![Wappen Kurtrier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Wappen_Kurtrier.gif)
The elector of Trier was one of the
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 emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the 13th century onwards, the prince ...
s of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
and, in his capacity as archbishop, administered the
archdiocese of Trier
The Diocese of Trier, in English historically also known as ''Treves'' ( IPA "tɾivz") from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.[electorate
Electorate may refer to:
* The people who are eligible to vote in an election, especially their number e.g. the term ''size of (the) electorate''
* The dominion of a Prince-elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, ...]
and the archdiocese were not, however, equivalent.
History
The transient authority of
archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
s was not gained without opposition. The
German king
This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (''Regnum Teutonicum''), from the division of the Frankish Empire in 843 and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until the collapse of the German Emp ...
s
Otto IV
Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.
Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196 ...
and
Conrad IV
Conrad (25 April 1228 – 21 May 1254), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was the only son of Emperor Frederick II from his second marriage with Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem. He inherited the title of King of Jerusalem (as Conrad II) up ...
in 1308 granted charters to the city of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
, authorizing the jurisdiction of its archbishop,
Baldwin of Luxembourg
Baldwin of Luxembourg (c. 1285 – 21 January 1354) was the Archbishop- Elector of Trier and Archchancellor of Burgundy from 1307 to his death. From 1328 to 1336, he was the diocesan administrator of the archdiocese of Mainz and from 1331 to 1 ...
. This prince, brother of
Emperor Henry VII
Henry VII ( German: ''Heinrich''; c. 1273 – 24 August 1313),Kleinhenz, pg. 494 also known as Henry of Luxembourg, was Count of Luxembourg, King of Germany (or '' Rex Romanorum'') from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first em ...
, who ruled from 1307 to 1354, was the real founder of the power of Trier. Although his predecessor, Diether III of Nassau, had left the electorate heavily encumbered with debt, Baldwin raised it to great prosperity with the help of the emperors Henry VII, Louis the Bavarian and Charles IV, to whom he had rendered active political and military support. He enlarged his territory almost to its ultimate extent. He assumed the title of arch-chancellor of Gaul and Aries (or Burgundy). In 1315 he accepted the claim of the archbishop of Cologne to hold the highest rank among the spiritual princes of the Empire after the archbishop of Mainz, with the elector of Trier holding third place in the electoral college. After Baldwin's death the prosperity of Trier was reduced by wars and disputes between rival claimants.
In 1456, the estates united for the purpose of restoring order and secured the right to elect their archbishop. Throughout the Middle Ages, the ''Sancta Civitas Trevirorum''
atin, “Holy City of Trier”was a flourishing site of religious foundations and became a great center of monastic learning. In the latter half of the 16th century the supervision of the electorate's educational system was taken over by the Jesuits. The university, founded in 1473, continued in operation until 1797.
Archbishop-Elector
Richard von Greiffenklau
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...
(1467–1531) successfully opposed the Reformation. One of his acts was the exhibition to the public of the
Seamless Robe of Jesus
The Seamless Robe of Jesus (also known as the Holy Robe, Holy Tunic, Holy Coat, Honorable Robe, and Chiton of the Lord) is the robe said to have been worn by Jesus during or shortly before his crucifixion. Competing traditions claim that the ro ...
, which is believed to have been worn by
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
before
his crucifixion. Trier thereafter became one of the major destinations of Christian pilgrims.
![Trier-Sponheim 1648](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Trier-Sponheim_1648.png)
During the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, Archbishop-Elector
Philip Christopher von Sotern favored France and accepted its protection in 1631. The following year, the French army drove all the Spanish and Swedish troops from the electorate, but in March 1635 the Spaniards returned, recaptured Trier and took the archbishop-elector prisoner. He remained in captivity for ten years, but in 1645 was reinstated by the French and confirmed in his authority by the
Treaty of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...
. The French occupied Trier in 1674 and 1688, but each time their occupation was brief.
The last archbishop-elector, Clement Wenceslaus (1768-1802), granted toleration to the Protestants in 1782. He established his seat of power at
Coblenz
Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary.
Koblenz was established as a Roman military post by Drusus around 8 B.C. Its na ...
in 1786, but in 1794 he was forced to flee
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and his
Grand Army
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and ...
. Under the
Peace of Luneville
Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
in 1801 France annexed all the territories of the Electorate of Trier to the west of the Rhine and, in 1802, the archbishop-elector abdicated. A new diocese was created for the French department of the Sarre with Trier as its seat. The electorate’s territories on the east side of the Rhine were secularized and given to Nassau-Weilburg in 1803. In 1814, at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, almost all the former lands of the electorate were allotted 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 em ...
together with the archdiocese. Another was founded in 1821 with virtually the same boundaries, but it was put under the control of the archbishop of Cologne.
Archbishops of Trier
![Trier Balduinbrunnen Balduin von Luxemburg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Trier_Balduinbrunnen_Balduin_von_Luxemburg.jpg)
*
Radbod 883–915
*Rudgar 915–930
*Rudbrecht 930–956
*
Heinrich I
Heinrich () is a German given name of ancient Germanic origin and cognate of ''Henry''. Female forms are ''Henrike'' and ''Henriette''. The most famous patron saint is Henry (died 1024), as the German Emperor Henry II.
Monarchs and royalty
* ...
956–964
*Dietrich I 965–977
*
Egbert
Egbert is a name that derives from old Germanic words meaning "bright edge", such as that of a blade. Anglo-Saxon variant spellings include Ecgberht () and Ecgbert. German variant spellings include Ekbert and Ecbert.
People with the first name Mid ...
977–993
*Ludolf 994–1008
*Megingod 1008–1015
*
Poppo von Babenberg 1016–1047
*
Eberhard Eberhard is an old Germanic name meaning the strength or courage of a wild boar.
People
First name
*Eberhard of Friuli (815–866), Duke and key figure in the Carolingian Empire
* Eberhard of Béthune (died 1212), Flemish grammarian
*Eberhard I, D ...
1047–1066
*Kuno I von
Wetterau
The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains.
Bettina von Arnim writes of ...
(Conrad) 1066-1066
*
Udo von Wetterau 1066–1078
*
Egilbert
Egilbert (or Engelbert) (died 1101), called of Rothenburg, was the Archbishop of Trier from 1079 until his death. He was a partisan of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy, and was rewarded in 1100 with the dignity o ...
1079–1101
*Bruno 1101–1124
*Gottfrid 1124–1127
*Meginher 1127–1130
*
Albero de Montreuil
Albero de Montreuil (german: Albero, Adalbero von Munsterol) (c. 1080 – 18 January 1152) was Archbishop of Trier from 1132 to 1152 and is the subject of the '' Gesta Alberonis''.
Albero was born near Toul in Lorraine, a scion of the petty nob ...
1131–1152
*
Hillin of Falmagne 1152–1169
*
Arnold I of Vaucourt
Arnold I of Vaucourt (french: Arnaud, Arnaut de Vaucort, german: Arnold von Valcourt, Valancourt, Walecourt) (''circa'' 1120 – May 25, 1183 in Trier), was the Archbishop of Trier from 1169 to 1183. He took a pro-Imperial position in the Investi ...
1169–1183
*
Folmar of Karden
Folmar of Karden (''ca''. 1135 – 1189), also occurring in the variant forms ''Fulmar'', ''Vollmar'', ''Volcmar'', ''Formal'', or ''Formator'', was the Archbishop of Trier from 1183 and the last not also to be a prince elector. He opposed t ...
1183–1189
Archbishop-Electors of Trier
*
John I John I may refer to:
People
* John I (bishop of Jerusalem)
* John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople
* John of Antioch (died 441)
* Pope John I, Pope from 523 to 526
* John I (exarch) (died 615), Exarch of Ravenna
* John I o ...
1189–1212
*
Theodoric II
Theodoric II, ''Teodorico'' in Spanish and Portuguese, ( 426 – early 466) was the eighth King of the Visigoths, from 453 to 466.
Biography
Theoderic II, son of Theodoric I, obtained the throne by killing his elder brother Thorismund. The Engli ...
(Dietrich von Wied) 1212–42
*
Arnold II von Isenburg 1242–59
*
Heinrich I von Finstingen 1260–86
*
Bohemond I von Warnesberg
Bohemond of Warnesberg (died 9 December 1299) was the Archbishop of Trier (as Bohemond I) and a Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 1286 to his death.
He achieved high religious postings in both Trier and Metz before being selected to re ...
1286–99
*
Diether von Nassau Diether is a German given name, composed of the elements ''diet'' "people" and ''her'' "army".
It is distinct from, but in Modern German has become homophonic with, the name Dieter, which is a short form of Dietrich, composed of the same prefix b ...
1300–07
*
Heinrich II von Virneburg
Count Heinrich II of Virneburg (german: Graf Heinrich II. von Virneburg) (1244 or 1246 – 5 January 1332) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1304 to his death in 1332.
Life
Heinrich was the sixth son of Count Heinrich of Virneburg (??1238-1290) and ...
1300–06 (in opposition)
*
Baldwin von Luxemburg
Baldwin of Luxembourg (c. 1285 – 21 January 1354) was the Archbishop- Elector of Trier and Archchancellor of Burgundy from 1307 to his death. From 1328 to 1336, he was the diocesan administrator of the archdiocese of Mainz and from 1331 to 1 ...
1307–54
*
Bohemond II von Saarbrücken
Bohemond of Saarbrücken (died 10 February 1367) was the Archbishop of Trier (as Bohemond II) and a Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 2 May 1354 to 4 April 1362.
Of the Alsatian house of Ettendorf, Bohemond was elected unanimously to ...
1354–61
*
Kuno II von Falkenstein
Kuno II of Falkenstein (actually Konrad von Falkenstein, born in 1320 at Burg Falkenstein in Donnersberg, died on 21 May 1388 at Burg Maus) was a German theologian and from 1362 to 1388 the Roman Catholic Archbishop Elector of Trier.Claudia Bolgi ...
1362–88
*
Werner von Falkenstein Werner von Falkenstein ( 1355 – October 4, 1418), was a German Archbishop and Elector of Trier. He served as Archbishop from 1388 to 1418 as Werner III; he was the great-nephew of his predecessor Kuno II von Falkenstein (1362-1388) and a member ...
1388–1417
*
Lenihan von Weideburg 1417–1419
*
Otto von Ziegenhain
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded ...
1419–30
*
Rhaban von Helmstadt 1430–38
*
Jakob von Sierk
Jakob may refer to:
People
* Jakob (given name), including a list of people with the name
* Jakob (surname), including a list of people with the name
Other
* Jakob (band), a New Zealand band, and the title of their 1999 EP
* Max Jakob Memorial Aw ...
1439–56
*
Johann II of Baden 1456–1503
*
Jakob von Baden
Jakob von Baden ( en, James of Baden) (6 June 1471 – 27 April 1511) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1503 to 1511.
Biography
Jakob von Baden was born at the Burg Hohenbaden in Baden-Baden on 6 June 1471, the second child and eldest so ...
1503–11
*
Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads
Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads (also spelled Greiffenclau and Vollraths) (1467 – 13 March 1531) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1511 to 1531.
Biography
Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads was born in Schloss Vollrads in 1467, ...
1511–31
*
Johann von Metzenhausen
Johann von Metzenhausen (1492–1540) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1531 to 1540.
Biography
Johann von Metzenhausen was born in Neef in 1492, the son of Heinrich von Metzenhausen and his wife Margarete Boos von Waldeck. He became ...
1531–40
*
Johann Ludwig von Hagen
Johann Ludwig von Hagen (1492–1547) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1540 to 1547.
Biography
Johann Ludwig von Hagen was born in Pfalzel near Trier in 1492, the son of Friedrich von Hagen, ''Amtmann'' of the Archbishopric of Trier. ...
1540–47
*
John of Isenburg-Grenzau
John of Isenburg-Grenzau (German: Johann V. von Isenburg-Grenzau) (c. 1507 – 18 February 1556, in Montabaur) was the Count of Isenburg-Grenzau from 1554 until 1556, and (as John IV) the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1547 until 1556.
John wa ...
1547–56
*
Johann von der Leyen
Johann von der Leyen (1510–1567) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1556 to 1567.
Biography
Johann von der Leyen was born in Saffig in 1510, the son of Bartholomäus von der Leyen, chancellor of the Archbishopric of Cologne, and his wi ...
1556–67
*
Jakob von Eltz-Rübenach
Jakob von Eltz-Rübenach (1510–1581) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1567 to 1581.
Biography
Jakob von Eltz-Rübenach was born in Burg Eltz in 1510, the second son of Johann von und zu Eltz and his wife Maria von Breitbach.
Jakob vo ...
1567–81
*
Johann von Schönenberg
Johann von Schönenberg (1525–1599) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1581 to 1599.
Von Schönenberg was born in Burg Hartelstein in Schwirzheim in 1525. His father was also named Johann von Schönenberg. He became ''Domizellar'' of th ...
1581–99
*
Lothar von Metternich
Lothar Johann Reinhard von Metternich (23 August 1551 – 17 September 1623) was the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1599 to 1623.
Biography
Lothar von Metternich was born in Schloss Vettelhoven in Grafschaft on 31 August 1551, the son of Joha ...
1599–1623
*
Philipp Christoph von Sötern
Philipp Christoph von Sötern (11 December 1567 – 7 February 1652) was the Prince-Bishop of Speyer from 1610 to 1652 and the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1623 to 1652.
Biography
Philipp Christoph von Sötern was born in Zweibrücken. He w ...
1623–52
*
Karl Kaspar von der Leyen-Hohengeroldseck
Karl Kaspar von der Leyen (18 December 1618 – 1 June 1676) was Archbishop-Elector of Trier and a Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 1652 to 1676.
Life
A member of the noble Leyen family, Charles Kaspar was made a coadjutor bishop o ...
1652–76
*
Johann Hugo von Orsbeck 1676–1711
*
Charles Joseph of Lorraine
Charles Joseph John Anthony Ignace Felix of Lorraine (german: Karl Joseph Anton Johann Ignaz Felix von Lothringen), also known as ''Charles III'' in his capacity as the bishop of Olomouc (24 November 1680 – 4 December 1715), was a German prela ...
1711–15
*
Franz Ludwig of Palatinate-Neuburg
Francis Louis of Palatinate-Neuburg (; 18 July 1664 – 6 April 1732) was bishop and archbishop of several dioceses, prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, and of the Teutonic Order.
Life
He was born in Neuburg an der Donau as son of Phili ...
1716–29
*
Franz Georg von Schönborn-Buchheim Franz may refer to:
People
* Franz (given name)
* Franz (surname)
Places
* Franz (crater), a lunar crater
* Franz, Ontario, a railway junction and unorganized town in Canada
* Franz Lake, in the state of Washington, United States – see Fran ...
1729–56
*
Johann Philipp von Walderdorf 1756–68
*
Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony
Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (German: ''Clemens Wenzeslaus August Hubertus Franz Xaver von Sachsen'') (28 September 1739 – 27 July 1812) was a Saxon prince from the House of Wettin and the Archbishop- Elector of Trier from 1768 until 18 ...
1768–1803
[From 1794, after the French conquest of the Imperial territories on the left-bank of the Rhine, ]Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony
Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (German: ''Clemens Wenzeslaus August Hubertus Franz Xaver von Sachsen'') (28 September 1739 – 27 July 1812) was a Saxon prince from the House of Wettin and the Archbishop- Elector of Trier from 1768 until 18 ...
was Archbishop with effect on the right bank only.
References
{{Electors of the Holy Roman Empire after 1356