Jakob von Eltz-Rübenach
Jakob von Eltz, actually Jakob von Eltz - Rübenach, Jakob Eltz ( Eltz Castle * 1510 in Munstermaifeld, † June 4, 1581 in Trier ), was from 1567 until his death in 1581 as James III. ( James III. Von Eltz ) Elector and Archbishop of Trier. Since 1576 he has held the first of the archbishops of Trier, the office of the administrator ( Prince-Abbot ) of the imperial abbey of Prüm. He came from the line of " Eltz Rübenach " from the moselländischem nobility " of Eltz ".
Origin
Jakob Eltz was born as Johann Jacob von Eltz in 1510 at the headquarters of the Burg Eltz family, the second son of Johann V. von Eltz and Mary Breitbach. He had three brothers: George, the first-born and heir of Burg Eltz, Johann Reichard, heir to the Eltzer Hof in Boppard and Wolfgang. The family consisted at that time from the lines of the noble lords of Eltz and the Baron von Eltz Rübenach. His great-great grandfather Johann I von Eltz († 1480) was land steward under the Archbishops James I of Sierck ( 1439-1456 ) and Johann II of Baden ( 1456-1503 ). In some sources he is done with the double name " Johann Jacob " or "John."
Life
His career began in 1523 with his recording as Domizellar ( Kanonikatsanwärter ) in the Trier cathedral chapter. This was followed by studies at the Universities of Heidelberg, Leuven and Freiburg for six years in the law and theology. On September 15, 1525, he was first a canon of Trier, then rose on December 7, 1535 on canon, on June 30, 1547 to the choirmaster and a few months later on October 13, to dean ( Domdekan ). In 1550, the devout Catholic, was ordained a priest - as such, he showed up in strict opposition to the Protestant cause at the Diet of Regensburg in 1555 and the Worms Colloquy of 1557, in his capacity as an emissary of the archdiocese. In its role as dean, he acquired extensive knowledge of kurstaatlichen administrative work and made significant experience in managing the affairs of state. From 1564, he also took over for two years the Rector of the embossed by acting in Trier since 1560 Jesuit University of Trier, where he also interspersed his attitude to Catholicism by the creed ( " Professio fidei Tridentinae " ) of all professors and students 1565 according to the Bull " Iniunctum nobis " (Latin for "Let imposed " ) Pius IV of 13 November 1564th demanded.
After the death of Archbishop John VI. von der Leyen on February 10, 1567 in Koblenz Jakob zu Eltz was on 7 April 1567 also in Koblenz, by the chapter after lengthy discussion at Burg Ottenstein ( since the 17th century castle Outbound ) in Wittlich as James III. elected archbishop of Trier. Because of extreme tension between the city and the Archbishopric of Trier election to the state capital of Trier could not take place. His election was part of the Archbishopric very welcomed, the entire Archdiocese worshiped him, except Trier. One of his first acts was to implement the insertion and information process of the decisions of the Council of Trent (15 May 1567) was the first of the German bishops. On April 17, 1569 Jacob III received. Eltz in Koblenz by the bishops of Speyer, Liege and the Trier Auxiliary Bishop Gregory of Virneburg episcopal ordination. From the hands of Emperor Maximilian II, he received the regalia as Elector of Trier.
Tenure
James III. Eltz was a devout Catholic of morally impeccable living a staunch opponent of the Reformation and a big proponent and implementer of the Counter-Reformation and in accordance with the Council of Trent aligned ecclesiastical reform beings in the archdiocese, whose structures he set. To this end, he issued a visitation of the entire Archdiocese, promoted the reform of numerous monasteries ( such as the monastery Laach ( Abbatia ad Lacum ), the present abbey Khajuraho, whose abbot during the reign of James III. Von Eltz John VI. Cochem (John Ricius 1568-1597) was ) and supported the establishment of reformist cleric in top positions. 1580, at the end of his reign, he appointed those already funded by him in Trier Jesuit order in 1580 to Koblenz. His reign shape moving toward a so-called " spiritual absolutism tempered ". His stated religious main objective in the age of the Reformation was to enforce, by any available to him forces the preservation of the Catholic faith, at least in its sphere of influence and push back the Reformation, which he succeeded to the county of Saarbrücken. There, the new denomination in 1575 by the new sovereign Count Philip III was. introduced by Nassau -Saarbrücken ( 1575-1602 ). As a special church policy success under his government activities as archbishop and ruler of the Electorate of Trier which avoid having to take a separate diocese Luxembourg to be seen, to the inclusion of the old imperial abbey of Prüm in 1576 with all the associated Eifel mountains in the Electorate of Trier, a territorial growth and thus to a conservation measure the Catholic faith in these areas. Since then, the electors and archbishops of Trier act as administrators of the abbey.
The decades- long claims raised the Abbey of St Maximin and the city of Trier on imperial immediacy were 1570 and again in 1580 rejected after a total of a 12-year process final of Imperial Chamber Court confirmed the judgment of the Emperor Rudolf II on March 12, 1580. On May 23, 1580 Town Key to Elector James III was. passed by Eltz, who procured his valid until 1794, tailored to the elector or his representative law and city charter as part of the kingdom judgment Trier as one of the national sovereignty of the Elector unconditionally imputed city. They met on June 13, 1580 in force and was named after him Constitutio Eltziana or simply Eltziana ( Eltzer Constitution).
He managed not only to preserve the territorial unity of his electorate, but also to enlarge the territories of the Prüm Abbey and largely to reorganize its finances. The territorial expansion was the last important in the history Kurtriers. In the year of his death in 1581 that promoted by him Trier Jesuit College had grown to 73 people. In the same year the disputes to the imperial immediacy of St. Maximin delivered ( the claim of the abbots sat until 1669 on) and the city of Trier, to the years of crop failures in this area at that time a part of reason for the onset of massive witch hunts, which under his successor to notoriety came.
James III. , A prudent, devout and morally perfect country gentleman, who looked less than elector because as the father of his subjects and the shepherd of souls of Trier Church, is the site of his spiritual work, in the dome of St. Peter in Trier, Trier St. Peter's Basilica, was buried. Since 1597 adorns his tomb, created by the Hans Ruprecht Hoffmann and regarded as art-historically significant Trinity altar as grave altar.