The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven
Prince-elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the Holy Roman Emperor, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the 13th century ...
s 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 ...
. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the
Electorate of Mainz
The Electorate of Mainz (german: Kurfürstentum Mainz or ', la, Electoratus Moguntinus), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In the ...
, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. The Archbishop-Elector was president of the electoral college,
archchancellor of the empire, and the
Primate
Primates are a diverse order (biology), order of mammals. They are divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include the Tarsiiformes, tarsiers and ...
of Germany as the
papal legate
300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the pope's legate.
A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title ''legatus'') is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic ...
north of the Alps, until the
dissolution of the empire in 1806.
The origin of the title dates back to 747, when the city of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
was made the seat of an archbishop, and a succession of able and ambitious prelates made the district under their rule a strong and vigorous state. Among these men were important figures in the history of Germany such as
Hatto I,
Adalbert of Mainz,
Siegfried III,
Peter of Aspelt and
Albert of Brandenburg. There were several violent contests between rivals for the archbishopric, and their power struggles occasionally moved the citizens of Mainz to revolt. The lands of the elector lay around the city of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
on both banks of the
Rhine
The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...
; their area reached 3200 sq. miles by the end of the Empire. The last elector was
Karl Theodor von Dalberg
Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was Prince- Archbishop of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Bishop of Constance and Worms, prince-primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and Gra ...
, who lost his temporal power when the archbishopric was secularized in 1803.
Elector of Mainz (1356–1803)
The Archbishop of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular
prince
A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...
in 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 ...
between 780–782 and 1802. In Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the ''
primas Germaniae'', the substitute for the Pope north of the Alps. Aside from Rome, the See of Mainz is the only other see referred to as a "Holy See", although this usage became rather less common.
This archbishopric was a substantial
ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. The ecclesiastical principality included lands near
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
on both the left and right banks of the
Rhine
The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...
, as well as territory along the
Main above
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its ...
(including the district of
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat.
Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...
), the
Eichsfeld region in Lower Saxony and Thuringia, and the territory around
Erfurt
Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits ...
in
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
. The archbishop was also, traditionally, one of the Imperial
Prince-Elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the Holy Roman Emperor, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the 13th century ...
s, the
Arch-chancellor
An archchancellor ( la, archicancellarius, german: Erzkanzler) or chief chancellor was a title given to the highest dignitary of the Holy Roman Empire, and also used occasionally during the Middle Ages to denote an official who supervised the wo ...
of
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, and presiding officer of the
electoral college technically from 1251 and permanently from 1263 until 1803.
The
see was established in
ancient Roman times, in the city of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
, which had been a Roman
provincial capital called Moguntiacum, but the office really came to prominence upon its elevation to an
archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
in 780/82. The first bishops before the 4th century have legendary names, beginning with
Crescens. The first verifiable Bishop of Mainz was Martinus in 343. The ecclesiastical and secular importance of Mainz dates from the accession of St.
Boniface
Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant ...
to the see in 747. Boniface was previously an archbishop, but the honor did not immediately devolve upon the see itself until his successor Lullus.
In 1802, Mainz lost its archiepiscopal character. In the secularizations that accompanied the ''
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss'' ("
German mediatization
German mediatisation (; german: deutsche Mediatisierung) was the major territorial restructuring that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany and the surrounding region by means of the mass mediatisation and Secularization (church property) ...
") of 1803, the seat of the elector,
Karl Theodor von Dalberg
Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was Prince- Archbishop of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Bishop of Constance and Worms, prince-primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and Gra ...
, was moved to
Regensburg, and the electorate lost its left bank territories to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, its right bank areas along the Main below Frankfurt to
Hesse-Darmstadt and the
Nassau princes, and Eichsfeld and Erfurt to
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
. Dalberg retained the Aschaffenburg area however, and when the Holy Roman Empire finally came to an end in 1806, this became the core of Dalberg's new
Grand Duchy of Frankfurt
The Grand Duchy of Frankfurt was a German satellite state of Napoleonic creation. It came into existence in 1810 through the combination of the former territories of the Archbishopric of Mainz along with the Free City of Frankfurt itself.
His ...
. Dalberg resigned in 1813 and in 1815 the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
divided his territories between the King of
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
, the
Elector of Hesse, the Grand Duke of
Hesse-Darmstadt and the Free City of
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its ...
.
The modern
Diocese of Mainz was founded in 1802, within the territory of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
and in 1814 its jurisdiction was extended over the territory of Hesse-Darmstadt. Since then it has had two
cardinals and via various
concordat
A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...
s was allowed to retain the mediæval tradition of the
cathedral chapter electing a successor to the
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
.
Bishops and archbishops
Bishops of Moguntiacum, 80–745
*
Crescens c. 80–103
*Marinus c. 103–109
*St. Crescentius c. 109–127
*Cyriacus c. 127–141
*Hilarius c. 141–161
*Martin I c. 161–175
*Celsus c. 175–197
*Lucius c. 197–207
*Gotthard c. 207–222
*Sophron c. 222–230
*Heriger I c. 230–234
*Ruther c. 234–254
*Avitus c. 254–276
*Ignatius c. 276–289
*Dionysius c. 289–309
*Ruprecht I c. 309–321
*Adalhard c. 320s
*Lucius Annaeus c. 330s
*Martin II c. 330s – c. 360s
*Sidonius I c. late 360s – c. 386
*Sigismund c. 386 – c. 392
*
Theonistus
Saint Theonistus (''Theonist, Teonesto, Thaumastus, Thaumastos, Theonestus, Thonistus, Onistus, Teonisto, Tonisto'') is a saint venerated by the Catholic Church. Theonistus is venerated with two companions, Tabra and Tabratha (also ''Tabraham and ...
or Thaumastus
*
Maximus
*Lupold c. 392 – c. 409
*Nicetas c. 409 – c. 417
*Marianus c. 417 – c. 427
*
Aureus c. 427 – c. 443
*Eutropius c. 443 – c. 467
*Adalbald
*Nather
*Adalbert (I)
*Lantfried
*Sidonius II ? – c. 589
*Siegbert I c. 589–610
*
Ludegast c. 610–615
*Rudwald c. 615
*Lubald ? fl. c. 625
*
Rigibert 708-724
*Gerold 724–743
*
Gewilip c. 744 – c. 745
Archbishops of Mainz, 745–1251
*
Saint Boniface
Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations o ...
745–754
*
Lullus 754–786 (First archbishop)
*
Richholf 787–813
*
Adolf 813–826
*
Odgar 826–847
*
Rabanus Maurus 848–856
*
Karl Karl may refer to:
People
* Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne
* Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer
* Karl of Austria, last Austri ...
856–863
*
Ludbert 863–889
*
Sunderhold
Sunderolt (or Sunderhold) (died 25 June 891) was the Archbishop of Mainz from 889 until his death.
Sunderolt had not held the primatial see of Germany for long when a Viking invasion of West Francia attracted his attention. He led an army of Rhen ...
889–891
*
Hatto I 891–913
*
Herigar 913–927
*
Hildebert 927-937
*
Frederick 937–954
*
William
William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...
954–968
*
Hatto II 968–970
*
Rudbrecht 970–975
*
Willigis 975–1011
*
Erkanbald 1011–1021
*
Aribo 1021–1031
*
Bardo 1031–1051
*
Luitpold 1051–1059
*
Siegfried I 1060–1084
*
Wezilo 1084–1088
*
Rudhart
Ruthard (died 1109) was Archbishop of Mainz from 1089 to 1109, and a leading opponent of the Emperor Henry IV and his antipope Clement III (Wibert of Ravenna). He spent nearly eight years in exile because of his opposition, and played a part in th ...
1088–1109
*
Adalbert I von Saarbrücken
Adalbert I von Saarbrücken (died June 23, 1137) was Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1111 until his death. He played a key role in opposing Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, during the Investiture Controversy, and secured the election of Lothair III ...
1111–1137
*
Adalbert II von Saarbrücken 1138–1141
*
Markholf 1141–1142
*
Henry I 1142–1153
*
Arnold von Selenhofen 1153–1160
*
Christian I 1160–1161
**
Rudolf of
Zähringen 1160–1161 (opposing)
*
Conrad I of Wittelsbach 1161–1165
*
Christian I 1165–1183
*Conrad I of Wittelsbach (restored) 1183–1200
*
Luitpold von Scheinfeld 1200–1208
*
Sigfried II von Eppstein 1200–1230 (in opposition until 1208)
*
Sigfried III von Eppstein 1230–1249
*
Christian III von Weisenau 1249–1251
Archbishops-Electors of Mainz, 1251–1803
*Gerhard I von Daun-Kirberg 1251–1259
*Werner II von Eppstein 1260–1284
*Heinrich II von Isny 1286–1288
*Gerhard II von Eppstein 1286–1305
*
Peter of Aspelt 1306–1320
*Matthias von Bucheck 1321–1328
*Heinrich III von Virneberg 1328–1337
**
Baldwin of Luxembourg 1328–1336, administrator
*
Gerlach von Nassau
Gerlach is a male forename of Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this case, those ...
1346–1371
*Johann I von Luxemburg-Ligny 1371–1373
*
Louis of Meissen 1374–1379
*
Adolf I von Nassau 1379–1390
*Konrad II von Weinsberg 1390–1396
*Joffrid von Leiningen 1396–1397
*Johann II von Nassau 1397–1419
*
Conrad III of Dhaun
Conrad may refer to:
People
* Conrad (name)
Places
United States
* Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Iowa, a city
* Conrad, Montana, a city
* Conrad Glacier, Washing ...
, Wild- and
Rhinegrave zum Stein 1419–1434
*
Dietrich Schenk von Erbach
Dietrich (Theodoric) Schenk von Erbach (died 6 May 1459) was a German nobleman. He was Archbishop of Mainz from 1434 until 1459.
Theodoric was a son of Arch-Cupbearer Eberhard VI of Erbach. He was a member of the cathedral chapter of Mainz w ...
1434–1459
*
Dieter von Isenburg 1460–1461
*
Adolf II von Nassau (or Adolf III) 1461–1475
*
Dieter von Isenburg (restored) 1476–1482
*
Adalbert III of Saxony 1482–1484
*
Bertold von Henneberg-Römhild 1484–1504
*
Jakob von Liebenstein 1504-1508
*
Uriel von Gemmingen 1508–1514
*
Albert III of Brandenburg 1514–1545
*
Sebastian von Heusenstamm
Sebastian of Heusenstamm (german: Sebastian von Heusenstamm) (16 March 1508 – 18 March 1555) was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1545 to 1555.
Biography
Sebastian of Heusenstamm was born in Frankfurt on March 16, 1508. He was ordained ...
1545–1555
*
Daniel Brendel von Homburg 1555–1582
*
Wolfgang von Dalberg
Wolfgang von Dalberg (1538 – April 5, 1601) was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1582 to 1601.
Biography
Wolfgang von Dalberg was born in 1538, the son of Friedrich Kämmerer von Worms alias von Dalberg (1500–1574), and his wife Anna vo ...
1582–1601
*
Johann Adam von Bicken 1601–1604
*
Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg
Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg (15 July, 1553 – 17 September, 1626) was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1604 to 1626.
Biography
Early life, 1553–1604
Born on July 15, 1553, Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg was the third son of Hartmu ...
1604–1626
*
Georg Friedrich von Greiffenklau
Georg Friedrich von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads (also spelled ''Greiffenclau''; 8 September 1573 – 6 July 1629) was the Prince-Bishop of Worms from 1616 to 1629 and the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1626 to 1629.
Biography
Georg Friedrich von ...
1626–1629
*
Anselm Casimir Wambold von Umstadt
Anselm Casimir Wambold von Umstadt (30 November 1582 – 9 October 1647) was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1629 to 1647.
Biography
Anselm Casimir Wambold von Umstadt was the son of Eberhard Wambolt Umstadt (1546–1601) and Anna von Reif ...
1629–1647
*
Johann Philipp von Schönborn 1647–1673
*
Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid 1673–1675
*
Damian Hartard von der Leyen-Hohengeroldseck 1675–1678
*
Karl Heinrich von Metternich-Winneburg 1679
*
Anselm Franz von Ingelheim 1679–1695
*
Lothar Franz von Schönborn 1695–1729
*
Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg 1729–1732
*
Philipp Karl von Eltz-Kempenich
Philipp Karl von Eltz-Kempenich (26 October 1665 – 21 March 1743) was Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1732 to 1743.
Biography
Philipp Karl von Eltz-Kempenich was born at Burg Eltz on 26 October 1665. In 1686, he enrolled in the Collegium ...
1732–1743
*
Johann Friedrich Karl von Ostein 1743–1763
*
Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim 1763–1774
*
Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal 1774–1802
*
Karl Theodor von Dalberg
Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was Prince- Archbishop of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Bishop of Constance and Worms, prince-primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and Gra ...
1802–1803
Karl Theodor von Dalberg
Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was Prince- Archbishop of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Bishop of Constance and Worms, prince-primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and Gra ...
died in 1817 and was Archbishop of Regensburg 1803–1810, Prince of Frankfurt 1806–1810 and Grand Duke of Frankfurt 1810–1813.
Notes
{{Authority control