Johann Adam von Bicken
Johann Adam von Bickenbach ( born May 27, 1564 on the castle Hainchen; † January 11, 1604 in Aschaffenburg ) was from 1601 to 1604 Archbishop and Elector of Mainz and thus Lord Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire.
Life
Johann Adam von Bickenbach, from the dynasty of Bickenbach, was born on the ancestral castle of the family, the castle Hainchen the winning country on May 27, 1564. His father was the Electoral Mainz Marshal Philip of Bickenbach, his mother Anna Brendelin of Homburg, a sister of the elector Daniel Brendel of Homburg.
He received his elementary education in Würzburg and Mainz, where he may have studied the then usual seven liberal arts, after which he continued his studies in Pont-à- Mousson (1582 - 1584) continued, Bourges, Toulon and in Italy. He spoke French and Italian.
At the age of almost 10 years, received Johann Adam von Bickenbach 1574 by his uncle, the reigning Archbishop of Mainz and Elector Daniel Brendel of Homburg, a canonry in the chapter of Mainz.
1590 appointed Archbishop and Elector Wolfgang von Dalberg him in his electoral office where he held various management tasks, assigned, for example, participation in the fall of 1597 at the Reichstag ( HRR ) to Regensburg.
In 1595 he was elected Domscholaster, but he was not ordained a priest, which was actually requires as a condition to this office itself.
Johann Adam von Bickenbach died only 39 years old, after less than four years of reign, to a neck ailment on January 11, 1604 in Aschaffenburg. The transfer of his body from Aschaffenburg to Mainz was carried out with the ship, where he was ceremoniously buried in the Cathedral on 23 January 1604.
Elector
The choice of Johann Adam Bickens the Elector and Archbishop of Electoral Mainz on 15 May 1601 which is 10 days after the death of his predecessor Wolfgang von Dalberg seems to be carried without a dissenting vote. Congratulations on his election received the new sovereign of imperial side and by Pope Clement VIII, but the pallium was handed over to him due to financial demands of the Roman Curia until 30 March 1602 Mainz. However, the confirmation of his election was made by the consistory of cardinals already on 27 August 1601.
Confessionalisation
With Johann Adam also began in the Archbishopric of Mainz, the process of confessionalisation that was out of inner conviction as well as by the desire of power backup. He asked, for example, by his officials that they should commit themselves to the Catholic faith or he replaced in some places Lutheran preacher or pastor by Catholic priests. In imitation of the Papal Jubilee of 1600 Johann Adam can make a public commitment to the Catholic faith in the archbishopric of Mainz. In Mainz these celebrations took place in mid August 1602, with the main celebrations with processions and a central fair on the feast of the Assumption (August 15, 1602) took place. In the other cities and areas of the Archbishopric was Johann Adam von Bickenbach also perform such expressions, which should serve for fastening the Catholic creed. Participating in processions and fair was mandatory for all subjects.
The debt of the Archdiocese appears to have been relatively high, pastoral projects such as the construction and maintenance of a seminary could not be carried out for lack of money. Johann Adam von Bickenbach also objected to a renewed increase in the Turks control by Emperor Rudolf II, but this could not prevent.
An alliance of the Catholic imperial estates against the Palatine seemed urgent, but did not materialize due to his early death.
Witch trials
The image of the young, intent on securing and increasing the Catholic faith electors is thus greatly tarnished, that he gave in efforts to witch hunts. The Archbishop was namely as his successor Johann Schweikhard of Kronberg, witch trials to perform.
A later chronicler wrote: "Our Rheingau with the rest Erzstifte ( liked ) the divine caution praise that it has archbishop Johann Adam governmental days shortened, bey its extension would surely died Zwey -thirds of his subjects as alleged sorcerers and monsters of death by fire sey. "
Similar massive persecutions can be detected only in Southern Germany in the witch trial series of the bishoprics of Bamberg and Eichstätt and in Würzburg and Ellwangen.
A contemporary of his reign regent commented: " 1603 was made by the Reverend greater efforts to eradicate two diseases. One was the But art of wizards and witches, the other of heresy. Against the former he ordered sharp questioning and judicial investigations and in some places many little women were burned as witches. "
On August 5, 1603, Archbishop left the Reformed pastor Anton Praetorius, detain fighters against witch trials and torture in Oberwöllstadt, but released him a few weeks later after protests from the Heidelberg Elector Frederick IV from prison.
See also: Diocese of Mainz and Kurmainz
Reception
While the Bishop the other action is largely faded, his uncompromising enforcement of the Counter-Reformation in conjunction with witch hunts on various internet sites is often mentioned.
Contemporary Music: In Avantasia, a metal opera by Tobias Sammet, the frontman of the band Edguy, 2002 written and composed, plays Bishop Johann Adam von Bickenbach related to witch trials in the diocese of Mainz a role.