The Electorate of Trier (german: Kurfürstentum Trier or ' or Trèves) was an

ecclesiastical principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

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 unt ...

that existed from the end of the 9th to the early 19th century. It was the temporal possession of the prince-archbishop of Trier (') who was, '' ex officio'', a

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 princ ...

of the empire. The other ecclesiastical electors were the electors of

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

and

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

. The capital of the electorate was Trier; from the 16th century onward, the main residence of the Elector was in Koblenz. The electorate was secularized in 1803 in the course of the

German mediatisation German mediatisation (; german: deutsche Mediatisierung) was the major territorial restructuring that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany and the surrounding region by means of the mass mediatisation and secularisation of a large numbe ...

. The Elector of Trier, in his capacity as archbishop, also 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.Trier, as the important Roman provincial capital of ', had been the seat of a bishop since Roman times. It was raised to archiepiscopal status during the reign of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...

, whose will mentions the bishoprics of

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

, Toul and Verdun as its

suffragans 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 ...

. The bishops of Trier were already virtually independent territorial magnates during the

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gaul ...

dynasty. In 772, Charlemagne granted Bishop Wiomad complete immunity from the jurisdiction of the ruling

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

for all the churches and monasteries, as well as villages and castles that belonged to the Church of St. Peter at Trier. In 816

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqu ...

confirmed to Archbishop

Hetto Hetto (died 847) was the Archbishop of Trier from 814 until his death. In this capacity he was both a political and ecclesiastical leader. Life Louis the Pious confirmed to Hetto the privilege of immunity from the saecular courts. This had been ...

the privileges of protection and immunity granted by his father. At the partition of the

Carolingian empire The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the L ...

at Verdun in 843, Trier was given to Lothair; at the partition of Lotharingia at Mersen in 870, it became part of the East Frankish kingdom, which developed into the

Kingdom of Germany The Kingdom of Germany or German Kingdom ( la, regnum Teutonicorum "kingdom of the Germans", "German kingdom", "kingdom of Germany") was the mostly Germanic-speaking East Frankish kingdom, which was formed by the Treaty of Verdun in 843, espec ...

. In 898, Archbishop Radbod received complete immunity from all taxes for the entire episcopal territory, granted by Zwentibold, who was the natural son of Emperor

Arnulf of Carinthia Arnulf of Carinthia ( 850 – 8 December 899) was the duke of Carinthia who overthrew his uncle Emperor Charles the Fat to become the Carolingian king of East Francia from 887, the disputed king of Italy from 894 and the disputed emperor from ...

, and who reigned briefly as King of Lotharingia. He was under great pressure from his independent nobles and desperately needed a powerful ally. The gift cemented the position of the archbishops as territorial lords in their own right. Following Zwentibold's assassination in 900, the handlers of the child-king Louis courted Radbod in their turn, granting him the district and city of Trier outright, permission to impose customs duties and the right to a

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAE ...

(as much a symbol of independent authority as an economic tool). From the court of Charles the Simple, he obtained the final right of election of the Bishop of Trier by the chapter, free of Imperial interference.

Early modern

In early modern times, the Electorate of Trier still encompassed territory along the river Moselle between Trier, near the French border, and Koblenz on the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...

. From the early 13th century the Archbishop of Trier, as the holder of an imperial office was traditionally an Imperial Elector of the German king. The purely honorary office of Arch-chancellor of Gaul arose in the 13th century. In this context, that was taken to mean the

Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles The Kingdom of Burgundy, known from the 12th century as the Kingdom of Arles, also referred to in various context as Arelat, the Kingdom of Arles and Vienne, or Kingdom of Burgundy-Provence, was a realm established in 933 by the merger of the king ...

, technically from 1242 and permanently from 1263, and nominally until 1803. Arles along with

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

and the medieval Kingdom of Italy was one of the three component kingdoms of the

. In 1473, Emperor Frederick III and Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy held a meeting in Trier. In this same year, the

University of Trier The University of Trier (german: Universität Trier), in the German city of Trier, was founded in 1473. Closed in 1798 by order of the then French administration in Trier, the university was re-established in 1970 after a hiatus of some 172 y ...

was founded in the city. A session of the ' was held in Trier in 1512, during which the demarcation of the Imperial Circles was definitively established. Between 1581 and 1593, the

Trier witch trials The Witch Trials of Trier took place in the independent Catholic diocese of Trier in the Holy Roman Empire in present day Germany between 1581 and 1593, and were perhaps the largest documented witch trial in history in view of the executions. ...

gravely affected the entire territory; it was one of the first mass witch trials of the Holy Roman Empire, and resulted in the death of hundreds of people. In the 17th century, the Archbishops and Prince-Electors of Trier relocated their residences to Philippsburg Castle in , near Koblenz. During the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

, Archbishop-Elector

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 ...

supported

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

against the Habsburgs, leading to a rivalry between French and Spanish troops about the strategic cities and fortresses of the Electorate. In 1630, the city of Trier opened its gates to Spanish troops to defend its rights against the absolutist Elector. French troops captured the city in 1632 to help Sötern. In return, they were allowed to install garrisons there and in the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein. Spanish troops retook Trier by surprise in 1635 and imprisoned Sötern. During his absence, the cathedral chapter took over administration of the archbishopric. Imperial troops dispelled the French garrison of Ehrenbreitstein in 1637 and occupied the place until the end of the war. The archbishop was released from captivity in 1645 because of French demands in Westphalia. The warfare returned to the Electorate in 1673 when the

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

occupied Trier and stayed until 1675. They heavily fortified the city and destroyed all churches, abbeys and settlements in front of the city walls. In 1684, with the War of the Reunions, an era of French expansion began. Trier was again captured in 1684; all walls and fortresses were destroyed this time. After Trier and its associated electorate were yet again taken during the War of Palatinate Succession in 1688, many cities in the electorate were systematically destroyed in 1689 by the French Army. Nearly all castles were blown up and the only bridge across the Moselle in Trier was burnt. King

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of ...

personally issued the order for these acts of destruction. As the French Army retreated in 1698, it left a starving city without walls and only 2,500 inhabitants. During the War of the Spanish Succession in 1702, Trier was occupied again by a French army. In 1704–05, an allied Anglo- Dutch army commanded by the Duke of Marlborough passed Trier on its way to France. When the campaign failed, the French came back to Trier in 1705 and stayed until 1714. After a short period of peace, the War of the Polish Succession started in 1734; the following year Trier was again occupied by the French, who stayed until 1737. The last Prince-Elector,

Clement 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 ...

, relocated to Koblenz in 1786. In August 1794, French Republican troops took Trier. This date marked the end of the era of the old electorate. Churches, abbeys and clerical possessions were sold or the buildings put to secular use, such as stables. The last elector, Clemens Wenceslaus, resided exclusively in Koblenz after 1786. From 1795, the territories of the Electorate on the left bank of the Rhine were under French occupation; in 1801, they were annexed and a separate French-controlled diocese established under Bishop Charles Mannay. In 1803, the French diocese assumed control of the whole diocese and what was left of the electoral territory on the eastern bank of the Rhine was secularized and annexed by Nassau-Weilburg in 1803.

Archbishop-Electors of Trier

* John I 1189–1212 * Theodoric II (Dietrich von Wied) 1212–42 * Arnold II von Isenburg 1242–59 * Heinrich I von Finstingen 1260–86 * Bohemond I von Warnesberg 1286–99 * Diether von Nassau 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 13 ...

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 t ...

1354–61 * Kuno II von Falkenstein 1362–88 * Werner von Falkenstein 1388–1417 *Lenihan von Weideburg 1417–1419 * Otto von Ziegenhain 1419–30 * Rhaban von Helmstadt 1430–38 * Jakob von Sierk 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 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 Electorate of Trier, 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 Archb ...

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 1556–67 * Jakob von Eltz-Rübenach 1567–81 * Johann von Schönenberg 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 Joh ...

1599–1623 *

1623–52 * Karl Kaspar von der Leyen-Hohengeroldseck 1652–76 * Johann Hugo von Orsbeck 1676–1711 * Charles Joseph of Lorraine 1711–15 * Franz Ludwig of Palatinate-Neuburg 1716–29 * Franz Georg von Schönborn-Buchheim 1729–56 * Johann IX Philipp von Walderdorff 1756–68 * Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony 1768–1803From 1794, after the French conquest of the Imperial territories on the left-bank of the Rhine, Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony was archbishop with effect on the right bank only.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trier, Electorate of 898 establishments 1801 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire States and territories established in the 890s

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 in the Holy Roman Empire until 1806 * An electoral district or c ...

Electoral Rhenish Circle Former states and territories of Rhineland-Palatinate History of the Rhineland Electorates of the Holy Roman Empire Prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire in France Former monarchies of Europe Former theocracies