Roman Catholic Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen
The Catholic Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone ( Bolzano- Bressanone Italian Diocese, Ladin Diozeja de Bulsan - Persenon, latin Dioecesis Bauzanensis - Brixinensis ) includes the autonomous province of Bolzano.
Bishopric Saeben
The Diocese of St. should. Kassian have been founded around 350, which is revered in Saeben at Brixen. That Kassian was actually bishop, however, is not assured.
In the diocese Saeben it would be a retreat diocese that has arisen in the wake of the collapse of the Roman Empire. Specifically, should the bishop seat of Augusta Vindelicorum ( Augsburg) have been moved to Saeben and stood in the aftermath with the Patriarchate of Aquileia. At a Synod of Bishops in Grado ( 572-577 ), a bishop of Saeben was present. As a first well known name bishop of St. Ingenuinus is mentioned in the year 579. About the further history of the Diocese of missing to 769 written sources, but archaeological findings prove the early existence of an Episcopal church on Säbener mountain in Lombard. From 590 Baiuvarii the colonization of the narrower diocesan territory, which became part of the Duchy of Bavaria began. Under Emperor Charlemagne was therefore placed under the Archdiocese of Salzburg Saeben 798. To the diocese at that time belonged to the upper and middle Inn Valley, a large part of the Eisack valley and the Dolomites.
Bishopric of Brixen
On September 13, 901 gave King Louis the Child to the Bishopric of farmstead Prichsna ( Brixen ). Even before 990 the bishop's seat was moved there. The Holy Albuin resided as bishop about 975-1006 already in Bressanone.
The transfer of suzerainty by King Henry II (1004 ) and Emperor Conrad II ( 1027) founded the secular power of the bishops in Tirol ( Bishopric of Brixen ). Frederick Barbarossa in 1179 gave them the title of Imperial Prince, which the prince-bishops led until 1952.
The diocese comprised the majority of the Isarco Valley ( the summer residence palace Velthurns ), the Pusteria Valley and the Inn Valley Finstermünz to the area of Jenbach and the valleys of the Dolomites Ladin ( Val Gardena, Val Badia, Marebbe, Val di Fassa ), from 1778 Cortina d' Ampezzo (Eng. Hayden ).
The secular power of the bishops, was increasingly limited from the mid-12th century by the Counts of Tyrol, who acted as stewards of the Bishopric. At the end of the High Middle Ages, the prince-bishopric as an independent kingdom territory largely comprised only the city and region of Brixen, Klausen and smaller areas in the Dolomites. The Bishopric was closely connected by numerous contracts with the princely county of Tyrol. 1803, the prince-bishopric was finally repealed by the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss and Tyrol incorporated.
Pope Pius VII put on 2 May 1818 the bull Ex imposito the diocesan boundaries for Tirol and Vorarlberg redefined. Brixen received especially by the Diocese of Chur in the Tyrol Obervinschgau and parts of Vorarlberg. With the brief of June 16, 1819, a Vicar General for Vorarlberg was built in Feldkirch, which belonged previously to the dioceses of Chur and consistency.
On September 29, 1822 Emperor of Austria was awarded with the Bull Quae nos gravissimi the right to appoint the bishops of Brixen.
As South Tyrol came to Italy after the First World War, thereby impeded the administration of Austria remained at diocesan parts. However, the Holy See did not want to arouse by changing the diocesan limits the impression to recognize the division of Tyrol. Therefore, the Vicar General of Vorarlberg, Sigismund Waitz was appointed on April 9, 1921 Apostolic Administrator of the Austrian part of the Diocese of Brixen. On April 25, 1925 it was the Administration of Innsbruck - Feldkirch, but not to build a new diocese. Since Brixen was cut off from his metropolitan see of Salzburg, the Holy See, it did not want to integrate an Italian Metropolitan District, the diocese was directly subordinate to the Holy See on 25 April 1921.
Bishopric Bolzano
In the diocese of Trento belonging "German share " to Bolzano and Merano grew the desire to be affiliated with the Diocese of Brixen. On August 6, 1964 came through the bull Quo aptius this area of the diocese of Brixen. This in turn had to finally give up the rights to the lying areas in Austria and the Ladin deaneries Fodom cede (German Buchstein ) and Anpezo to the diocese of Belluno. She was named the Diocese of Bolzano - Brixen and Trent was a suffragan. This was associated with the relocation of the bishopric of Brixen Bolzano and the relocation of the bishop to Bolzano. The Chapter is still in Brixen, Bishop lives but in Bolzano, its former provost church ( Assumption ) raised to the Co-Cathedral.
On the same day, the Apostolic Administration of Innsbruck - Feldkirch became an independent diocese collected (1968 Vorarlberg became independent as the Diocese of Feldkirch ) and assigned to the Archdiocese of Salzburg suffragan.
The ( North ) Tyrolean provincial government had argued for the combination of these two changes after an adjustment of the diocese borders the provincial boundaries or the inclusion of all the majority of German deaneries could not be achieved in spite of the text of the Concordat of 1929 in the Diocese of Brixen.
After the sudden death of Bishop Wilhelm Egger 16 August 2008 Vicar General Joseph Matzneller was appointed Diocesan Administrator. On 5 December 2008 announced the diocesan administrator Matzneller that was born in 1943 Tscherms moral theologian Karl Gols was appointed bishop. Gols is the third bishop of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone and the first one comes from the former South Tyrol part of the diocese of Trento. The episcopal ordination he received on March 8, 2009 at Brixen Cathedral. On July 27, 2011 Golsers resignation was accepted, Josef Matzneller again appointed Administrator and Ivo Muser designated as a bishop. October 9, 2011 Muser was consecrated by Archbishop Luigi Bressan in Brixen bishop.