Bishopric of Regensburg

Territory of the Holy Roman Empire

The Bishopric of Regensburg was until the secularization in the early 19th century, the secular dominion of the Prince-Bishop of Regensburg.

Scope

With his dominions Donaustauf, Worth and High Castle on Nordgau it was one of the smaller high pins of the empire. In the possession of the Bishop of Regensburg also other villages in Bavaria, Upper Palatinate, Tyrol and Austria were.

History

739 was the diocese of Regensburg by St. Boniface on behalf of Pope Gregory III. and built with the approval of the Bavarian Duke Odilo. The first bishops was as Abtbischöfe at the same time superior of the monastery Saint Emmeram. Only Wolfgang of Regensburg managed 974/75 with the establishment of the Abbot Ramwod an economically independent monastery, which experienced a spiritual and cultural flowering in the subsequent period. However, the economic separation meant a great loss to the diocese and subsequent bishops tried again and again again the monastery again more firmly to himself.

Was a hindrance for the development of high pin that further -reaching direct forces existed in Regensburg, namely, the imperial city of Regensburg, Kloster Sankt Emmeram and the pins Niedermünster and Obermünster. So it did not succeed the bishop to build a larger closed territory.

Several bishops, such as Henry II of Rotteneck as the last of his earls bad possessions brought into the diocese. It belonged since 1256 in the High Castle Nordgau, since the late 13th century Wörth and since the mid-14th century Donaustauf for high pin Regensburg. An increasing debt brought several bishops in the situation possession to pawn or sell. The rule Donaustauf remained predominantly pledged over centuries. Significant weaknesses suffered the diocese in the conflict between Henry III. of stone and Friedrich von Zollern, both competed for the bishop's throne. The imperial city of Regensburg became Protestant in 1542. Also in the diocese associated Oberpfalz changed the denomination in the 16th and 17th centuries several times. From the 16th century the diocese sought the proximity of wealthy Bavarian and Palatine neighbors of the house of Wittelsbach.

1803, the Bishopric in the Principality of Regensburg was converted, except that the free imperial city of Regensburg also included other areas with a total of 1542 km ² and 108,000 inhabitants. On November 26, 1802 Regensburg was occupied by troops of the Kurerzkanzlers Karl Theodor von Dalberg. The Archbishop dignity was transferred only on 2 July 1805 by Mainz to Regensburg, was Archbishop of Dalberg. After the occupation of Regensburg by French troops under Napoleon in 1809, the Principality of Regensburg was formally Bavaria. The actual transition was completed in 1810.