Christoph von Stadion (Mid-March 1478 – 15 April 1543) was Prince-Bishop of Augsburg from 1517 to 1543.

Biography

CoA Augsburg bishops Heinrich von Lichtenau Christoph von Stadion

Christoph von Stadion was born in

Schelklingen Schelklingen () is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is situated 10 km north of Ehingen, and 20 km west of Ulm. Schelklingen and 82% of its territory form part of the Swabian Jura Biosphere Reserv ...

in mid-March 1478, the son of Nikolaus von Stadion (d. 1507) and his wife Agatha von Gültlingen (d. 1504).Profile from www.bautz.de/bbkl
/ref> In 1490, he began his studies at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...

, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1491 and a master's in 1494. He then studied at the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially ), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1 ...

, moving on to the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

in 1497. Finally, he studied at the

University of Ferrara The University of Ferrara () is the main university of the city of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. In the years prior to the First World War the University of Ferrara, with more than 500 students, was the best attended of ...

, from which he received a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in law. He became a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

in the

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 ...

Augsburg Cathedral The Cathedral of Augsburg (German: ''Dom Mariä Heimsuchung'') is a Catholic cathedral in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany, founded in the 11th century in Romanesque style, but with 14th-century Gothic additions. Together with the Basilica of St. Ul ...

in September 1506. In 1515, he was elected dean of the cathedral chapter. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

in 1515. In March 1517, shortly before the death of Heinrich von Lichtenau, Prince-Bishop of Augsburg, the cathedral chapter elected him

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...

, a selection confirmed by

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X (; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political and banking Med ...

on 20 April 1517, shortly after the death of Heinrich von Lichtenau. Christoph von Stadion was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

as a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

by Gabriel von Eyb,

Bishop of Eichstätt A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

, on 5 July 1517. He held a canonical visitation in the bishopric of Augsburg in 1518 and 1523. In the wake of the

papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

Exsurge Domine is a papal bull promulgated on 15 June 1520 by Pope Leo X written in response to Martin Luther's '' Ninety-five Theses'', which opposed the views of the Catholic Church. The bull censured forty-one of the ''Ninety-five Theses'', and threaten ...

'' (1520), he moved to suppress the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

in the bishopric, particularly after 1522. He was unable, however, to halt the spread of

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

ideas in Augsburg. As a result, he sought to chart a middle course with the Reformers, supporting moderation at the 1530

Diet of Augsburg The diets of Augsburg were the meetings of the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire held in the German city of Augsburg. Both an Imperial City and the residence of the Augsburg prince-bishops, the town had hosted the Estates in many such se ...

. He was unable to prevent the expulsion of the Catholic clergy from the city of

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

in 1537. He died in the Monastery of St. Egidien in

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

on 15 April 1543, and was buried in the parish church in

Dillingen an der Donau Dillingen an der Donau (; officially Dillingen a.d.Donau; ) is a Town#Germany, town in Swabia (Bavaria), Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative center of the district of Dillingen (district), Dillingen. Besides the town of Dillingen ...

Selected works

* 1517: ''Statuta diocesana Reverendissimi in christo patris et domini domini Christophori Episcopi Augustensis in celebratione Sinodi feria tercia post Galli Anno domini Millesimi quingentesimi decimiseptimi publicata'', Auguste 1517 (Complete text PDF http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/bsb00001964/image_1 With coat of arms of the bishop on image 3 - Bishopric Augsburg und family of Stadion). * 1518: ''Synodalrede'', (Complete text PDF http://www.mdz-nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb10366045-1). * 1537: ''Warhaffte verantwurtung (...)'', (Complete text PDF http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0002/bsb00025024/image_1).

Notes and references

Bibliography

* Freyberg-Eisenberg, Max Freiherr von (1884): ''Genealogische Geschichte des Geschlechtes der Freiherrn von Freyberg, nach urkundlichen Quellen zusammengestellt von Max Freiherrn von Freyberg-Eisenberg'', Extended and improved ed. by Franz Rothenbacher, Mannheim, Selbstverlag, 2011. * Hermelink, Heinrich (1906), ''Die Matrikeln der Universität Tübingen'', vol. 1, ''Die Matrikeln von 1477–1600'', Stuttgart,

Kohlhammer Verlag W. Kohlhammer Verlag GmbH, or Kohlhammer Verlag, is a German publishing house headquartered in Stuttgart. History Kohlhammer Verlag was founded in Stuttgart on 30 April 1866 by . Kohlhammer had taken over the businesses of his late father-in-la ...

(immatriculation note 49 of 22 April 1490, "Cristoferus de Stadion", later "Chr. Stadion de Schelklingen"). * * Jesse, Horst (1980), Christoph von Stadion, Bischof zu Augsburg während der Reformationszeit 1517–1544, ''Zeitschrift für bayerische Kirchengeschichte'', vol. 49, pp. 86–122. * Schlechter, Armin (2010), Neue Beiträge zur südwestdeutschen Buch- und Bibliotheksgeschichte um 1500, ''Zeitschrift für Württembergische Landesgeschichte'', vol. 69, pp. 195–221. * Schübelin, Eugen (1906), Zwei berühmte Schelklinger, ''Blätter des Schwäbischen Albvereins'', vol. 18, cols. 173–180 (about Christoph von Stadion and Konrad von Bemelberg). * Schwarzmaier, Hansmartin, Jörg Martin, and Wilfried Schöntag (eds.) (2007), ''Aus dem Archiv der Grafen von Stadion - Urkunden und Amtsbücher des Gräflich von Schönborn'schen Archivs Oberstadion'', Konstanz and Eggingen, Edition Isele (=Documenta Suevica, vol. 14). * Schwennicke, Detlev (ed.) (1981), ''

Europäische Stammtafeln ''Europäische Stammtafeln'' - German for ''European Family Trees'' - is a series of twenty-nine books which contain sets of genealogical tables of the most influential families of Medieval European history. It is a standard reference work for t ...

'', New Series vol. IV, ''Standesherrliche Häuser I'', Marburg, J. A. Stargardt, tables 156–160 (Die (Grafen von) Stadion). * Stiefenhofer, Dominikus (1880), ''Chronik der gräflichen Familie von Stadion'', Oberstadion: typoscript, pp. 42ff. * Zapf, Georg Wilhelm (1799), ''Christoph von Stadion, Bischof von Augsburg - Eine Geschichte aus den Zeiten der Reformation'', Zürich, Orell, Füßli (Complete text PDF http://www.mdz-nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb10310009-1) * Zoepfl, Friedrich (1959), Bischof Christoph von Stadion (1478–1543), Götz Freiherr von Pölnitz (ed.), ''Lebensbilder aus dem Bayerischen Schwaben'', vol. 7, pp. 125–160, Munich, Max Hueber. * Zoepfl, Friedrich (1969), ''Das Bistum Augsburg und seine Bischöfe im Reformationsjahrhundert'', Munich, Schnell & Steiner; Augsburg, Winfried-Werk, pp. 1–172 (=Geschichte des Bistums Augsburg und seiner Bischöfe, vol. II). {{DEFAULTSORT:Christoph of Stadion 1478 births 1543 deaths People from Alb-Donau-Kreis Roman Catholic bishops of Augsburg Prince-bishops in the Holy Roman Empire University of Tübingen alumni University of Freiburg alumni University of Bologna alumni University of Ferrara alumni History of Augsburg