Philip Sigismund of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Philipp Sigismund Duke of Brunswick -Wolfenbüttel (also: Philipp Siegmund, * July 1, 1568 at Castle Hesse, † March 19, 1623 in Iburg ) was a Protestant prince bishop of Verden and Osnabrück.

Biography

Philipp Sigismund was the second son of Duke Julius of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel. He was supposed to be Bishop of Minden. In this diocese had his older brother Heinrich Julius, at the same time Bishop of Halberstadt, dispensed in 1585 in favor of his brother Philip Sigismund. But the formalities could be accomplished fast enough and so he was instead 1586 successor to the late Bishop Eberhard von Holle in Verden. However, he was never confirmed as a Protestant by the Pope in this office and the investiture by the emperor he was also first, 1598.

In 1591 he was additionally also Prince-Bishop in Bishopric of Osnabrück. Furthermore, he was a canon in Bremen and Magdeburg and from 1598 provost at the cathedral of Halberstadt. When dividing the county Hoya in 1589, he received three offices to Verden.

Philipp Sigismund lived alternately in his residences Castle Iburg and Rotenburg ( Wümme ), where he will manage the development of this worthy and made ​​for example in 1595 and the hunting lodge ( Bad Iburg ) and built the Castle Mill. Built by him instead of the former castle Renaissance castle in Rotenburg was destroyed in 1626 by Tilly's troops.

In the Bishopric of Verden he left in 1600 to introduce a new Lutheran church order; in his reign the Osnabrück district while it remained religiously mixed status quo. Philipp Sigismund promoted the Protestant founded in 1595 Ratsgymnasium Osnabrück, but stayed on the other hand in his capitulation to the cathedral chapter over given promise not to do anything against the Catholic rite.

In Pen Verden he promoted trade by reforming the coinage and in Osnabrück by the introduction of linen harrows, testing to monitor the linen produced in house industry.

He was buried in the cathedral of Verden near the erected by him for his great-uncle Bishop George tomb in a sarcophagus made ​​already in 1594 ( since the renovation of 1830 in the south aisle under the west gallery ).