Bishopric of Eichstätt

Territory of the Holy Roman Empire

Bishopric of Eichstätt was the name that dominated in their capacity as princes of the bishops of Eichstätt territory of the Holy Roman Empire, as it had developed since the 13th century. The high pin comprised only one-third of the diocesan territory.

Spatial extent

The " middle and lower pin " was a largely contiguous territory on the Altmühltherme to the episcopal city itself with the country towns Beilngries Berching and Greding. The high pin limited there to the Upper Palatinate, to Bavaria, the Duchy of Neuburg, the rule Pappenheim and the Principality of Ansbach. The "Upper pin " included various smaller territories in today's Middle Franconia (especially to Herrieden and Ornbau or gap and Plein field). The entire high pin count after the Reformation Catholic to 1,100 km ² approximately 58,000. Inhabitants. The income of the chamber were Checkout before secularization in the year 1802 135.000 guilders. It was one of the smallest territorial and economic rather insignificant high pins within the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.

History

740 the Anglo-Saxon monk Willibald had come to Eichstätt and was there ordained a priest by Boniface. 741 received Willibald in aspic bridges at Erfurt by Boniface Episcopal ordination. Soon after, he returned to Eichstätt. The episcopal ordination and the final branch in Eichstätt marked the beginnings of the diocese of Eichstätt.

1305 died from the family of the Counts of Hirschberg, who held the advocacies of the territory of the Bishopric. A large part of the heritage went back to the bishops of Eichstätt. The Prince Bishop won thereby a contiguous territory. As a prince of the empire, he sat in the Imperial between the bishops of Worms and Speyer.

Under Bishop Wilhelm von Reichenau (reigned 1464-1496 ), the fortifications were renewed many cities in the territory of the Bishopric. The trapped farmers due to the high burden of taxes and compulsory labor economically more and more under pressure. The Prince Bishop Gabriel of humanistic formed Eyb (reigned 1496-1535 ) attempted on the eve of the Reformation to reforms in higher pin. Nevertheless, it came in 1525 to a downcast from Prince Bishop uprising in the Peasants' War. The Reformation was at this time in more than half of the diocese area entrance and led to the dissolution of numerous monasteries; Eyb could prevent the entry of the Reformation in his worldly area, the diocese, however. Bishop Johann Christoph von Westerstetten (r. 1612-1637 ) appointed in 1614 by the Jesuits to Eichstätt. 1617 led to the diocese of the Catholic League. During his reign, he ran the Counter-Reformation, and had carried out at least 188 witch trials. Even with contemporaries he was considered one of the notorious witches Frankish bishops. Half of the Protestant areas had become of his diocese, he won back to the Catholic faith. In addition to the respective bishops operated especially the Jesuits and Capuchins reconstruction of Catholic life. Not only in Eichstätt, but in many areas of the diocese created a new form of baroque religiosity that was reflected in brisk construction activity.

Under Marquard II Schenk von Castell began in 1637, the internal and external reconstruction of the city and of the Prince-Bishopric of Eichstätt after the devastation of war Sweden. It was also the beginning of the transformation of Eichstätt to baroque primarily by builders and plasterers from Graubünden. Schenk von Castell reorganized the diocese and brought through customs duties and taxes in order to devastated finances. Johann Martin von Eyb (r. 1697/1698-1704 ) was the " puncta synodalia " out new guidelines for the pastoral care and had to rebuild the Holy Spirit Hospital.

1802, the Prince-Bishopric of Bishop Joseph Graf von Stubenberg (reigned 1790-1824 ) of Bavaria was secularized, the biggest part still in the same year to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand III. assigned as the future Elector of Salzburg. 1805 came Eichstätt in Bratislava peace back to Bavaria. In the years 1803-1807 the monasteries, and in 1216 founded there German Medal Coming were lifted. From 1808 to 1810 Eichstätt capital of Altmühltherme, until 1814 the Upper Danube Circle, 1817-1833 residence Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg.