Count Philipp Gotthard von Schaffgotsch (3 July 1716 – 5 January 1795) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Prince-Bishop of Breslau and an important promoter of music.

Ecclesiastical career

Schaffgotsch was born in Bad Warmbrunn in the

Riesengebirge The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše or Karkonosze (Czech: , Polish: , german: Riesengebirge) are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massif ...

mountains to the

House of Schaffgotsch The House of Schaffgotsch is the name of an old and influential Silesian noble family which dates back to the thirteenth century. History Around 1240, the first Schaffgotsch appears in a Silesian document as "Sibotho de nobili Familia Ovium" ("o ...

, an old

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

n aristocratic family. He was educated by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

at the Collegium Romanum in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. In 1738, Schaffgotsch was ordained a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and was appointed a canon in

Olomouc Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019). Located on th ...

Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...

and later in Breslau. During this time he became a member of the fraternal organization known as

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and was heavily influenced by the Enlightenment-era ideas and philosophies. And although Freemasonry was condemned by

Pope Clement XII Pope Clement XII ( la, Clemens XII; it, Clemente XII; 7 April 16526 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his death in February 1740. Clement presided over the ...

in 1738 in the papal bull ''In eminenti'', Schaffgotsch supported the creation of the first Freemason loge in the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n capital, Vienna. Despite his disagreements with the

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, in 1743 he was created an abbot and soon after a

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

of Breslau to Prince-Bishop

Philipp Ludwig von Sinzendorf Philipp Ludwig von Sinzendorf (14 July 1699 – 28 September 1747) was an Austrian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was born in Paris, France as the son of Philipp Ludwig Wenzel von Sinzendorf, who was Austrian Ambassador there. The House o ...

. Following Sinzendorf's death in 1747, Schaffgotsch was elevated by King

Frederick II of Prussia Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

to Prince-Bishop. This appointment was confirmed by

Pope Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758.Antipope ...

on 5 March 1748 despite Schaffgotsch's relationship with Freemasons. Count Philipp Gotthard of Schaffgotsch was finally consecrated on 1 May 1748.

Later years

COA bishop DE Schaffsgotsch Philipp Gotthard

In 1757, at the outset of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

, Schaffgotsch, on the advice of Empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

, left Breslau and moved the seat of his diocese to castle

Jánský Vrch Jánský Vrch (german: Schloß Johannesberg) is a castle located in the Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. The castle stands on a hill above the town of Javorník in the north-western edge of Czech Silesia, in area w ...

Austrian Silesia Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

viewed this move by the Prince-Bishop as betrayal and placed the Breslau diocese under official administration where it remained for the remainder of the war. In 1763, Schaffgotsch was allowed to return to the Prussian part of the diocese, but was confined to Oppeln and unable to return to Breslau. His calls for reinstatement were also ignored by the King who appointed auxiliary bishop Johann Moritz von Strachwitz and in 1781 auxiliary bishop Anton Ferdinand von Rothkirch und Panthen to oversee the

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 ...

n part of the diocese. In 1766 Schaffgotsch fled from Oppeln back on the castle Jánský Vrch in Austrian Silesia, which remained his residence until his death in 1795 and from where he led the Austrian part of the diocese. During his time in Javorník, Jánský Vrch became a cultural center of the region, and a meeting place for artist from the entire

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 ...

. Among the most notable was composer

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (2 November 1739 – 24 October 1799) was an Austrian composer, violinist, and silvologist. He was a friend of both Haydn and Mozart. (webpage has a translation button) Life 1739–1764 Dittersdorf was born in ...

who resided in Javorník for over 20 years. Schaffgotsch died at the castle in 1795 and was buried in the family tomb in Warmbrunn.

References

* Schmilewski, Ulrich : ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'', Bd. 22, pages 536-538 * Pachl, Hans - ''Jauernig und das Jauerniger Ländchen. Ein Heimatbuch des ehemaligen Gerichtsbezirks Jauernig'' - 1983 * Gernot, Ludwig und Wolf, Kurt - ''Jauernig und das Jauerniger Ländchen. Das 2. Heimatbuch des ehemaligen Gerichtsbezirkes Jauernig'' - 1995 {{DEFAULTSORT:Schaffgotsch, Philipp Gotthard Von 1716 births 1795 deaths People from Jelenia Góra Roman Catholic Freemasons Prince-bishops in the Holy Roman Empire People from Prussian Silesia Christianity in Wrocław Burials in Poland