Philip of the Palatinate (german: Philipp von der Pfalz; 5 July 1480 in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German: ') is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914, of which roughly a quarter consisted of students ...

– 5 January 1541 in

Freising Freising () is a university town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the Freising ''Landkreis'' (district), with a population of about 50,000. Location Freising is the oldest town between Regensburg and Bolzano, and is located on the ...

) was Prince-Bishop of

(1498–1541) and

Naumburg Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 ...

(1517–1541). He was a member of the house of

Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate ...

, and the son of Elector Palatine Philip ''the Upright'' and Margaret of Bavaria. Among 14 children, he was the second oldest son. Several contemporary portraits of him are known.

Bishop of Freising

Philip defended the diocese of Freising successfully in the turmoil of the

German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt (german: Deutscher Bauernkrieg) was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It failed because of intense oppositi ...

. He managed to keep the Bavarian dukes out of the policy of the bishopric. He initiated many construction projects and is buried in the

Freising Cathedral Freising Cathedral, also called Saint Mary and Corbinian Cathedral (German: Mariendom), is a romanesque basilica in Freising, Bavaria. It is the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Freising Cathedral is also known f ...

Bishop of Naumburg

In 1512, he was appointed Coadjutor of bishop John III of

. After John died, Philip was appointed Bishop of Naumburg as well. He stayed in Naumburg for ten months. After that, his primary residence was again in Freising, while Naumburg was mostly ruled by administrators. As he enjoyed the good will of the

House of Wettin The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its ori ...

, he took a moderate attitude towards

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

. After the death of Frederick III and the emerging resistance of the Naumburg and Zeitz citizenship, Philip moved to the Catholic camp and paid no more visits to Naumburg. He was tired of ruling and tried to find a successor to the bishopric of Naumburg.

References

* Heinz Wießner:
Das Bistum Naumburg 1 - Die Diözese 2
', in: Max-Planck-Institut für Geschichte (ed.): ''Germania Sacra'', NF 35.2, ''Die Bistumer der Kirchenprovinz Magdeburg'', Berlin/New York, 1998. pp. 951–965. {{Authority control House of Wittelsbach Roman Catholic Prince-Bishops of Freising 1480 births 1541 deaths