The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt (german: Diözese Gurk-Klagenfurt, sl, Krška škofija) is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, pro ...

covering 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 state of

Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...

. It is part of the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...

. Though named after

Gurk Cathedral Gurk Cathedral (german: Dom zu Gurk, officially ''Pfarr- und ehemalige Domkirche Mariae Himmelfahrt'', sl, Bazilika v Krki) is a Romanesque pillar basilica in Gurk, in the Austrian state of Carinthia. The former cathedral and current co-cathed ...

, the bishop's see since 1787 is in

Klagenfurt Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...

. Due to the presence of

Carinthian Slovenes Carinthian Slovenes or Carinthian Slovenians ( sl, Koroški Slovenci; german: Kärntner Slowenen) are the indigenous minority of Slovene ethnicity, living within borders of the Austrian state of Carinthia, neighboring Slovenia. Their status of t ...

, the organizational structures of the diocese are bilingual. The Slovene language is, together with German, the language of church services in 69 southern parishes of the diocese.

History

Middle Ages

In 1072 a

suffragan bishopric A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...

in the

Duchy of Carinthia The Duchy of Carinthia (german: Herzogtum Kärnten; sl, Vojvodina Koroška) was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, and was the first newly created Imperial Sta ...

, subordinate to the Archdiocese of Salzburg, was erected by Archbishop

Gebhard of Salzburg Blessed Gebhard von Salzburg ( 101015 June 1088), also occasionally known as Gebhard of Sussex, was Archbishop of Salzburg from 1060 until his death. He was one of the fiercest opponents of King Henry IV of Germany during the Investiture Controver ...

, with the authorization of

Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria refor ...

(21 March 1070) and

Emperor Henry IV Henry IV (german: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son ...

(4 February 1072). It could rely on the properties of a former nunnery in Gurk founded by Countess

Hemma Emma of Altdorf, also known as Hemma ( – 31 January 876), a member of the Elder House of Welf, was Queen consort of East Francia by marriage to King Louis the German, from 843 until her death. Life Her father was Welf I (d. 825), Count of Alt ...

in 1043. The first bishop installed was the local noble Günther von Krapffeld (1072–1090). The episcopal residence was not in Gurk, but at nearby Strassburg Castle. Initially the Gurk bishops only held the rights of

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

s, while the right of appointment, consecration, and

investiture Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian k ...

was reserved to the Salzburg archbishop. The diocese served as a model for later Salzburg establishments like the

Bishopric of Chiemsee The Bishopric of Chiemsee was a Roman Catholic diocese. While based on the islands of the Chiemsee in Bavaria, Germany, most of its territory lay in the County of Tyrol, Austria. The bishopric ceased to be a residential see in 1808. and accordin ...

(1216), the Diocese of Seckau (1218), and the Diocese of Lavant (1228). Not until 1123 Archbishop

Conrad I of Salzburg Conrad I f Abenberg(german: Konrad von Abenberg, c. 1075 – 9 April 1147) was Archbishop of Salzburg, Austria, in the first half of the 12th century. Born into the Abenberg- Frensdorf nobility, Conrad was raised for a clerical career at the co ...

founded a

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

at Gurk, which under Bishop Roman I (1132–1167) obtained the right to elect the bishop. The boundaries of the diocese were only defined in 1131. Originally the territory embraced was small, but the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Gurk extended beyond the limits of his diocese, inasmuch as he was also

vicar-general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

of that part of Carinthia under the Archbishop of Salzburg. The rights of a secular ''

Vogt During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...

'' advocate were held by the Carinthian dukes. After a contest of a hundred years the metropolitan regained the right of appointment. Dissensions did not cease, for in 1432 the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

duke

Frederick IV of Austria Frederick IV (1382 – 24 June 1439), also known as Frederick of the Empty Pockets (german: Friedrich mit der leeren Tasche), a member of the House of Habsburg, was Duke of Austria from 1402 until his death. As a scion of the Habsburg Leopoldian ...

claimed the right of investiture, which even was a subject of the consultations at the

Council of Basel The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1449. It was convoked as the Council of Basel by Pope Martin V shortly before his death in February 1431 and took place in ...

under

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...

. In 1448 King Frederick IV of Germany concluded an agreement with

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 IV, Po ...

to reserve the right of appointment for himself and when in 1470

Sixtus of Tannberg Sixtus of Tannberg (died: 14 July 1495 in Frankenthal) was from 1470 to 1474 Bishop of Gurk and from 1474 to 1495 Prince-Bishop of Freising. Life Sixtus was a son of Johann Tannberg of Aurolzmünster and Ursula von Rohr, a sister of Archbish ...

was appointed Gurk bishop by the Salzburg chapter, Frederick enforced his resignation four years later. Finally, on 25 October 1535, the Archbishop of Salzburg and former Gurk bishop,

Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg (1469 – 30 March 1540) was a statesman of the Holy Roman Empire, a Cardinal and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1519 to his death. Life Matthäus Lang was the son of a burgher of Augsburg and later received ...

, concluded a long-lasting agreement with King

Ferdinand I of Germany Ferdinand I ( es, Fernando I; 10 March 1503 – 25 July 1564) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1556, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1526, and Archduke of Austria from 1521 until his death in 1564.Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabor ...

, according to which the nomination of the Bishop of Gurk is to rest twice in succession with the sovereign and every third time with the Archbishop of Salzburg; under all circumstances the archbishop was to retain the right of confirmation, consecration and investiture. Though from 1460 onwards the Gurk bishops held the right to bear the title of a prince-bishop, they never exerted any secular power.

Modern times

In 1761

Count Hieronymus von Colloredo Hieronymus Joseph Franz de Paula Graf Colloredo von Wallsee und Melz (Jérôme Joseph Franz de Paula, Count of Colloredo-Wallsee and Mels; ) was Prince-Bishop of Gurk from 1761 to 1772 and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1772 until 1803, whe ...

was appointed Bishop of Gurk by Archbishop

Sigismund von Schrattenbach Sigismund Graf von Schrattenbach (28 February 1698 – 16 December 1771) was Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1753 to 1771. Both Leopold and Wolfgang Mozart served under him. Life He was born in Graz, Styria, the son of Count Otto Heinric ...

, whom Colloredo succeeded in 1771. Under Bishop

Joseph Franz Auersperg Josef Franz Anton Graf von Auersperg (31 January 1734, Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone ...

, a dedicated follower of

Josephinism Josephinism was the collective domestic policies of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–1790). During the ten years in which Joseph was the sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy (1780–1790), he attempted to legislate a series of drastic reforms ...

, the Gurk diocese received an accession of territory by Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

in 1775, and again in 1786. Nevertheless the present extent of the diocese, embracing the whole of Carinthia, dates only from its reconstitution in 1859. The episcopal residence was transferred in 1787 to the capital of Carinthia,

. A prominent modern prince-bishop was

Valentin Wiery Valentin Wiery (12 February 1813 – 29 December 1880) was an Austrian Catholic Bishop.Catholic Hierarchy:< ...

(1858–1880). According to the census of 1906, the Catholic population of the diocese was 369,000, of whom three-fourths were German and the rest Slovenes. The 24 deaneries embraced 345 parishes. The cathedral chapter at Klagenfurt consisted of three mitred dignitaries; five honorary and five stipendiary canons. Among the institutions of religious orders the Benedictine Abbey of St. Paul (founded in 1091; suppressed in 1782; restored in 1807) holds first place. There were also

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 Klagenfurt and St. Andrä; Dominicans at Friesach;

Capuchins Capuchin can refer to: *Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from t ...

at Klagenfurt and Wolfsberg;

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

at Villach;

Olivetans The Olivetans, formally known as the Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet, are a monastic order. They were founded in 1313 and recognised in 1344. They use the Rule of Saint Benedict and are a member of the Benedictine Confederation, where they are ...

at Tanzenberg; Servites at Kötsehach; Brothers of Mercy at St. Veit on the Glan (in charge of an immense hospital founded in 1877); and a number of religious communities of women for the care of the sick and the instruction of youth. The clergy are trained in the episcopal seminary at Klagenfurt, which has been, since 1887, under the direction of the

. The professors are

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

from the Abbey of Saint Paul and Jesuits. The education of aspirants to the priesthood is provided for at Klagenfurt, in a preparatory seminary established by Bishop Wiery in 1860 and enlarged by Bishop Kahn. At Saint Paul's the Benedictines conduct a private gymnasium with the privileges of a government school. At Klagenfurt there is also a Catholic teachers' seminary under ecclesiastical supervision.

Churches

Chief among the examples of ecclesiastical architecture, both in point of age and artistic interest, is

, which dates back to the beginnings of the diocese, having been completed about 1220. Also worthy of note are the Romanesque church and cloister of

Millstatt Abbey Millstatt Abbey (german: Stift Millstatt) is a former monastery in Millstatt, Austria. Established by Benedictine monks about 1070, it ranks among the most important Romanesque buildings in the state of Carinthia. The Benedictines were succeeded ...

and, as monuments of

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...

, the parish churches at

Bad Sankt Leonhard im Lavanttal Bad Sankt Leonhard im Lavanttal ( sl, Sveti Lenart v Labotu) is a spa town in the district of Wolfsberg in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Geography The municipality lies in the upper Lavant valley (''Lavanttal'') north of the district capita ...

, Heiligenblut,

Villach Villach (; sl, Beljak; it, Villaco; fur, Vilac) is the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the po ...

Völkermarkt Völkermarkt (; sl, Velikovec) is a town of about 11,000 inhabitants in the Austrian state of Carinthia, the administrative capital of Völkermarkt District. It is located within the Drava valley east of the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt, north ...

, St Wolfgang ob Grades (

Metnitz Metnitz ( sl, Metnica ) is a town in the district of Sankt Veit an der Glan in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Geography Metnitz lies in the north of Carinthia and includes most of the Metnitz valley and the surrounding Gurktal Alps The Gurkta ...

), and Waitschach (

Hüttenberg Hüttenberg is a municipality in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Hüttenberg lies about 6 km southeast of Wetzlar and 10 km southwest of Giessen south of the river Lahn. Neighbouring communities Hüttenberg b ...

). One of the largest and most beautiful churches of Carinthia is the Dominican Church at

Friesach Friesach ( sl, Breže) is a historic town in the Sankt Veit an der Glan district of Carinthia, Austria. First mentioned in an 860 deed, it is known as the oldest town in Carinthia. Geography Location Friesach covers an area of 120.83 km2 a ...

. The

Klagenfurt Cathedral Klagenfurt Cathedral (german: Klagenfurter Dom; Dom- und Stadtpfarrkirche Hll. Petrus und Paulus) is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt and also the main parish church of Klagenfurt. It was built by Protestants and de ...

was built in 1591 during 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 in ...

; in 1604 it was acquired by the Jesuits, and consecrated in honour of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul. Maria Saal Dom Suedansicht

Prominent among the places of pilgrimage in the diocese is

Maria Saal Maria Saal ( sl, Gospa Sveta) is a market town in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is located in the east of the historic Zollfeld plain (''Gosposvetsko polje''), the wide valley of the Glan river. The muni ...

, visited annually by from 15,000 to 20,000 pilgrims. Among Catholic associations special mention should be made of those for the advancement of the Catholic Press and for the diffusion of good books: for the German population, the St. Joseph's Verein founded at Klagenfurt in 1893, and the St. Joseph's Book Confraternity; for the Slovenes, the St. Hermagoras Verein, established in 1852 (1860), with its headquarters at Klagenfurt, and widely established among Slovenes in other dioceses.

Special churches

* Former Cathedrals: **

Sankt Andrä ) is a town in the district of Wolfsberg in Carinthia in Austria. It is named after Saint Andrew. Landmarks The main church is the former Saint Andrew's Cathedral, until 1829 the bishop's seat of the Diocese of Lavant The Diocese of Lavant(tal) ...

, Kärnten ** Assumption of Mary provost and pilgrimage church,

* Minor Basilica: ** Maria Luggau (Our Lady of the Snows),

Lesachtal Lesachtal ( sl, Lesna dolina) is a municipality in Hermagor District, in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It comprises the western part of the eponymous valley formed by the upper Gail River, and stretches from the Carinthian border with East Tyro ...

Deaneries

Bleiburg Bleiburg ( sl, Pliberk) is a small town in the south Austrian state of Carinthia (''Koroška''), south-east of Klagenfurt, in the district of Völkermarkt, some four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the border with Slovenia. The municipality consists ...

(''Pliberk'') *

Eberndorf Eberndorf ( sl, Dobrla vas, archaically ''Dobrla ves'') is a market town of the Völkermarkt District in Carinthia, Austria. Geography It is the main settlement in the Jaun (''Podjuna'') Valley of the Drava River, east of the Carinthian capita ...

(''Dobrla vas'') * Feldkirchen *

Ferlach Ferlach ( sl, Borovlje) in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in Carinthia is the southernmost town in Austria. It is known for its centuries-old gunsmith tradition, part of the Austrian intangible cultural heritage since 2010. Geography It is situat ...

(''Borovlje'') *

* Gmünd-

Millstatt Millstatt am See is a market town of the Spittal an der Drau District in Carinthia, Austria. The traditional health resort and spa town on Lake Millstatt is known for former Benedictine Millstatt Abbey, founded about 1070. Geography It is situate ...

Greifenburg Greifenburg is a market town in the district of Spittal an der Drau in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Geography The settlement stretches in the upper Drava Valley (''Drautal'') between the Kreuzeck mountain range in the north, part of the High ...

* Gurk * Hermagor (''Šmohor'') *

-Stadt *

-Land (''Celovec-dežela'') * Kötschach * Krappfeld *

Obervellach Obervellach ( sl, Zgornja Bela) is a market town in the district of Spittal an der Drau, in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Geography The town is situated in the valley of the Möll river, on the southern slope of the High Tauern mountain ran ...

Rosegg Rosegg ( sl, Rožek) is a town in the district of Villach-Land in Carinthia in Austria. Neighboring municipalities Personalities It is the birthplace of the painter Peter Markovič, after whom the local Slovene cultural association is named. L ...

(''Rožek'') *

* Sankt Veit an der Glan *

Spittal an der Drau Spittal an der Drau is a town in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia. It is the administrative centre of Spittal an der Drau District, Austria's second largest district (''Bezirk'') by area. Geography The town is located o ...

* Tainach (''Tinje'') *

-Land (''Beljak-dežela'') *

-Stadt *

(''Velikovec'') * Wolfsberg

Notable bishops

(1470–1474) *

Raymond Peraudi Raymond Peraudi (1435–1505) was a French Augustinian, papal legate, and Cardinal. He was a perpetual traveler, engaging in diplomatic negotiations at various times for the pope, the emperor and the king of France. He was an effective administrato ...

(1491–1505) *Cardinal

(1505–1522) * Hieronymus Balbus (1522–1526) *

Sigismund Francis, Archduke of Austria Sigismund Francis, Archduke of Further Austria (27 November 1630 – 25 June 1665) was the ruler of Further Austria including Tyrol from 1662 to 1665. Biography He was born at Innsbruck, the second son of Leopold V, Archduke of Austria and Claud ...

(1653–1665) *Archbishop

(1761–1772) *Cardinal

(1772–1783) *

Valentin Wiery Valentin Wiery (12 February 1813 – 29 December 1880) was an Austrian Catholic Bishop.Catholic Hierarchy:< ...

(1858–1880)

References and notes

External links

GCatholic.org

Catholic Hierarchy

Diocese website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurk Roman Catholic dioceses in Austria Roman Catholic dioceses established in the 11th century Gurk, Roman Catholic Diocese of Maria Saal