 February 1567. Since his predecessor Prince-Archbishop George had no coadjutor, an office usually entailing the succession to the see
, several dynasts applied for sons of their houses. Henry's election included a deal stipulated with Henry's father Francis I, who waived any Saxe-Lauenburgian claim to the Land of Wursten, earlier raised by his father Magnus I
, as well as to the bailiwick of Bederkesa
and Elmlohe
, de facto held by Bremen city
and abandoned the lawsuit, which Francis had brought to the Imperial Chamber Court to this end.
In his election capitulation
(Wahlkapitulation) Henry covenanted to accept the privileges of the Estates of the Prince-Archbishopric
(Stiftsstände) and the existing laws. Due to his minority he agreed, that Chapter and Estates would rule the Prince-Archbishopric until coming of age, paying him an annual appanage of 500 rixdollar
s. For the time being Henry was supposed to work towards his papal confirmation as archbishop.
remained sceptic as to Henry's faith, Emperor Maximilian II
regarded Henry a true Catholic, putting in a good word for Henry. Thus Maximilian granted Henry an imperial liege indult (Lehnsindult) in 1570, investing
him with the princely regalia
for the prince-archbishopric although he still lacked the papal confirmation.
Therefore Henry never officially functioned as archbishop, but as princely Administrator of the Prince-Archbishopric, however, he was nevertheless colloquially referred to as prince-archbishop. Henry always observed the Roman Catholic formalities for the episcopal consecration, although he never wanted to be a Catholic bishop. The All Saints' Flood of November 1 and 2, 1570 inflicted terrible hardship in the Bremian Elbe Marshes
.
In 1571 Henry started a campaign against brigandage
. Through all his episcopate the Popes Pius V and Gregory XIII
as well as the Emperors Maximilian II and Rudolph II
tested Henry's obedience once in a while, demanding the succession of Catholic candidates for vacancies in the Bremian Cathedral Chapter - which it sometimes accepted, sometimes denied. In 1567 the Holy See failed to replace the late Canon Christoph of East Frisia with the Catholic Wilhelm Quadt of Landskorn. Two years later Pius V prevailed with the Catholic Jodocus von Galen
succeeding the Lutheran Canon Hermann Clüvers. In 1570 Pius ordered Henry to promote Verden's Catholic Cathedral Dean Nikolaus von Hemeling as Bremian cathedral provost (Dompropst), a function including the presidency of the chapter, while Maximilian demanded – using his privilege of presentation – Georg Rudell. However, the capitular canons then elected Henry's brother Frederick
, succeeding the late Ludwig von Varendorf. After Frederick's death Gregory XIII demanded succession for the Catholic Theodor von Galen, and prevailed.
The chapter fulfilled the religious functions as in case of sede vacante
until 26 September 1580, in order not to complicate a papal confirmation, which, however, never materialised. Henry then postponed his efforts to be recognised by Rome
. The Pope succeeded to get a third Catholic canon elected into the else Lutheran chapter, Ahasver von Langen, later Provost of Zeven
nunnery between 1601–1603, but these three never formed a Catholic opposition within the chapter.
elected Henry Bishop Henry II, as such lacking papal confirmation and imperial liege indult to rule the prince-bishopric. When the Osnabrück chapter appointed Henry administrator of the prince-bishopric, Henry swore to protect Catholic faith and to maintain peace between the denominations. The papal order not to appoint Henry administrator arrived in Osnabrück only days after his investiture, so that Henry celebrated his festive entering in the prince-bishopric in June 1574. In late 1574, the nuncio to Cologne
, Kaspar Gropper, also professor at Cologne University, presented a protocol which evaluated the conditions for Henry's election in Münster and Osnabrück according to Canon Law
. For Rome the recognition of Henry's election as bishop was not acceptable.
His reign in Osnabrück is overshadowed by numerous witch burnings. But he also completed the prince-episcopal Fürstenau
Castle, started by his predecessor John of Hoya, while the started construction of a residential castle in Osnabrück
ended with Henry's sudden death. Henry also ran for the episcopal elections of Münster in 1575, 1577 and 1580, but failed narrowly. The Catholic opposition played no relevant role in Osnabrück.
. She was supposedly the biological daughter of his mentor, professor Betzdorf in Cologne. Bremen's cathedral chapter approved the wedding, violating Henry's election capitulation, but ordered that future administrators were not to marry. As reason for the marriage, he wrote into the wedding book that he did not possess the gift of chastity
. The plague befell the prince-archbishopric in 1575. The year after Henry prompted the renovation of the Vörde hospital and infirmary founded by Prince-Archbishop Johann Rode, as he generally promoted the development of his residential town.
(Lutheran church constitution), first issued in 1526. The publication of the Estates Laws of Hadeln (Hadler Landrecht, 1583), the compilation of which his father Francis had begun, fell into Henry's regency. His brother Francis II disputed Henry as heir, but could not prevail.
announced to excommunicate
every capitular canon, who would dare to vote for Henry as administrator. Bremen's cathedral chapter recommended Paderborn's capitulars to elect him bishop there. The cathedral chapter then ignored the papal threat and elected Henry Bishop of Paderborn, as Henry IV, on 14 October 1577. Papal confirmation and liege indult were again denied. As Paderborn's elect Henry chose the motto
: "Gott ist mir Anfang und Ende" (God is beginning and end to me). In 1578, Henry ostentatively entered Paderborn
accompanied by his wife. The Catholic opposition, forming in Paderborn, troubled Henry's reign there, he failed to expel the Jesuits and Nuncio to Cologne
, Giovanni Francesco Bonomi, even considered his impeachment.
and his father Francis I and other brothers Francis II
, and Maurice, Henry functioned as arbiter. In 1581 – shortly before Francis I's death – Henry, his father, and Rudolph II consulted, unconcerted with Magnus and Maurice, concluding that Francis I made his third son Francis II, whom he considered the ablest, his sole successor, violating the rules of primogeniture
in Saxe-Lauenburg. The emperor esteemed his skills and thus charged Henry with arbitrations in lawsuits at the Imperial Chamber Court and the Aulic Council
.
age (Bremisches Ritterrecht) and decreed a prince-archiepiscopal police ordinance. In the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen Henry introduced a Lutheran Church Order
in 1580 and the Vörde Church Constitution (Vörder Kirchenordnung) in 1582. In order to improve the Lutheran pastoring he introduced regular visitations in the parishes. Thus Henry adopted pastoral functions as a Lutheran in all the Prince-Archbishopric, also in its northeastern part, which belonged in ecclesiastical respect to the Verden See, held by Administrator Eberhard of Holle. Henry urged the Altkloster nunnery (part of today's Buxtehude) to accept the Lutheran Christoph von der Hude as their provost, however, the steadfastly Catholic nuns refused. In reaction to this development the Holy See
founded the Roman Catholic Nordic Missions, an endeavour for pastoral care and mission in the area of the de facto ceased archdioceses of Bremen and of Lund
. In 1581 Henry prompted a new Court Procedures Code for the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen.
Henry had consulted his brother Francis II
in developing the Church Order for the Lutheran church of Saxe-Lauenburg, which Francis decreed in 1585. In 1581 his father died in Buxtehude
, a town under Henry's prince-archiepiscopal rule, also his mother and brother Maurice settled and later died there in 1592 and 1612, respectively. On Palm Sunday
, 8 April 1585, after a Lutheran church service in Vörde
, riding home Henry met with an equestrian accident, his horse baulked and pitched him. In his residence Vörde Castle he died of his injuries on April 22. On May 21 he was buried in Vörde
's Palace Church, his grave was destroyed when the church was demolished in 1682. While in Bremen, the Catholic cause was lost forever, Henry's unexpected death led to a success for the Counter Reformation in Paderborn.
His widow inherited several estates, among them Beverstedt
ermühlen, which she successfully extended into a Vorwerk
. However, her brother-in-law Francis II blamed her to have caused Henry's early death. Francis, after quarreling with Maurice, reacquired the Land of Hadeln for Saxe-Lauenburg.
. During Henry's reign two landdroste officiated.
Dates and names following Schleif:
Bremervörde
Bremervörde is a town in the north of the district Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Oste river near the mid of the triangle, which is formed of the rivers Weser and Elbe respectively the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Cuxhaven....
) was a Prince-Archbishop of Bremen (as Henry III), then Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück
Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück
The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück was a prince-bishopric centred on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück. The diocese was erected in 772 and is the oldest see founded by Charlemagne, in order to Christianize the conquered stem-duchy of Saxony....
(as Henry II), then Prince-Bishop of Paderborn (as Henry IV). The Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
never confirmed the Lutheran Henry as (arch-)bishop.
Early years
Henry was a member of the House of Ascania, Saxe-Lauenburg line. He was the third son of Duke Francis IFrancis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg was the eldest child and only son of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , daughter of Duke Henry IV the Evil of Brunswick and Lunenburg...
of Saxe-Lauenburg (1543–1581) and is wife Sibylle of Saxony
Sibylle of Saxony
Sibylle of Saxony was a Saxon princess of the Albertine line of House of Wettin and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg.- Life :...
, who had both converted to Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
. Henry was raised Lutheran, but educated Catholic. At the age of ten, he was promised a prebend as 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 ....
at the cathedral chapter
Cathedral 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...
at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. Since 1564 he studied at the University of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
under law professor Dr. Conrad Betzdorf, who housed him and his brother Frederick
Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Frederick of Saxe-Lauenburg , was a cathedral canon at Strasbourg Minster, chorbishop at Cologne Cathedral and cathedral provost , a function including the presidency of the chapter, at Bremen Cathedral.-Life:...
and was their mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
.
The schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
was not yet so definite, as it looks in the retrospect. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
still hoped 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...
would be a merely temporary phenomenon, while its protagonists still expected all the Roman church to reform, so that there would be no schism. While his youth is recorded as wild, he is recalled as a quiet student. During his studies in Cologne Henry came to know and love Anna von Broich (Borch), who lived as foster child with Betzdorf, since her parents, Cologne's Burgomaster
Burgomaster
Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
Heinrich von Broich and his wife Ursula, had perished in the plague in 1553. In 1565 he received the prebend and in the following year he advanced to canonicate.
In 1524 the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen had subjected the autonomous farmers' republic of the Land of Wursten
Land Wursten
Land Wursten is a Samtgemeinde in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km southwest of Cuxhaven, and 15 km north of Bremerhaven...
, but the Wursteners still hoped for a liberation and support from the neighbouring Saxe-Lauenburgian exclave of the Land of Hadeln. So the enfranchised capitular canons, which were mostly Lutherans since the Reformation, of Bremen Cathedral
Bremen Cathedral
Bremen Cathedral , dedicated to St. Peter, is a church situated in the market square in the center of Bremen, in northern Germany. The cathedral belongs to the Bremian Evangelical Church, a member of the Protestant umbrella organisation named Evangelical Church in Germany...
and Hamburg Cathedral chapter (with only three votes) elected Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg archbishop on 17 February 1567. Since his predecessor Prince-Archbishop George had no coadjutor, an office usually entailing the succession to 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...
, several dynasts applied for sons of their houses. Henry's election included a deal stipulated with Henry's father Francis I, who waived any Saxe-Lauenburgian claim to the Land of Wursten, earlier raised by his father Magnus I
Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg was a Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg from the House of Ascania.-Life:...
, as well as to the bailiwick of Bederkesa
Bederkesa
Bad Bederkesa is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 20 km northeast of Bremerhaven, and 30 km southeast of Cuxhaven...
and Elmlohe
Elmlohe
Elmlohe is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a component municipality of the Samtgemeinde Bederkesa.-Toponomy and Coat of Arms:...
, de facto held by Bremen city
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
and abandoned the lawsuit, which Francis had brought to the Imperial Chamber Court to this end.
In his election capitulation
Conclave capitulation
A conclave capitulation is a capitulation drawn up by the College of Cardinals during a papal conclave, attempting to constrain the actions of the Pope elected by the conclave. Generally, all cardinals would swear to uphold it if elected Pope, and the capitulation would be finished before the first...
(Wahlkapitulation) Henry covenanted to accept the privileges of the Estates of the Prince-Archbishopric
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...
(Stiftsstände) and the existing laws. Due to his minority he agreed, that Chapter and Estates would rule the Prince-Archbishopric until coming of age, paying him an annual appanage of 500 rixdollar
Rixdollar
Rixdollar is the English term for silver coinage used throughout the European continent .The same term was also used of currency in Cape Colony and Ceylon. However, the Rixdollar only existed as a coin in Ceylon. Unissued remainder banknotes for the Cape of Good Hope denominated in Rixdollars...
s. For the time being Henry was supposed to work towards his papal confirmation as archbishop.
Administrator of Bremen
Henry de facto assumed regency in 1569, lacking any papal confirmation. He still had to repay debts from his pre-predecessor Prince-Archbishop Christopher the Spendthrift Henry continued George's financial assanation and developed for a better financial control the budgeting for the prince-archiepicopal expenditures. While Pope Pius VPope Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V , born Antonio Ghislieri , was Pope from 1566 to 1572 and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman liturgy within the Latin Church...
remained sceptic as to Henry's faith, Emperor 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...
regarded Henry a true Catholic, putting in a good word for Henry. Thus Maximilian granted Henry an imperial liege indult (Lehnsindult) in 1570, investing
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
him with the princely regalia
Regalia
Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
for the prince-archbishopric although he still lacked the papal confirmation.
Therefore Henry never officially functioned as archbishop, but as princely Administrator of the Prince-Archbishopric, however, he was nevertheless colloquially referred to as prince-archbishop. Henry always observed the Roman Catholic formalities for the episcopal consecration, although he never wanted to be a Catholic bishop. The All Saints' Flood of November 1 and 2, 1570 inflicted terrible hardship in the Bremian Elbe Marshes
Elbe marshes
The Elbe marshes are an extensive region of marsh or polderland along the lower and middle reaches of the River Elbe in northern Germany. It is also referred to as the Lower Elbe Marsch by Dickinson and is region D24 in the BfN's list of the natural regions of Germany...
.
In 1571 Henry started a campaign against brigandage
Brigandage
Brigandage refers to the life and practice of brigands: highway robbery and plunder, and a brigand is a person who usually lives in a gang and lives by pillage and robbery....
. Through all his episcopate the Popes Pius V and Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
as well as the Emperors Maximilian II and Rudolph II
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
tested Henry's obedience once in a while, demanding the succession of Catholic candidates for vacancies in the Bremian Cathedral Chapter - which it sometimes accepted, sometimes denied. In 1567 the Holy See failed to replace the late Canon Christoph of East Frisia with the Catholic Wilhelm Quadt of Landskorn. Two years later Pius V prevailed with the Catholic Jodocus von Galen
Von Galen
The Von Galen family is an old, noble, Westphalian family, historically Roman Catholic, from the County of Mark.The earliest von Galens appeared in the twelfth century. Some branches of the family spread to East Prussia through the crusades and military expeditions of the Teutonic Order during the...
succeeding the Lutheran Canon Hermann Clüvers. In 1570 Pius ordered Henry to promote Verden's Catholic Cathedral Dean Nikolaus von Hemeling as Bremian cathedral provost (Dompropst), a function including the presidency of the chapter, while Maximilian demanded – using his privilege of presentation – Georg Rudell. However, the capitular canons then elected Henry's brother Frederick
Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Frederick of Saxe-Lauenburg , was a cathedral canon at Strasbourg Minster, chorbishop at Cologne Cathedral and cathedral provost , a function including the presidency of the chapter, at Bremen Cathedral.-Life:...
, succeeding the late Ludwig von Varendorf. After Frederick's death Gregory XIII demanded succession for the Catholic Theodor von Galen, and prevailed.
The chapter fulfilled the religious functions as in case of sede vacante
Sede vacante
Sede 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...
until 26 September 1580, in order not to complicate a papal confirmation, which, however, never materialised. Henry then postponed his efforts to be recognised by Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The Pope succeeded to get a third Catholic canon elected into the else Lutheran chapter, Ahasver von Langen, later Provost of Zeven
Zeven
Zeven is a town in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of around 14,000. The nearest large towns are Bremerhaven, Bremen and Hamburg. It is situated approximately 22 km northwest of Rotenburg, and 40 km northeast of Bremen...
nunnery between 1601–1603, but these three never formed a Catholic opposition within the chapter.
Administrator of Osnabrück
On 23 May 1574 the cathedral chapter of OsnabrückPrince-Bishopric of Osnabrück
The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück was a prince-bishopric centred on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück. The diocese was erected in 772 and is the oldest see founded by Charlemagne, in order to Christianize the conquered stem-duchy of Saxony....
elected Henry Bishop Henry II, as such lacking papal confirmation and imperial liege indult to rule the prince-bishopric. When the Osnabrück chapter appointed Henry administrator of the prince-bishopric, Henry swore to protect Catholic faith and to maintain peace between the denominations. The papal order not to appoint Henry administrator arrived in Osnabrück only days after his investiture, so that Henry celebrated his festive entering in the prince-bishopric in June 1574. In late 1574, the nuncio to Cologne
Apostolic Nuncio to Cologne
The Apostolic Nunciature to Cologne was an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church established in 1584. The nuncios were accredited to the Achbishop-Electorates of Cologne, Mainz and Trier...
, Kaspar Gropper, also professor at Cologne University, presented a protocol which evaluated the conditions for Henry's election in Münster and Osnabrück according to Canon Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
. For Rome the recognition of Henry's election as bishop was not acceptable.
His reign in Osnabrück is overshadowed by numerous witch burnings. But he also completed the prince-episcopal Fürstenau
Fürstenau, Germany
Fürstenau is a municipality in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately northwest of Osnabrück, and east of Lingen.Fürstenau is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Fürstenau....
Castle, started by his predecessor John of Hoya, while the started construction of a residential castle in Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
ended with Henry's sudden death. Henry also ran for the episcopal elections of Münster in 1575, 1577 and 1580, but failed narrowly. The Catholic opposition played no relevant role in Osnabrück.
Marriage
On 25 October 1575, Court Preacher Hermann Gade married Henry and Anna of Broich (also known as Betzdorf) secretly in the chapel of Burghagen Castle in Hagen im BremischenHagen im Bremischen
Hagen im Bremischen is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 20 km south of Bremerhaven, and 35 km northwest of Bremen...
. She was supposedly the biological daughter of his mentor, professor Betzdorf in Cologne. Bremen's cathedral chapter approved the wedding, violating Henry's election capitulation, but ordered that future administrators were not to marry. As reason for the marriage, he wrote into the wedding book that he did not possess the gift of chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
. The plague befell the prince-archbishopric in 1575. The year after Henry prompted the renovation of the Vörde hospital and infirmary founded by Prince-Archbishop Johann Rode, as he generally promoted the development of his residential town.
Regent of Hadeln
Since 1576, in anticipation of the inheritance of the Land of Hadeln, Henry served as regent of that Saxe-Lauenburgian exclave, consented by Emperor Rudolph II. In return Henry paid his indebted father a compensation and assumed his debts with the Counts of Oldenburg. After his father's death in 1581 Henry inherited Hadeln and used the opportunity to renew its Church OrderChurch Order (Lutheran)
The Church Order or Church Ordinance means the general ecclesiastical constitution of a State.The early Evangelical Church attached less importance to ecclesiastical ritual than the pre-Reformation Church had done...
(Lutheran church constitution), first issued in 1526. The publication of the Estates Laws of Hadeln (Hadler Landrecht, 1583), the compilation of which his father Francis had begun, fell into Henry's regency. His brother Francis II disputed Henry as heir, but could not prevail.
Administrator of Paderborn
In 1577 Pope Gregory XIIIPope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
announced to excommunicate
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
every capitular canon, who would dare to vote for Henry as administrator. Bremen's cathedral chapter recommended Paderborn's capitulars to elect him bishop there. The cathedral chapter then ignored the papal threat and elected Henry Bishop of Paderborn, as Henry IV, on 14 October 1577. Papal confirmation and liege indult were again denied. As Paderborn's elect Henry chose the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: "Gott ist mir Anfang und Ende" (God is beginning and end to me). In 1578, Henry ostentatively entered Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
accompanied by his wife. The Catholic opposition, forming in Paderborn, troubled Henry's reign there, he failed to expel the Jesuits and Nuncio to Cologne
Apostolic Nuncio to Cologne
The Apostolic Nunciature to Cologne was an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church established in 1584. The nuncios were accredited to the Achbishop-Electorates of Cologne, Mainz and Trier...
, Giovanni Francesco Bonomi, even considered his impeachment.
Arbitration of conflicts
During the warlike conflict between his brother MagnusMagnus II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Magnus II of Saxe-Lauenburg was the eldest surviving son of Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg , daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious. In 1571 Magnus II ascended the throne after his father Francis I resigned due to indebtedness...
and his father Francis I and other brothers Francis II
Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg , was the third son of Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg , daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious of Saxony...
, and Maurice, Henry functioned as arbiter. In 1581 – shortly before Francis I's death – Henry, his father, and Rudolph II consulted, unconcerted with Magnus and Maurice, concluding that Francis I made his third son Francis II, whom he considered the ablest, his sole successor, violating the rules of 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...
in Saxe-Lauenburg. The emperor esteemed his skills and thus charged Henry with arbitrations in lawsuits at the Imperial Chamber Court and the Aulic Council
Aulic Council
The Aulic Council was originally an executive-judicial council for the Holy Roman Empire....
.
Last years
In 1577 he codified the laws of the Bremian knightKnight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
age (Bremisches Ritterrecht) and decreed a prince-archiepiscopal police ordinance. In the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen Henry introduced a Lutheran Church Order
Church Order (Lutheran)
The Church Order or Church Ordinance means the general ecclesiastical constitution of a State.The early Evangelical Church attached less importance to ecclesiastical ritual than the pre-Reformation Church had done...
in 1580 and the Vörde Church Constitution (Vörder Kirchenordnung) in 1582. In order to improve the Lutheran pastoring he introduced regular visitations in the parishes. Thus Henry adopted pastoral functions as a Lutheran in all the Prince-Archbishopric, also in its northeastern part, which belonged in ecclesiastical respect to the Verden See, held by Administrator Eberhard of Holle. Henry urged the Altkloster nunnery (part of today's Buxtehude) to accept the Lutheran Christoph von der Hude as their provost, however, the steadfastly Catholic nuns refused. In reaction to this development the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
founded the Roman Catholic Nordic Missions, an endeavour for pastoral care and mission in the area of the de facto ceased archdioceses of Bremen and of Lund
Catholic diocese of Lund
The Catholic diocese of Lund was formed in 1060, in what was then Danish territory, by separation from the Diocese of Roskilde, then both suffragans of the Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen...
. In 1581 Henry prompted a new Court Procedures Code for the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen.
Henry had consulted his brother Francis II
Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg , was the third son of Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg , daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious of Saxony...
in developing the Church Order for the Lutheran church of Saxe-Lauenburg, which Francis decreed in 1585. In 1581 his father died in Buxtehude
Buxtehude
Buxtehude is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany in the district of Stade and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . Buxtehude is a steadily growing medium-sized town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land within easy reach of...
, a town under Henry's prince-archiepiscopal rule, also his mother and brother Maurice settled and later died there in 1592 and 1612, respectively. On Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
, 8 April 1585, after a Lutheran church service in Vörde
Bremervörde
Bremervörde is a town in the north of the district Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Oste river near the mid of the triangle, which is formed of the rivers Weser and Elbe respectively the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Cuxhaven....
, riding home Henry met with an equestrian accident, his horse baulked and pitched him. In his residence Vörde Castle he died of his injuries on April 22. On May 21 he was buried in Vörde
Bremervörde
Bremervörde is a town in the north of the district Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Oste river near the mid of the triangle, which is formed of the rivers Weser and Elbe respectively the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Cuxhaven....
's Palace Church, his grave was destroyed when the church was demolished in 1682. While in Bremen, the Catholic cause was lost forever, Henry's unexpected death led to a success for the Counter Reformation in Paderborn.
His widow inherited several estates, among them Beverstedt
Beverstedt
Beverstedt is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 20 km southeast of Bremerhaven, and 40 km north of Bremen.Beverstedt belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen...
ermühlen, which she successfully extended into a Vorwerk
Folwark
Folwark is a Polish word for a primarily serfdom-based farm and agricultural enterprise , often very large. Folwarks were operated in the Crown of Poland from the 14th century and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 15th century, from the second half of the 16th century in the joint...
. However, her brother-in-law Francis II blamed her to have caused Henry's early death. Francis, after quarreling with Maurice, reacquired the Land of Hadeln for Saxe-Lauenburg.
Bremian Landdroste during Henry's reign
The chief executive of the prince-archiepiscopal government was the landdrostLanddrost
Landdrost was the title of various officials with local jurisdiction. It is of Dutch origin, with land- corresponding to the English meaning of an area, suggesting a somewhat larger jurisdiction than just a village or estate; and drost being a short form of Drossaard, one of many similar titles in...
. During Henry's reign two landdroste officiated.
- 1561–1580: Jobst Behr (d. before 27 October 1582)
- 1580–1583: vacancy
- 1583–1585: Joist Friese (aka Jobst Frese), since 1580 per pro
Dates and names following Schleif: