Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg

Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg (german: Heinrich von Sachsen-Lauenburg; 1 November 1550 – 22 April 1585, Vörde) was a Prince-Archbishop of Bremen (as ''Henry III''), then Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (as ''Henry II''), then Prince-Bishop of Paderborn (as ''Henry IV'').

Life

Early years

Henry was a member of the House of Ascania, Saxe-Lauenburg line. He was the third son of Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg (1543–1581) and his wife Sibylle of Saxony, who had both converted to Lutheranism.Jörg Hillmann, "Heinrich (III.), Herzog von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: see references for bibliographical details, pp. 127–131, here p. 127. . Henry was raised Lutheran. At the age of ten, he was promised a prebend as canon (german: Domherr) at the cathedral chapter at Cologne. Since 1564 he studied at the University of Cologne under law professor Dr. Conrad Betzdorf, who housed him and his brother Frederick and was their mentor.Jörg Hillmann, "Heinrich (III.), Herzog von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: see references for bibliographical details, pp. 127–131, here p. 128. .

While his youth is recorded as wild, he is recalled as a quiet student. During his studies in Cologne Henry came to know and love Anna von Broich (Borch), who lived as foster child with Betzdorf, since her parents, Cologne's Burgomaster Heinrich von Broich and his wife Ursula, had perished in the plague in 1553. In 1565 he received the prebend and in the following year he advanced to canonicate.

In 1524 the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen had subjected the autonomous farmers' republic of the Land of Wursten, but the Wursteners still hoped for a liberation and support from the neighbouring Saxe-Lauenburgian exclave of the Land of Hadeln.Matthias Nistal, "Die Zeit der Reformation und der Gegenreformation und die Anfänge des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (1511–1632)", in: see references for bibliographical details, vol. III: pp. 1-171, here 58. . So the enfranchised capitular canons, which were mostly Lutherans since the Reformation, of Bremen Cathedral and Hamburg Cathedral chapter (with only three votes) elected Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg archbishop on 17 February 1567. Since his predecessor Prince-Archbishop George had no coadjutor, an office usually entailing the succession to the see, several dynasts applied for sons of their houses. Henry's election included a deal stipulated with Henry's father Francis I, who waived any Saxe-Lauenburgian claim to the ''Land of Wursten'', earlier raised by his father Magnus I, as well as to the bailiwick of Bederkesa and Elmlohe, de facto held by Bremen city and abandoned the lawsuit, which Francis had brought to the Imperial Chamber Court to this end.

In his election capitulation ('' Wahlkapitulation'') Henry covenanted to accept the privileges of the Estates of the Prince-Archbishopric (Stiftsstände) and the existing laws. Due to his minority he agreed, that Chapter and Estates would rule the Prince-Archbishopric until coming of age, paying him an annual appanage of 500 rixdollars.Matthias Nistal, "Die Zeit der Reformation und der Gegenreformation und die Anfänge des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (1511–1632)", in: see references for bibliographical details, vol. III: pp. 1-171, here 59. . For the time being Henry was supposed to work towards his papal confirmation as archbishop.

Administrator of Bremen

Henry de facto assumed regency in 1569, lacking any papal confirmation. He still had to repay debts from his pre-predecessor Prince-Archbishop Christopher ''the Spendthrift''Matthias Nistal, "Die Zeit der Reformation und der Gegenreformation und die Anfänge des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (1511–1632)", in: see references for bibliographical details, vol. III: pp. 1-171, here 61. . Henry continued George's financial assanation and developed for a better financial control the budgeting for the prince-archiepicopal expenditures. While Pope Pius V remained sceptic as to Henry's faith, Emperor Maximilian II regarded Henry a true Catholic, putting in a good word for Henry. Thus Maximilian granted Henry an imperial ''liege indult'' (Lehnsindult) in 1570, investing him with the princely regalia for the prince-archbishopric although he still lacked the papal confirmation.

Therefore, Henry never officially functioned as archbishop, but as princely Administrator of the Prince-Archbishopric, however, he was nevertheless colloquially referred to as prince-archbishop. Henry always observed the Roman Catholic formalities for the episcopal consecration, although he never wanted to be a Catholic bishop. The All Saints' Flood of November 1 and 2, 1570 inflicted terrible hardship in the Bremian Elbe Marshes.

In 1571 Henry started a campaign against brigandage.Jörg Hillmann, "Heinrich (III.), Herzog von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: see references for bibliographical details, pp. 127–131, here p. 129. . Through all his episcopate the Popes Pius V and Gregory XIII as well as the Emperors Maximilian II and Rudolph II tested Henry's obedience once in a while, demanding the succession of Catholic candidates for vacancies in the Bremian Cathedral Chapter - which it sometimes accepted, sometimes denied.Matthias Nistal, "Die Zeit der Reformation und der Gegenreformation und die Anfänge des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (1511–1632)", in: see references for bibliographical details, vol. III: pp. 1-171, here 60. . In 1567 the Holy See failed to replace the late Canon Christoph of East Frisia with the Catholic Wilhelm Quadt of Landskorn. Two years later Pius V prevailed with the Catholic Jodocus von Galen succeeding the Lutheran Canon Hermann Clüvers. In 1570 Pius ordered Henry to promote Verden's Catholic Cathedral Dean Nikolaus von Hemeling as Bremian cathedral provost (Dompropst), a function including the presidency of the chapter, while Maximilian demanded – using his privilege of presentation – Georg Rudell. However, the capitular canons then elected Henry's brother Frederick, succeeding the late Ludwig von Varendorf. After Frederick's death Gregory XIII demanded succession for the Catholic Theodor von Galen, and prevailed.

The chapter fulfilled the religious functions as in case of sede vacante until 26 September 1580, in order not to complicate a papal confirmation, which, however, never materialised. Henry then postponed his efforts to be recognised by Rome. The Pope succeeded to get a third Catholic canon elected into the else Lutheran chapter, Ahasver von Langen, later Provost of Zeven nunnery between 1601 and 1603, but these three never formed a Catholic opposition within the chapter.

Administrator of Osnabrück

On 23 May 1574 the cathedral chapter of Osnabrück elected Henry Bishop Henry II, as such lacking papal confirmation and imperial liege indult to rule the prince-bishopric. When the Osnabrück chapter appointed Henry administrator of the prince-bishopric, Henry swore to protect Catholic faith and to maintain peace between the denominations. The papal order not to appoint Henry administrator arrived in Osnabrück only days after his investiture, so that Henry celebrated his festive entering in the prince-bishopric in June 1574. In late 1574, the nuncio to Cologne, Kaspar Gropper, also professor at Cologne University, presented a protocol which evaluated the conditions for Henry's election in Münster and Osnabrück according to Canon Law. For Rome the recognition of Henry's election as bishop was not acceptable.

His reign in Osnabrück is overshadowed by numerous witch burnings. But he also completed the prince-episcopal Fürstenau Castle, started by his predecessor John of Hoya, while the started construction of a residential castle in Osnabrück ended with Henry's sudden death. Henry also ran for the episcopal elections of Münster in 1575, 1577 and 1580, but failed narrowly. The Catholic opposition played no relevant role in Osnabrück.

Marriage

On 25 October 1575, Court Preacher Hermann Gade married Henry and Anna of Broich (also known as Betzdorf) secretly in the chapel of Burghagen Castle in Hagen im Bremischen.Hans Wohltmann, "Heinrich III. Herzog von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'', Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 1969, vol. 8, p. 354. She was supposedly the biological daughter of his mentor, professor Betzdorf in Cologne. Bremen's cathedral chapter approved the wedding, violating Henry's election capitulation, but ordered that future administrators were not to marry. As reason for the marriage, he wrote into the wedding book that he did not possess the gift of chastity. The plague befell the prince-archbishopric in 1575. The year after Henry prompted the renovation of the Vörde hospital and infirmary founded by Prince-Archbishop Johann Rode, as he generally promoted the development of his residential town.

Regent of Hadeln

Since 1576, in anticipation of the inheritance of the Land of Hadeln, Henry served as regent of that Saxe-Lauenburgian exclave, consented by Emperor Rudolph II. In return Henry paid his indebted father a compensation and assumed his debts with the Counts of Oldenburg. After his father's death in 1581 Henry inherited Hadeln and used the opportunity to renew its Church Order (Lutheran church constitution), first issued in 1526. The publication of the ''Estates Laws of Hadeln'' (Hadler Landrecht, 1583), the compilation of which his father Francis had begun, fell into Henry's regency. His brother Francis II disputed Henry as heir, but could not prevail.

Administrator of Paderborn

In 1577 Pope Gregory XIII announced to excommunicate every capitular canon, who would dare to vote for Henry as administrator. Bremen's cathedral chapter recommended Paderborn's capitulars to elect him bishop there. The cathedral chapter then ignored the papal threat and elected Henry Bishop of Paderborn

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