Archbishopric of Magdeburg

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Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg
  • Erzstift Magdeburg (
    Latin
    )
1180–1680
Coat of arms of Magdeburg
Coat of arms
Albert of Brandenburg
   elected archbishop
1513
1680
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Duchy of Saxony
Duchy of Magdeburg

The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a

Prince-Archbishopric (1180–1680) of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe
River.

Planned since 955 and established in 967, the archdiocese had de facto turned void since 1557, when the last papally confirmed prince-archbishop, the Lutheran

Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern Missions
in 1670.

In political respect the

Halle upon Saale, Oebisfelde and environs as well as Jüterbog and environs. The prince-archbishopric maintained its statehood as an elective monarchy until 1680. Then the Brandenburg-Prussia the prince-archbishopric of Magdeburg. After being secularised, the state was transformed into the Duchy of Magdeburg, a hereditary monarchy in personal union
with Brandenburg.

The 1994-founded modern

Diocese of Magdeburg is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church located in the German states of Saxony-Anhalt (bulk), Brandenburg and Saxony
(smaller fringes each).

History

The town was one of the oldest emporia of the German trade for the Wends who dwelt on the right bank of the Elbe. In 805 it is first mentioned in history. In 806 Charlemagne built a fortress on the eastern bank of the river opposite Magdeburg. The oldest church is also credited to this time.[1]

Magdeburg first played an important part in the history of Germany during the reign of Otto the Great (936-73). In 929 King Otto I granted the city to his English-born wife Edith as dower. She had a particular love for the town and often lived there. The emperor also continually returned to it. In September 937, Otto and his wife founded a Benedictine monastery at Magdeburg, which was dedicated to Sts. Peter, Maurice, and the Holy Innocents. The first abbots and monks came from St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier.[1]

After the wars of the years 940 and 954, the

Archbishop of Mainz, who was the metropolitan of Halberstadt.[1]

Cathedral of Magdeburg

When, in 962, Pope John XII sanctioned the establishment of an archbishopric, Otto seemed to have abandoned his plan of a transfer. The estates belonging to the convent founded in 937 were converted into a mense for the new archbishopric, and the monks transferred to the Berge Convent. The abbey church became the Cathedral of St. Maurice.

Its

Slavic tribes, and was meant to promote Christianity among the many Slavs and others. On 20 April 967, the archbishopric was solemnly established at the Synod of Ravenna in the presence of the pope and the emperor. The first archbishop was Adelbert, a former monk of St. Maximin's at Trier,[3] afterwards a missionary bishop to the Ruthenians (Ruthenia), and Abbot of Weissenburg in Alsace
. He was elected in the autumn of 968, received the pallium at Rome, and at the end of the year was solemnly enthroned in Magdeburg.

The archdiocesan area of Magdeburg was rather small; it comprised the Slavonic districts of Serimunt, Nudizi, Neletici, Nizizi, and half of northern Thuringia, which Halberstadt resigned. The cathedral school especially gained in importance under Adalbert's efficient administration. The scholastic Othrich was considered the most learned man of his times. Many eminent men were educated at Magdeburg.

Othrich was chosen archbishop after Adalbert's death (981).

See of Magdeburg by bribery and fraud. Upon his death in 1004, there followed a brief conflict between King Henry II and the cathedral canons before Tagino was installed as archbishop.[4] Tagino and his suffragans were relied upon heavily for military service in the eastern marches.[5]

Among successors worthy of mention are the zealous Gero (1012–23) and

Political territory of the Prince-Archbishopric (lacking Jüterbog exclave) by 1648, over present-day Saxony-Anhalt

Archbishop

Otto IV, who was incensed because his brother Eric of Brandenburg had not been elected archbishop. The Brandenburgers succeeded in forcing Günther I and Bernard III
(1279–1281) to resign and in making Eric archbishop (1283–1295).

Cardinal

Frederick IV of Brandenburg
, who died in 1552.

Treaty of Westphalia (1648), the expectancy to the archbishopric was promised to Brandenburg-Prussia upon the death of August. When the Saxon prince died in 1680, the archbishopric was secularised by Brandenburg and transformed into the Duchy of Magdeburg
.

The remaining Catholics in the area were under the jurisdiction of the

Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern Missions
between 1670 and 1709, and again from 1780 to 1821. Between 1709 and 1780 the
Diocese of Magdeburg
was founded in the area.

Archbishops and administrators

Archbishops of Magdeburg

1180: Gained Imperial immediacy on breakup of duchy of Saxony

Prince-archbishops of Magdeburg

  • Wichmann von Seeburg 1180–1192; archbishop from 1152
  • Ludolf of Koppenstedt 1192–1205
  • Albert I of Käfernburg 1205–1232
  • Burkhard I of Woldenberg 1232–1235
  • Wilbrand of Kasernberg 1235–1254
  • Rudolf of Dinselstadt 1254–1260
  • Rupert of Mansfeld 1260–1266
  • Conrad II of Sternberg 1266–1277
  • Günther I of Schwalenberg 1277–1279
  • Bernhard III of Wolpe 1279–1282
  • Eric of Brandenburg 1282–1295
  • Burkhard II of Blankenburg 1295–1305
  • Henry III, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben 1305–1307
  • Burkhard III of Mansfeld-Schrapglau 1307–1325
  • Heideke of Erssa 1326–1327
  • Otto of Hesse 1327–1361
  • Dietrich Kagelwit 1361–1367
  • Albert II of Sternberg 1367–1372
  • Peter Gelvto 1372–1381
  • Louis of Meissen 1381–1382
  • Frederick II of Hoym 1382
  • Albert III of Querfurt 1382–1403
  • Günther II of Schwarzburg 1403–1445
  • Frederick III of Beichlingen 1445–1464
  • John II of Palatinate-Simmern 1464–1475
  • Ernest II of Saxony
    1475–1480; prince-archbishop to 1513

1480:

Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt
administered by archbishops of Magdeburg

Prince-archbishops of Magdeburg, administrators of Halberstadt

1566: Archdiocese ruled by Lutheran administrators

Administrators of Magdeburg

1680: Prince-Archbishopric secularised to duchy

Ecclesiastical Province of Magdeburg

suffragans
of Magdeburg were:

Residences

Residences of the Archbishops of Magdeburg were:

  • Giebichenstein Castle in Halle (Saale)
    Halle (Saale)
  • Moritzburg in Halle
  • The New Residence in Halle
    The New Residence in Halle
  • Calbe Castle (secondary residence)
    Calbe Castle (secondary residence)
  • The Archbishop's Palace in Magdeburg
    The Archbishop's Palace in Magdeburg

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Löffler, Klemens. "Magdeburg." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 11 August 2023 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. .
  3. .
  4. ^ Thompson, James Westfall. Feudal Germany, Volume II. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1928, p. 644
  5. .

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainHerbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Magdeburg". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.