Leonhard von Keutschach
Encyclopedia
Leonhard von Keutschach (c. 1442 – 8 June 1519) was Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg
from 1495 until his death, the last to rule in the feudal
style.
in Carinthia
, the son of Otto von Keutschach, a judge at the manorial court (Hofrichter), and Gertrud von Möderndorf. The Keutschach family came from the northern shore of Lake Keutschach
. Their arms are a white turnip on a black field.
Leonhard started out as canon
of the Augustinian
order and provost
of Eberndorf
Abbey. In 1490 he was promoted as provost of the Salzburg chapter
and in 1495 was elected prince-archbishop
. In 1498 he again expelled the Salzburg Jews, who had returned to the area since their banishment in 1404, and had their synagogue
s at Salzburg and Hallein
destroyed.
The City of Salzburg
was politically unstable, after in 1481 Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg
had granted its citizens the privilege to elect its own council and mayor, which was the cause of a protracted struggle with the ruling archbishops. In 1511, Leonhard ended the unrest: He invited the mayor and councillors for a gala dinner, had them imprisoned and forced them to renounce their rights. He proceeded to cement his position with nepotism
, nominating relatives in key positions; he however had to accept Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg
, a former secretary of Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg
as coadjutor bishop
. Leonhard died at Salzburg, spending his last years unsuccessfully battling his coadjutor, who would succeed him in 1519.
Leonhard was an effective ruler, he reformed the archbishopric's finances, paying off old debts and developing the economy by farming out, increasing the salt production, the silver and gold mines and promoting trade. His efforts made Salzburg one of the richest states
of the Holy Roman Empire
, starting a long tradition of a local culture rich in music and art. Leonhard also used his wealth to buy back lands sold by his predecessors to cover their debt and to support Emperor Maximilian I financially, which brought further economic and political advantages. He expanded the defenses of the city, notably by strengthening Hohensalzburg Castle and a large number of castles in Salzburg and Carinthia. He ordered the construction of river dams around Hallein to protect the city from spring floods, but he also had the Radstädter Tauern Pass
road and a number of new long distance routes constructed to promote trade. He crowned his economic achievements by a coinage reform (Rübentaler) that was the basis for the modern Salzburger monetary system.
A decree promulgated by Archbishop Leonhard in 1504 was one of the earliest actions in Europe to officially protect threatened animal species, including the Northern Bald Ibis
, which nevertheless became extinct in Central Europe.
Archbishopric of Salzburg
The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire, its territory roughly congruent with the present-day Austrian state of Salzburg....
from 1495 until his death, the last to rule in the feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
style.
Biography
He was probably born at ViktringViktring Abbey
Viktring Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Stift Viktring is now the name of the Roman Catholic parish in Viktring, since 1973 a district of the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt.-History:...
in Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
, the son of Otto von Keutschach, a judge at the manorial court (Hofrichter), and Gertrud von Möderndorf. The Keutschach family came from the northern shore of Lake Keutschach
Keutschach am See
Keutschach am See is a town in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in Carinthia in Austria.According to the 2001 census 5.6% of the population are Carinthian Slovenes....
. Their arms are a white turnip on a black field.
Leonhard started out 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 ....
of the Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
order and provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of Eberndorf
Eberndorf
Eberndorf is a town and summer resort in the district of Völkermarkt in Carinthia in Austria, the main town in the Jaun Valley , southeast of Lake Klopein....
Abbey. In 1490 he was promoted as provost of the Salzburg chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
and in 1495 was elected prince-archbishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
. In 1498 he again expelled the Salzburg Jews, who had returned to the area since their banishment in 1404, and had their synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s at Salzburg and Hallein
Hallein
Hallein is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, the capital of the Hallein district. It is located in the Tennengau region south of the City of Salzburg, along the Salzach river in the shadow of the Untersberg massif, near the border with Germany. With a population of c...
destroyed.
The City of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
was politically unstable, after in 1481 Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg
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...
had granted its citizens the privilege to elect its own council and mayor, which was the cause of a protracted struggle with the ruling archbishops. In 1511, Leonhard ended the unrest: He invited the mayor and councillors for a gala dinner, had them imprisoned and forced them to renounce their rights. He proceeded to cement his position with nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
, nominating relatives in key positions; he however had to accept 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....
, a former secretary of Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg
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...
as coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
. Leonhard died at Salzburg, spending his last years unsuccessfully battling his coadjutor, who would succeed him in 1519.
Leonhard was an effective ruler, he reformed the archbishopric's finances, paying off old debts and developing the economy by farming out, increasing the salt production, the silver and gold mines and promoting trade. His efforts made Salzburg one of the richest states
Imperial State
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.Rulers of Imperial States were...
of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, starting a long tradition of a local culture rich in music and art. Leonhard also used his wealth to buy back lands sold by his predecessors to cover their debt and to support Emperor Maximilian I financially, which brought further economic and political advantages. He expanded the defenses of the city, notably by strengthening Hohensalzburg Castle and a large number of castles in Salzburg and Carinthia. He ordered the construction of river dams around Hallein to protect the city from spring floods, but he also had the Radstädter Tauern Pass
Radstädter Tauern Pass
Radstädter Tauern Pass is a high mountain pass in the Radstädter Tauern which are in the Niedere Tauern range of the Central Eastern Alps in Austria between Radstadt and Mauterndorf in the state of Salzburg....
road and a number of new long distance routes constructed to promote trade. He crowned his economic achievements by a coinage reform (Rübentaler) that was the basis for the modern Salzburger monetary system.
A decree promulgated by Archbishop Leonhard in 1504 was one of the earliest actions in Europe to officially protect threatened animal species, including the Northern Bald Ibis
Northern Bald Ibis
The Northern Bald Ibis, Hermit Ibis, or Waldrapp is a migratory bird found in barren, semi-desert or rocky habitats, often close to running water. This 70–80 cm glossy black ibis, which, unlike other members of the ibis family, is non-wading, has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long,...
, which nevertheless became extinct in Central Europe.
Literature
- Franz Ortner: Salzburgs Bischöfe in der Geschichte des Landes 696-2005; Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main 2005; ISBN 3-631-53654-2
- Heinz Dopsch, Hans Spatzenegger (Hrsg.): Geschichte Salzburgs, Stadt und Land, Band 1, Teil 1, Vorgeschichte, Altertum, Mittelalter. Verlag Pustet, Salzburg 1981, ISBN 3-7025-0121-5