Albert von Toerring-Stein

Archbishop's coat of arms in the castle chapel of Wörth an der Donau

Wörth Castle on the Danube In 1616, Bishop Albert von Toerring-Stein had the castle chapel built

Albert von Toerring-Stein (born October 26, 1578 in Stein an der Traun , Bavaria , † April 12, 1649 in Regensburg ) was Bishop of Regensburg from 1613 to 1649 .

Life

The member of the Bavarian aristocratic family, the Törring , was ordained a priest in 1610 and was elected to succeed Wolfgang von Hausen as Bishop of Regensburg on October 22, 1613 .

The Counter-Reformation showed its effects in the diocese: for the first time parts of the population returned to the Catholic faith, especially the sovereign Wolfgang Wilhelm increasingly enforced the faith in the Upper Palatinate with coercive means, even against resistance. The predicants were expelled and Protestant services, including house services, were forbidden against imprisonment. The increased influx, however, was offset by a too small number of trained pastors.

Even under his government there were disputes with the citizens of the evangelical imperial city of Regensburg . The bishop delayed negotiations because, in view of the recatholization of the surrounding area, he was confident that he would gain an increasingly stronger negotiating position. Processions of Catholics, who have recently become more self-confident, were used by Protestants a. a. boycotted with roadblocks until the emperor finally spoke out in favor of the bishop. In 1630 he called Franciscans to the city to carry out the Counter Reformation .

After Tilly, the supreme general of the Catholic League, was defeated by the Swedish King Gustav Adolf in the Thirty Years War , he was able to penetrate the hinterland to Franconia and Swabia . In 1633 the bishopric of Regensburg was stormed by Swedish troops under Bernhard von Sachsen-Weimar . Albert first fled to his Gut Pöchlarn in Lower Austria, later returned and was held prisoner in Würzburg . The citizens of Regensburg and the clergy had to pay high contributions . In 1634 Regensburg was recaptured by imperial and Bavarian troops. The plague then claimed numerous victims in the city. But the war had also strengthened the position of Protestants in the city. Austrian noblemen, including teachers and pastors, sought refuge in Regensburg as exiles , including personalities such as Adam Gienger von Grünbüchl , Hans Leonhard von Windischgrätz, Hans Septimius Jörger and Erasmus II von Starhemberg .

Bishop Albert received the body of the saint and martyr Justinus from the Pope , who was transferred to Regensburg Cathedral on May 17, 1644 . At that time, it was the practice to take skeletons from Roman catacombs and bring them to Germany in large celebrations.

Albert died in Regensburg in 1649.

coat of arms

The prince-bishop's coat of arms bears the coat of arms of the diocese of Regensburg as the shield head. The main shield is square with the coat of arms of the Törring and for Seefeld there are three black alarm clocks on a golden background. For Mödling, the heart label shows silver pliers at an angle on a red background.

literature

• Michael Buchberger (Ed.): 1200 years of the diocese of Regensburg. Regensburg 1939, pp. 55-58.
• Karl Hausberger : History of the diocese of Regensburg. Volume 1: Middle Ages and Early Modern Times. Regensburg 1989, pp. 332-336.
• Josef Staber: Church history of the diocese of Regensburg. Regensburg 1966, pp. 130-137.

Web links

Commons : Albert von Toerring-Stein  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

predecessor	Office	successor
Wolfgang II von Hausen	Bishop of Regensburg 1613–1649	Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg