Maximilian Henry of Bavaria
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Maximilian Henry of Bavaria (german: Maximilian Heinrich von Bayern: 8 October 1621 – 3 June 1688) was the third son and fourth child of Albert VI, landgrave of
Leuchtenberg Leuchtenberg is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the Neustadt an der Waldnaab (district), district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab in Bavaria, Germany, essentially a suburb of nearby Weiden in der Oberpfalz, and a larger historical region ...
and his wife, Mechthilde von Leuchtenberg. In 1650, he was named
Archbishop-Elector of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of Beethoven and northern Rhineland-Palati ...
,
Bishop of Hildesheim This list records the incumbents of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hildesheim (german: link=no, Bistum Hildesheim). Between 1235 and 1803 the bishops simultaneously officiating as rulers of princely rank (prince-bishop) in the Prince-Bishopric of ...
and
Bishop of Liège A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
succeeding his uncle, Ferdinand of Bavaria. He worked throughout his career with the French to limit the authority of the
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
, and participated in the
Franco-Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...
on the opposite side from the Empire.


Early life

Around 1640, Maximilian was attending the Gymnasium Tricoronatum, and there he met
Franz Egon of Fürstenberg Franz may refer to: People * Franz (given name) * Franz (surname) Places * Franz (crater), a lunar crater * Franz, Ontario, a railway junction and unorganized town in Canada * Franz Lake, in the state of Washington, United States – see Fran ...
and his brother
Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg (2 December 162910 April 1704) was a German count and later prince of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg in the Holy Roman Empire. He was a clergyman who became bishop of Strasbourg, and was heavily involved in ...
. This friendship would guide all three careers. Before 1650, Maximilian was elected coadjutor in Cologne, which made him the clear successor for his uncle. By that time, the Egons of Fürstenberg had joined the privy council of the Archbishop-Elector, and they assisted their friend when his uncle died. Maximilian made Franz his prime minister.


Career

When
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III (Ferdinand Ernest; 13 July 1608, in Graz – 2 April 1657, in Vienna) was from 1621 Archduke of Austria, King of Hungary from 1625, King of Croatia and Bohemia from 1627 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1637 until his death in 1657. ...
died in 1657, Maximillian and the Electors of Mainz and Trier sent William to
Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria Ferdinand Maria (31 October 1636 – 26 May 1679) was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector ('' Kurfürst'') of the Holy Roman Empire from 1651 to 1679. Electoral Prince of Bavaria He was born in Munich. He was the eldest son of Maximi ...
to see if he would be willing to be put forth as the next Emperor in opposition to his Habsburg cousins, but he declined. When it became clear that Leopold I was going to win the election, Maximilian worked with the other Electors to put restrictions on his authority, forcing him to sign a statement that he would not support Spain in any way. Maximilian crowned Leopold on 31 July 1658. Shortly after, he reminded the Emperor that he must abide by the restrictions, as that was the only way he won the crown. Another of the terms that Maximilian and his fellow electors imposed on the Emperor was that the Archbishop-Electors should have the freedom to remove the Papal nuncio from the Empire. In 1662, there was an effort started at Cologne to join the Imperial and French churches to force changes at Rome, though this did not go very far. In 1659,
Cardinal Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis X ...
asked Maximilian and the Elector of Mainz to oversee negotiations to end the Franco-Spanish War. Maximilian thereafter sent William regularly to the negotiations and ultimately the signing of the
Treaty of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees (french: Traité des Pyrénées; es, Tratado de los Pirineos; ca, Tractat dels Pirineus) was signed on 7 November 1659 on Pheasant Island, and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were ...
. In 1665, William brought Maximilian funds from France to raise an army. The intent was for Cologne to support French interests in the upcoming
War of Devolution In the 1667 to 1668 War of Devolution (, ), France occupied large parts of the Spanish Netherlands and Franche-Comté, both then provinces of the Holy Roman Empire (and properties of the King of Spain). The name derives from an obscure law known ...
. Maximilian agreed, as he hoped to gain additional territory for his own realm in the bargain. In 1667, William convinced Maximilian to send him to Vienna to explore the Emperor's feelings about the succession for the weak new
Charles II of Spain Charles II of Spain (''Spanish: Carlos II,'' 6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700), known as the Bewitched (''Spanish: El Hechizado''), was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the War o ...
, perhaps partitioning the Netherlands from Spain upon his death. The French were happy to have this sent in Maximilian's name, so that they could determine the answer without receiving any blame. In the run up to the
Franco-Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...
, Maximilian continued to work with the French, though the people in his territories were uneasy. In 1670, the city leaders of Cologne received Imperial permission to host a Dutch garrison of 5000 infantry and 1000 cavalry, hoping to be protected against an expected French army. In 1671, Maximilian agreed that the French could freely travel through his territory, and the French began establishing warehouses and strategic infrastructure. When the people began to complain about these preparations for war, Maximilian blamed William, but was mollified by the receipt of additional French funds. When the Emperor joined the war on the side of the Dutch in 1672, Maximilian's lands were attacked, and he sought more French help and funding. When William was arrested on 14 February 1674 for his work against the Habsburgs, Maximilian quickly negotiated an end to Cologne's involvement in the war. The treaty with the Dutch included a general amnesty for officers on both sides, with an exception for those convicted of treason, inserted to allow the Austrians to continue to hold William. By December of that year, Maximilian signed a treaty with Austria to never allow the Fürstenbergs to work for him again. This treaty was kept secret until 1677, as Maximilian was afraid of French reprisal for his betrayal of their agent. In 1683, he was named
Bishop of Münster A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, but
Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689. Poli ...
refused to confirm this nomination. He died in 1688 and was succeeded by
Joseph Clemens of Bavaria Joseph Clemens of Bavaria (german: Joseph Clemens von Bayern) (5 December 1671 – 12 November 1723) was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty of Bavaria and Archbishop-Elector of Cologne from 1688 to 1723. Biography The third son of Ferdinand M ...
.


References

;Bibliography * * ;Citations , - , - {{Authority control 1621 births 1688 deaths Nobility from Munich House of Wittelsbach 17th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the Holy Roman Empire Burials at Cologne Cathedral Prince-Bishops of Liège Prince-Bishops of Münster Prince-Bishops of Hildesheim Abbots of Stavelot Sons of monarchs