Leopold Anton Freiherr von Firmian
Encyclopedia
Leopold Anton Freiherr von Firmian or Leopold Anton Eleutherius von Firmian (11 March 1679 – 22 October 1744) was Catholic Bishop of Lavant
1718-1724, Bishop of Seckau
1724-1727 and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg
from 1727 until his death.
, on his father's side to the Freiherr
en (Barons) dynasty von Firmian descending from Sigmundskron
(Formigar) Castle in Tyrol
, by virtue of being the son of Countess Maria Viktoria von Thun and the Imperial envoy Franz Wilhelm Freiherr von Firmian. His maternal uncle Count Johann Ernst von Thun
was Bishop of Seckau from 1679 until 1687 and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1687 to 1709.
Leopold Anton von Firmian was the uncle of cardinal Leopold Ernst von Firmian
, also prince-bishop of Passau
. His nephew, Karl Joseph von Firmian, the Austrian plenipotentiary minister in Milan
, was renowned as a patron of the arts, including poets such as Giuseppe Parini
, musicians such as Johann Ernst Eberlin
and painters such as Giambettino Cignaroli
. While Leopold Anton was an early patron of Leopold Mozart
; the nephew, count Karl Firmian appears to have been one of the patrons for Amadeus Mozart's opera in Milan: Mitridate, Re di Ponto
circa 1770.
in Rome
in 1707 and became provost
of the Salzburg chapter in 1713. Pope Clement XI
appointed him Bishop of Lavant in 1718, Pope Benedict XIII
also made him Bishop of Seckau in 1724. On 4 October 1727 he was elected Archbishop of Salzburg. He had Schloss Klessheim
finished and Schloss Leopoldskron erected as his private residence.
On a darker note, Firmian was a fierce advocate of the Counter-Reformation
pursued in his Salzburg lands by the Jesuit order
, who however could not prevail against widespread Crypto-protestantism
. On October 31, 1731, the 214th anniversary of Martin Luther
's nailing of his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg School door, Archbishop Count Leopold Anton von Firmian signed an Edict of Expulsion of Protestantshttp://historisches-franken.de/auswanderer/emigrapatent.htm contradicting the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
, declaring that all Protestants in the bishopric of Salzburg were rebels, who had to recant their non-Catholic beliefs or be banished within days. To the archbishop's surprise, over 20 thousand citizens professed Protestant beliefs and were exiled. Many of those who survived the flight were received by King Frederick William I of Prussia
and settled around Gumbinnen
in the East Prussia
n province. Others, including the miller Petrus Wimbisfelder, settled in the estuary of the river Schelde, near the coast of Zeeuws Vlaanderen - a part of the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. The expulsion caused vehement protest by the Protestant Imperial Estates
and did severe damage to Salzburg's economy.
Archbishop Firmian is buried at the crypt of Salzburg Cathedral.
Lavant
Lavant was a prince-bishopric, suffragan of the Prince-archbishop of Salzburg, then in the southern part of imperial Austria's Styria. Later the area was re-assigned to presentday Slovenia. It became the Slovenian bishopric of Maribor, a suffragan of the Archbishop of Ljubljana, on 5 March 1962...
1718-1724, 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:...
1724-1727 and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg
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 1727 until his death.
Family
He was born in MunichMunich
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...
, on his father's side to the Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
en (Barons) dynasty von Firmian descending from Sigmundskron
Sigmundskron Castle
Sigmundskron Castle is an extensive castle and set of fortifications near Bolzano in South Tyrol. Today its ruins house the fourth mountain museum established by the South Tyrolean mountaineer, Reinhold Messner...
(Formigar) Castle in Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
, by virtue of being the son of Countess Maria Viktoria von Thun and the Imperial envoy Franz Wilhelm Freiherr von Firmian. His maternal uncle Count Johann Ernst von Thun
Johann Ernst von Thun
Johann Ernst von Thun was prince-archbishop of Salzburg, Austria, from 1687 to 1709. He was originally from Tyrol and he displayed a marked antipathy to the Italian designers and tastemakers that were emulated by many Austrians at the time...
was Bishop of Seckau from 1679 until 1687 and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1687 to 1709.
Leopold Anton von Firmian was the uncle of cardinal 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...
, also prince-bishop of 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....
. His nephew, Karl Joseph von Firmian, the Austrian plenipotentiary minister in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, was renowned as a patron of the arts, including poets such as Giuseppe Parini
Giuseppe Parini
Giuseppe Parini was an Italian Enlightenment satirist and poet of the neoclassic period.-Biography:Parini was born in Bosisio in Brianza, Lombardy...
, musicians such as Johann Ernst Eberlin
Johann Ernst Eberlin
Johann Ernst Eberlin was a German composer and organist whose works bridge the baroque and classical eras. He was a prolific composer, chiefly of church organ and choral music...
and painters such as Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli was an Italian painter of the Rococo and early Neoclassic period.He was born and died in Verona. He was a pupil of Santo Prunato and Antonio Balestra and active mostly in the area of the Veneto...
. While Leopold Anton was an early patron of Leopold Mozart
Leopold Mozart
Johann Georg Leopold Mozart was a German composer, conductor, teacher, and violinist. Mozart is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule.-Childhood and student years:He was born in Augsburg, son of...
; the nephew, count Karl Firmian appears to have been one of the patrons for Amadeus Mozart's opera in Milan: Mitridate, Re di Ponto
Mitridate, re di Ponto
Mitridate, re di Ponto , K. 87 , is an early opera seria in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto is by Vittorio Amadeo Cigna-Santi after Giuseppe Parini's Italian translation of Jean Racine....
circa 1770.
Reign
Firmian had prepared for an ecclesiastical career, received his ordinationOrdination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
in 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...
in 1707 and became 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 the Salzburg chapter in 1713. Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI , born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death in 1721.-Early life:...
appointed him Bishop of Lavant in 1718, Pope Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII
-Footnotes:...
also made him Bishop of Seckau in 1724. On 4 October 1727 he was elected Archbishop of Salzburg. He had Schloss Klessheim
Schloss Klessheim
Schloss Klessheim is a Baroque palace situated west of Salzburg in the Austrian commune of Wals-Siezenheim. A former summer residence of the Archbishops of Salzburg, it is now used by Salzburg Casino.-History:...
finished and Schloss Leopoldskron erected as his private residence.
On a darker note, Firmian was a fierce advocate of 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...
pursued in his Salzburg lands by the Jesuit order
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, who however could not prevail against widespread Crypto-protestantism
Crypto-protestantism
Crypto-Protestantism is an historical phenomenon that occurred on the territory of the Habsburg Empire. It describes the attempt made after the Protestant Reformation to regain for Catholicism parts of the Empire that had become Protestant...
. On October 31, 1731, the 214th anniversary 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...
's nailing of his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg School door, Archbishop Count Leopold Anton von Firmian signed an Edict of Expulsion of Protestantshttp://historisches-franken.de/auswanderer/emigrapatent.htm contradicting the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
, declaring that all Protestants in the bishopric of Salzburg were rebels, who had to recant their non-Catholic beliefs or be banished within days. To the archbishop's surprise, over 20 thousand citizens professed Protestant beliefs and were exiled. Many of those who survived the flight were received by King Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
and settled around Gumbinnen
Gusev
Gusev is a town and the administrative center of Gusevsky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Pissa and Krasnaya Rivers, near the border with Poland and Lithuania, east of Chernyakhovsk. Population: -History:...
in the East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
n province. Others, including the miller Petrus Wimbisfelder, settled in the estuary of the river Schelde, near the coast of Zeeuws Vlaanderen - a part of the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. The expulsion caused vehement protest by the Protestant Imperial Estates
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...
and did severe damage to Salzburg's economy.
Archbishop Firmian is buried at the crypt of Salzburg Cathedral.