The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück () was an ecclesiastical principality of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

from 1225 until 1803. It should not be confused with the Diocese of Osnabrück (), which was larger and over which the prince-bishop exercised only the spiritual authority of an ordinary bishop. It was named after its capital,

Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...

. The still-extant Diocese of Osnabrück, erected in 772, is the oldest

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

founded by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

, in order to

Christianize Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...

the conquered stem-duchy of

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

. The episcopal and capitular temporal possessions of the see, originally quite limited, grew in time, and its

prince-bishop A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to '' Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the ...

s exercised an extensive civil jurisdiction within the territory covered by their rights of Imperial immunity. The Prince-Bishopric continued to grow in size, making its status during 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 ...

a highly contentious issue. The

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire ...

left the city bi-confessional and had the Prince-Bishops alternate between Catholic and Protestant. The bishopric was dissolved in the

German Mediatisation German mediatisation (; ) was the major redistribution and reshaping of territorial holdings that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany by means of the subsumption and Secularization (church property), secularisation of a large number of ...

of 1803, when it was incorporated into the neighboring

Electorate of Hanover The Electorate of Hanover ( or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an Prince-elector, electorate of the Holy Roman Empire located in northwestern Germany that arose from the Principality of Calenberg. Although formally known as the Electorate of Brun ...

. The see, the chapter, the convents and the Catholic charitable institutions were secularized. The territory of the see passed to

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

in 1806, to the

Kingdom of Westphalia The Kingdom of Westphalia was a client state of First French Empire, France in present-day Germany that existed from 1807 to 1813. While formally independent, it was ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte. It was named after Westphalia, ...

in 1807, to Napoleonic France in 1810, and back to Hanover in 1814. With the end of the prince-bishopric, the future of the diocese became unclear. Klemens von Gruben,

titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Paros Paros (; ; ) is a Greek island in the central Aegean Sea. Part of the Cyclades island group, it lies to the west of Naxos (island), Naxos, from which it is separated by a channel about wide. It lies approximately south-east of Piraeus. The Co ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, was made

vicar apostolic A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of Osnabrück, and as such cared for the spiritual interests of the Catholic population. The ordinary Latin (Roman) Catholic episcopacy was restored in 1824, but henceforth the bishops would no longer wield any temporal power.

History

The temporal protectorate (; ) exercised over so many mediaeval dioceses by laymen became, after the 12th century, hereditary in the Amelung family, from whom it passed to Henry the Lion. After Henry's overthrow, it came into the possession of Count Simon of Tecklenburg and his descendants, though it was the source of many conflicts with the bishops. In 1236 the Count of Tecklenburg was forced to renounce all jurisdiction over the town of

, as well as the lands of the see, the chapter and the parish churches. On the other hand, the bishop and chapter, from the 13th century on, expanded their jurisdiction over many convents, churches and hamlets. Scarcely any other German see freed itself so thoroughly from civil jurisdiction within its territory. The royal prerogatives were transferred little by little to the bishop, e.g. the holding of

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

s and markets, rights of toll and coinage, forest and hunting rights, mining royalties and fortresses so that, by the early part of the 13th century, the bishop was the real governor of the civil territory of Osnabrück. Among the prominent mediaeval bishops were: * Drogo (952–68) * Conrad of Veltberg (1002) * the learned Thietmar or Detmar (1003–22) * Benno II (1067–88) * Johann I (1001–10), who built the actual cathedral in place of the wooden one destroyed by fire in the time of his predecessor * Diethard I (1119–37), who was the first bishop elected by the free choice of the cathedral clergy * Philip II (1141–73), who ended the conflicts between his see and the Imperial Abbeys of

Corvey The Princely Abbey of Corvey ( or ) is a former Benedictine abbey and ecclesiastical principality now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was one of the half-dozen self-ruling '' princely abbeys'' of the Holy Roman Empire from the Late Middl ...

and Hersfeld * Arnold of Berg (1137–91), who died a crusader at

Akko Acre ( ), known in Hebrew as Akko (, ) and in Arabic as Akka (, ), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel. The city occupies a strategic location, sitting in a natural harbour at the extremity of Haifa Bay on ...

n. Beginning in the 13th century, the new orders of

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

Dominicans Dominicans () also known as Quisqueyans () are an ethnic group, ethno-nationality, national people, a people of shared ancestry and culture, who have ancestral roots in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican ethnic group was born out of a fusio ...

and

Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

were received with favour. Bishops in this period included: * Engelbert of Altena-Isenberg (1224–26, deposed following his implication in Archbishop

Engelbert II of Berg Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne (1185 or 1186, Schloss Burg – 7 November 1225, Gevelsberg) was archbishop o ...

's assassination, rehabilitated 1238–50) * Bruno of Altena-Isenberg (1250–59) * Conrad II of Rietberg (1269–97)

14th to 16th centuries

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the power of the bishops waned before the increasing influence of the cathedral chapter, of the military servants (or knights) of the diocese, and of the town of Osnabrück. The last sought to free itself from the bishop's sovereignty, but never became a Free City of the Empire. The see was almost continually engaged in warlike troubles and difficulties and had even to defend itself against the Bishops of

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...

and

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

. From the 14th century auxiliary bishops became necessary due to the civil duties that absorbed the attention of the bishop himself. The successor of Bishop Conrad IV of Rietberg (1488–1508) was Eric of Brunswick (1508–32), simultaneously Bishop of Münster and

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...

. He opposed the Reformers strongly and successfully. Franz of Waldeck (1533–53), also Bishop of Minden, acted, on the contrary, a very doubtful part. He offered little resistance to

Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

in Münster, though he vigorously opposed the

Anabaptists Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. The term (tra ...

; after 1543 he allowed in Osnabrück an evangelical service. However, the chapter and the

opposed a German service that dispensed with all the characteristics of the Roman Catholic Mass. In 1548, Bishop Franz promised to suppress the Reformation in Osnabrück and to execute the

Augsburg Interim The Augsburg Interim (full formal title: ''Declaration of His Roman Imperial Majesty on the Observance of Religion Within the Holy Empire Until the Decision of the General Council'') was an imperial decree ordered on 15 May 1548 at the 1548 Die ...

, but fulfilled his promise very indifferently; on his deathbed he received Lutheran communions. His successor, John IV of Hoya (1553–74), was more Catholic, but was succeeded by three bishops of a Protestant mind: Henry II of Saxe-Lauenburg (1574–85), Bernhard of Waldeck (1585–91), and Philip Sigismund (1591–1623). Under them the Reformation swept over most of the diocese.

17th and 18th centuries

In 1624,

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

Eitel Frederick of Hohenzollern became Bishop of Osnabrück and called in the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

. However, he died soon afterwards. His successor, Francis of Wartenberg (1625–61), fulfilled the task of imposing the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

decrees. The city-council was purged of anti-Catholic elements and the former Augustinian convent was turned over to the

. The Edict of Restitution was executed successfully by him and in 1631 he founded a university at Osnabrück. But in 1633, Osnabrück was captured by the Swedes: the university was discontinued, Catholic religious exercises suppressed, and the see (1633–51) administered by the conquerors. In 1648, the

was negotiated in Osnabrück and the nearby city of Munster. The Treaty of Osnabrück stipulated that the bishopric would return to the religious status it had in 1624. Henceforth, the prince-bishops would alternate between Catholic and Protestant officeholders, with the Protestant bishops to be selected from the cadets of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The alternance was to be maintained without prejudice to the Catholic status of the bishopric or the right over it of the

Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, the archbishop was ''ex officio'' one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Cologne ...

as metropolitan. Wartenberg was made cardinal in 1660 and was succeeded by the married Protestant bishop,

Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover Ernest Augustus (; 20 November 1629 – 23 January 1698), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was Prince of Principality of Calenberg, Calenberg from 1679 until his death, and father of George I of Great Britain. He was appointed as the ninth prince-ele ...

(1661–98), who largely resided in

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

. He built the new palace in Osnabrück from 1667 and was succeeded by the Catholic bishop, Prince Charles Joseph of Lorraine. The Protestant bishop Ernest Augustus (1715–28), second son of the previous Ernest Augustus, was succeeded by Clemens August of Bavaria,

Archbishop-Elector of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, the archbishop was ''ex officio'' one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Cologne ...

(1728–61). The last bishop was Prince Frederick of Great Britain (1764–1803), the second son of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

, King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover. Prince Frederick was only six months old when he was elected bishop.

Residence

From about 1100, after a fire destroyed Osnabrück cathedral and its adjacent bishop's house, bishops had their residence at Iburg Castle. They moved back into town after Ernest Augustus built a baroque palace in Osnabrück, completed in 1673. Today Iburg Castle is a museum and seat of a local court while the Bishop's Palace houses the University of Osnabruck. King

George I of Great Britain George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. ...

died in the palace while visiting his brother, prince-bishop Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany, in 1727. File:BadIburgSchloss-2.jpg, Iburg Castle File:Neuer Graben-Schloss Osnabrueck.jpg, The Bishop's Palace, Osnabrück

List of prince-bishops

Prince-bishops of Osnabrück include: * 1224–1226: Engelbert I von Isenberg * 1206–1227: Otto I * 1227–1239: Konrad I von Velber * 1239–1250: Engelbert I von Isenberg * 1251–1258: Bruno von Isenberg * 1259–1264: Balduin von Rüssel * 1265–1269: Widukind von Waldeck * 1270–1297: Konrad von Rietberg * 1297–1308: Ludwig von Ravensberg * 1309–1320: Engelbert II von Weyhe * 1321–1349: Gottfried von Arnsberg * 1350–1366: Johann II Hoet * 1366–1376: Melchior von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen * 1376–1402:

Dietrich of Horne Dietrich of Horne (? in Horneburg (Westendorf) – 19 January 1402, in Osnabrück) was a German nobleman. He was bishop of Osnabrück from 1376 until his death. Life Dietrich was a member of the noble ''von Horne'' family, who resided at Horne ...

* 1402–1410: Henry I of Schauenburg-Holstein * 1410–1424: Otto von Hoya * 1424–1437: Johann III von Diepholz * 1437–1442: Erich von Hoya * 1442–1450: Heinrich von Moers * 1450–1454: Albert von Hoya * 1454–1455: Rudolf von Diepholz * 1455–1482: Konrad III von Diepholz * 1482–1508: Konrad IV von Rietberg * 1508–1532: Eric of Brunswick-Grubenhagen * 1532–1553: Franz von Waldeck (Lutheran after 1543) * 1553–1574: Johann II von Hoya (Catholic) * 1574–1585: Henry II of Saxe-Lauenburg (Lutheran) * 1585–1591: Bernhard von Waldeck (Lutheran) * 1591–1623: Philip Sigismund of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Lutheran) * 1623–1625: Eitel Frederick von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Catholic) * 1625–1634:

Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg Franz Wilhelm, Count von Wartenberg (born at Munich, 1 March 1593; died at Ratisbon, 1 December 1661) was a Bavarian Catholic Bishop of Osnabrück, expelled from his see in the Thirty Years' War and later restored, and at the end of his life a C ...

(Catholic) * 1634–1648: Gustav Gustavsson af Vasaborg (Lutheran) * 1648–1661:

(Catholic) * 1662–1698:

(Lutheran) * 1698–1715: Charles Joseph of Lorraine (Catholic) * 1715–1728: Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (Lutheran) * 1728–1761: Klemens August of Bavaria (Catholic) * 1764–1802:

Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (Frederick Augustus; 16 August 1763 – 5 January 1827) was the second son of George III, King of the United Kingdom and King of Hanover, Hanover, and his consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A so ...

(Lutheran), last Prince-Bishop The prince-bishopric was mediatized in 1803 to the

. For Catholic bishops after the mediatization, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück.

History

14th to 16th centuries

17th and 18th centuries

Residence

List of prince-bishops

References

General references

Further reading