Joseph Franz Auersperg
Josef Franz Anton Cardinal Graf von Auersperg (born 31 January 1734 in Vienna, † August 21, 1795 in Passau ) was an Austrian Bishop, Prince-Bishop of Passau and cardinal.
Life
Joseph Franz Anton von Auersperg was born in Vienna as the son of Prince Heinrich von Auersperg, Duke of Münsterberg and Frankenstein in Silesia, and Maria Franziska von Trautson and Falkenstein. His father was an imperial councilor and master of the horse. Already in young years he received a canonry in Salzburg and Passau, and the provost Ardagger.
At the instigation of the Archbishop of Salzburg Schrattenbach he was in 1763 only 28 -year-old Bishop of Lavant and was ordained on May 20, 1763 in Salzburg for the bishop, 1773 he also received the Provost St. Mauritzen in Friesach. The heavily damaged by an earthquake in Bishop's S. Andrea in the Lavant valley, he was restored partly from its own assets.
On January 31, 1773, he was appointed Bishop of Gurk confirmed, on May 1, he was enthroned in the Gurk Cathedral and ruled until 1783 in the spirit of enlightened state church. The Imperial Edict of Tolerance in 1782 he gave to his clergy continue in a pastoral letter. For religious intermarriage no longer a lapels should be asked about the Catholic education of the children in the future, the use of the Rosary and the holy water is only permitted with the utmost caution and the cloaks of pennies and other practices that could encourage the superstition of the people are, prohibited. For this he received from Emperor Joseph II 's biggest praise. For a large part of the faithful, however, the bishop met with great protest. He made his bishopric by numerous church reforms to the model of a state church diocesan administration. Here he had the castle Pöckstein by Johann Georg von Hagenauer build. In collaboration with a new diocesan control of Inner Austria was Auerspergs proposal to raise the diocese of Gurk archdiocese, not accepted. On the occasion of the first Papal visit to Austria by Pope Pius VI. Auersperg traveled to Ljubljana, to greet the guest there on March 16, 1782 on his journey to Vienna.
The Passau cathedral chapter elected the enlightened Prince Auersperg Church on May 19, 1783 Bishop, after Emperor Joseph II had separated immediately after the death of Cardinal Leopold Ernst von Firmian the Austrian parts of the diocese of Passau. The new Prince-Bishop could not sway the emperor and renounced all diocesan rights in the Austrian territories.
Supported by his brother Johann Graf von Auersperg, he made Vicar General, he led in the following years by drastic reforms in the spirit of Josephinism. He fought various forms of popular piety, could be removed objected at visitations holy pictures, forbade the ringing of weather and forbade sermons against Protestants. He encouraged the poor and the sick and had simultaneously prohibit begging for punishment. Theatre and opera, which he understood as educational institutions, experienced a period of prosperity under him. On March 30, 1789, he was named by Pope Pius VI. cardinal.
Under Auersperg arose out of the court theater with the Redoutenhaus especially school buildings, hospitals, administrative buildings, roads and bridges, especially the Innpromenade in Passau. For himself, he was, like all other buildings before, from the princely court architect and lifelong friend Johann Georg von Hagenauer the Freudenhain palace built as a summer residence, which included a major park. In his villa in Holländerdörferl, an artificial village in the middle of the park, he died unexpectedly at the age of 61 years. He was buried in the crypt of the Passau Cathedral.