The Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg (german: Hochstift Brandenburg) was an

ecclesiastical principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

of the Holy Roman Empire from the 12th century until it was secularized during the second half of the 16th century. It should not be confused with the larger Diocese of Brandenburg ( la, Dioecesis Brandenburgensis) established by King Otto I of Germany in 948, in the territory of the ''

Marca Geronis The ''Marca Geronis'' (march of Gero) was a vast super-march in the middle of the tenth century. It was created probably for Thietmar (in the 920s) and passed to his two sons consecutively: Siegfried and Gero. On Gero's death in 965 it was divi ...

'' (

Saxon Eastern March The Saxon Eastern March (german: Sächsische Ostmark) was a march of the Holy Roman Empire from the 10th until the 12th century. The term "eastern march" stems from the Latin term ''marchia Orientalis'' and originally could refer to either a march ...

) east of the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...

river. The diocese, over which the prince-bishop exercised only spiritual authority, was a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg, its seat was

Brandenburg an der Havel Brandenburg an der Havel () is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, which served as the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg until it was replaced by Berlin in 1417. With a population of 72,040 (as of 2020), it is located on the banks of the ...

. The Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg was an

imperial estate An Imperial State or Imperial Estate ( la, Status Imperii; german: Reichsstand, plural: ') was a part of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet ('). Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise si ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

for some time, probably starting about 1161/1165. However, the Brandenburg bishops never managed to gain control over a significant territory, being overshadowed by the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe. Brandenburg developed out ...

, which was originally seated in the same city. Chapter and cathedral, surrounded by further ecclesiastical institutions, were located on the ''Dominsel'' (Cathedral Island), which formed a prince-episcopal cathedral immunity district (''Domfreiheit''), distinct from the city of Brandenburg. Only in 1929 the - meanwhile former - immunity district was incorporated into the city itself.

History

The foundation charter of the Brandenburg diocese is dated 1 October 948, though the actual founding date remained disputed among historians. The medieval chronicler

Thietmar of Merseburg Thietmar (also Dietmar or Dithmar; 25 July 9751 December 1018), Prince-Bishop of Merseburg from 1009 until his death, was an important chronicler recording the reigns of German kings and Holy Roman Emperors of the Ottonian (Saxon) dynasty. Two ...

mentions the year 938; the bishopric may also have been established in the course of the partition of the vast ''Marca Geronis'' and the emergence of the Northern March after Margrave

Gero Gero I ( – 20 May 965), sometimes called the Great ( la, magnus),Thompson, 486. Also se was a German nobleman who ruled an initially modest march centred on Merseburg in the south of the present German state of Saxony-Anhalt, which he expande ...

's death in 965. With the foundation, King Otto ( Holy Roman Emperor from 962) aimed at the

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

of the

Polabian Slavs Polabian Slavs ( dsb, Połobske słowjany, pl, Słowianie połabscy, cz, Polabští slované) is a collective term applied to a number of Lechitic ( West Slavic) tribes who lived scattered along the Elbe river in what is today eastern Germ ...

(

Wends Wends ( ang, Winedas ; non, Vindar; german: Wenden , ; da, vendere; sv, vender; pl, Wendowie, cz, Wendové) is a historical name for Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It refers not to a homogeneous people, but to various people ...

) and the incorporation of their territory into the

East Frankish East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the former empire int ...

realm. Brandenburg was originally a suffragan of the Archbishopric of Mainz, but in 968 it came under the jurisdiction of the Magdeburg archbishops. The

Great Slav Rising In the Slavic revolt of 983, Polabian Slavs, Wends, Lutici and Obotrite tribes, that lived east of the Elbe River in modern north-east Germany overthrew an assumed Ottonian rule over the Slavic lands and rejected Christianization under Empero ...

of 983 practically annihilated it, when revolting

Lutici The Lutici or Liutizi (known by various spelling variants) were a federation of West Slavic Polabian tribes, who between the 10th and 12th centuries lived in what is now northeastern Germany. Four tribes made up the core of the federation: th ...

tribes conquered Brandenburg and the neighbouring

Bishopric of Havelberg The Bishopric of Havelberg (german: Bistum Havelberg) was a Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic diocese founded by King Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I of Germany in 946, from 968 a Suffragan diocese, suffragan to the Archbishopric of Magdebu ...

. Brandenburg bishops continued to be appointed, but they were merely titular, residing in Magdeburg or acting as auxiliary bishops in the western territories of the Empire. Not until the final subjugation of the Wends in the 12th century by Margrave

Albert the Bear Albert the Bear (german: Albrecht der Bär; 1100 – 18 November 1170) was the first margrave of Brandenburg from 1157 to his death and was briefly duke of Saxony between 1138 and 1142. Life Albert was the only son of Otto, Count of Ba ...

, the German eastward settlement (''Ostsiedlung'') in the diocesan region revived the bishopric. Bishop Wigers of Brandenburg (acting 1138–60), an adherent of

Norbert of Xanten Norbert of Xanten, O. Praem (c. 1075 – 6 June 1134) (Xanten-Magdeburg), also known as Norbert Gennep, was a bishop of the Catholic Church, founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular, and is venerated as a saint. Norbert was can ...

, was the first of a series of bishops of the Premonstratensian Order, which chose the occupants of the episcopal see until 1447; in that year a bull of

Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V ( la, Nicholaus V; it, Niccolò V; 13 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene made ...

gave the right of nomination to the Brandenburg

elector Elector may refer to: * Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors * Elector, a member of an electoral college ** Confederate elector, a member of ...

, with whom the bishops stood in a close feudal relation. Bishop Wigers also established a Premonstratensian convent at Leitzkau (today part of Gommern, Saxony-Anhalt). Probably at the request of the Hevellian prince

Pribislav-Henry Pribislav-Henry (; d. 1150) was a Slavic Christian prince and the last ruler of the Hevelli (Stodorani) tribe in the Northern March of Brandenburg. His reign started, probably supported by the Ascanians, after the prior Hevelli prince Meinfrie ...

, he established another convent at the Slavic ''Parduin'' settlement in present-day Brandenburg an der Havel, which became the nucleus of the revived Brandenburg cathedral chapter. The incorporation into the Premonstratensian Order was confirmed by

Pope Clement III Pope Clement III ( la, Clemens III; 1130 – 20 March 1191), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by all ...

in 1188.

As rulers of

imperial immediacy Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular pri ...

, regnant in a, however, dispersed territory partitioned into the four bailiwicks (german: Ämter) of Brandenburg/Havel,

Ketzin Ketzin (, official name: ''Ketzin/Havel'') is a town in the Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Havel, 17 km northwest of Potsdam, and 40 km west of Berlin. History Demography File:Bevölkerun ...

Teltow Teltow [] is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. Geography Teltow is part of the agglomeration of Berlin. The distance to the Berlin city centre is , while the distance to Potsdam is . The Teltow Canal links the ...

and Ziesar. The prince-bishops from the early 14th century onwards resided in their fortress in Ziesar on the road to

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebu ...

. The last actual bishop was Matthias von Jagow (d. 1544), who took the side of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

, married, and in every way furthered the undertakings of the Hohenzollern elector Joachim II. There were two more nominal bishops, but on the petition of the latter of these, the electoral prince

John George of Brandenburg John George of Brandenburg (german: Johann Georg von Brandenburg; 11 September 1525 – 8 January 1598) was a prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1571–1598). Early life Born as a member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was th ...

appointed in 1560, the secularisation of the bishopric was undertaken and finally accomplished in 1571, in spite of legal proceedings to reassert the imperial immediacy of the prince-bishopric within the Empire and so to likewise preserve the diocese, which dragged on into the 17th century.

Bishops of Brandenburg

* 949–968: Dietmar * 968–980: Dodilo * 980–1004: Volkmar * 992–1018: Wigo * 1022–1032: Luizo * 1032-1048: Rudolf * 1048–1051: Dankwart * 1068–1080: Dietrich I * 1080–1092: Volkmar II * 1100–1122: Hartbert * 1124–1137: Ludolf * 1137–1138: Landbert

Prince-bishops

* 1138–1160: Wiggar * 1160–1173: Wilman * 1173–1179: Sigfried I * 1179–1190: Baldran * 1190–1192: Alexius * 1192–1205: Norbert * 1205–1216: Baldwin * 1216–1220: Siegfried II * 1221–1222: Ludolf von Schanebeck, claimant, but not enthroned * 1221–1222: Wichmann von Arnstein, counter-claimant, also not enthroned * 1222–1241: Gernot * 1241–1251: Rutger von Ammendorf * 1251–1261: Otto von Mehringen * 1261–1278: Heinrich I von Osthenen (or ''Ostheeren'') * 1278–1287: Gebhard * 1287–1290: Heidenreich * 1290–1291: Richard, refused the appointment * 1291–1296: Dietrich, not enthroned * 1296–1302: Vollrad von Krempa * 1303–1316: Friedrich von Plötzkau * 1316–1324: Johann I von Tuchen * 1324–1327: Heinrich II Count of Barby, not enthroned * 1327–1347: Ludwig Schenk von Reindorf (or ''Neuendorf'') * 1347–1365: Dietrich II Kothe * 1366–1393: Dietrich III von der Schulenburg * 1393–1406: Heinrich III von Bodendiek (or ''Bodendieck'') * 1406–1414: Henning von Bredow * 1414: Friedrich von Grafeneck,

Prince-Bishop of Augsburg The Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg (german: Fürstbistum Augsburg; Hochstift Augsburg) was one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, and belonged to the Swabian Circle. It should not be confused with the larger diocese of Augsburg, ...

1413–1414 * 1415–1420: Johann von Waldow,

Bishop of Lebus The Diocese of Lebus (; ; ) is a former diocese of the Catholic Church. It was erected in 1125 and suppressed in 1598. The Bishop of Lebus was also, '' ex officio'', the ruler of a lordship that was coextensive with the territory of the diocese. T ...

1420–1423 * 1420: Friedrich von Grafeneck, again * 1421–1459: Stephan Bodecker * 1459–1472: Dietrich IV von Stechow * 1472–1485: Arnold von Burgsdorff * 1485–1507: Joachim I von Bredow * 1507–1520: Hieronymus Schulz (or ''Scultetus''), Bishop of Havelberg 1521–1522 * 1520–1526: Dietrich V von Hardenberg

Lutheran bishops

* 1526–1544: Matthias von Jagow * 1544–1546: ''

Sede vacante ''Sede vacante'' ( in Latin.) is a term for the state of a diocese while without a bishop. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term is used to refer to the vacancy of the bishop's or Pope's authority upon his death or resignation. Hi ...

'' * 1546–1560:

Joachim of Münsterberg-Oels Joachim of Münsterberg ( cs, Jáchym z Minstrberka, german: Joachim von Münsterberg or ''Joachim of Münsterberg-Oels''), also: Joachim of Poděbrady (German: ''Joachim von Podiebrad''; Czech: ''Jáchym z Poděbrad'', pl, Joachim Podiebradowicz ...

* 1560–1569/71:

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

(''Verweser'') * 1569/71:

Joachim Frederick of Brandenburg Joachim Frederick (27 January 1546 – 18 July 1608), of the House of Hohenzollern, was Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1598 until his death. Biography Joachim Frederick was born in Cölln to John George, Elector of Brande ...

Secularized and merged into Brandenburg.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bishopric Of Brandenburg Brandenburg Diocese Brandenburg Bishopric

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...

Brandenburg Diocese

Former states and territories of Brandenburg Brandenburg an der Havel 10th-century establishments in Germany

History

Bishops of Brandenburg

Prince-bishops

Lutheran bishops

See also

References