The Principality of Aschaffenburg (german: Fürstentum Aschaffenburg) was a principality 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 ...
created in 1803 and, following the dissolution of the Empire in 1806, of the
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine, also known as Napoleonic Germany, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austria an ...
, which existed from 1806 to 1810. Its capital was
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the Aschaffenburg (district), district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative sea ...
.
With the
secularization
In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...
of the
Archbishopric of Mainz in 1803,
Karl Theodor Anton Maria 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 Gr ...
was compensated by receiving the newly created principalities of Aschaffenburg and
Regensburg and the
County of Wetzlar. Along with the city of Aschaffenburg, the Principality of Aschaffenburg also consisted of
Klingenberg,
Lohr,
Aufenau,
Stadtprozelten,
Orb, and
Aura.
The principality became part of the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1810
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 ...
granted Dalberg's Principality of Regensburg to the
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...
and compensated him with
Hanau and
Fulda. Dalberg merged his remaining territories of Aschaffenburg,
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 it ...
, Wetzlar, Hanau, and Fulda into the new
Grand Duchy of Frankfurt, with the Principality of Aschaffenburg becoming a department of the new grand duchy. The city of Aschaffenburg remained the residence of Dalberg, however. The region was annexed by Bavaria in 1814.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aschaffenburg, Principality
1803 establishments in Europe
1810 disestablishments in Europe
Principality
Former states and territories of Bavaria
Former states and territories of Hesse
States of the Confederation of the Rhine
States and territories established in 1803
19th century in Germany by state
History of Franconia