Anton von Schaumburg

Seal of Anton von Schaumburg from around 1556–1558

Count Anton von Schaumburg , sometimes also called von Schauenburg , (* around 1517 ; † June 18, 1558 ) was Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cologne from 1557 to 1558 .

Life

He was the seventh of twelve children of Count Jobst von Schaumburg and Holstein-Pinneberg and their mother Maria von Nassau-Dillenburg . Among his brothers were the future Archbishop of Cologne, Adolf III. von Schaumburg and the heir of the County of Otto IV von Schaumburg . Unlike his brother, Anton von Schaumburg probably did not have any academic training.

As a later-born child, he was earmarked for spiritual benefices at an early age. At the age of six he was already a candidate for a cathedral canonical in Cologne. In 1541 he received a preliminary examination at the Lambertus pen in Liège. There he later became provost of the cathedral . He also held a canon position at the Servatius monastery in Maastricht. It is unclear whether he was also provost of the Cäcilia-Stift in Hildesheim . This claim goes back to family tradition. Between 1547 and 1557 he was provost of the Gereon monastery in Cologne . He remained only a subdeacon until his death .

His brother Adolf III. was able to stabilize the archbishopric and the archbishopric in his time as archbishop after Hermann von Wied's attempted Reformation , but his further plans failed due to the resistance of Duke Wilhelm V of Jülich-Kleve-Berg and the estates in his own territories.

Nothing is known about the details of the election of Anton von Schaumburg. It can be assumed that the cathedral chapter was concerned with continuity and a quick election. But it is also possible that by choosing an inexperienced man one hoped for an end to the forced pro-Catholic course of his predecessor. It was advantageous that the Schaumburgers occupied several canons and were otherwise well networked.

It turned out to be disadvantageous that important advisors to his predecessor such as Eberhard Billick or Johannes Gropper , who had both had a decisive influence on denominational politics, failed in whole or in part for further employment. One consequence was that Anton von Schaumburg did not develop any church political initiatives with regard to pushing back Protestantism. The person of his court chaplain, Gerhard Veltius , points to a less strict attitude . He is said to have been married and welcomed Protestant developments in Jülich-Kleve-Berg . He also approved the upcoming marriage of his brother Otto, which was linked to the conversion to Protestantism. At the same time he had a good relationship with the Franciscans and Jesuits. In contrast to his brother, he was denominationally indifferent and, above all, secular.

His term of office was filled with improving the catastrophic financial situation of the archbishopric. In 1557 he issued a mountain code that was no longer in existence , but it hardly contained any innovations.

He also hardly made an appearance in politics. Because the Regensburg Reichstag of 1556/57 had already started when he was elected, Anton von Schaumburg did not take part in it. The regalia he was only on the Frankfurt electors in 1558. He was himself traveled to the meeting to the proclamation of Ferdinand I agree to elect the Roman emperor.

Shortly after the return trip he fell ill and died in Godesberg . The tombs created for him and his brother by Cornelis Floris were originally set up in the high choir of Cologne Cathedral on the choir screen. The brother was shown with the episcopal miter, but he himself with the electoral hat. In 1863 the epitaphs were moved to the radial chapels; Antons on the west wall of the Engelbert Chapel.

Individual evidence

^ Wilfried Reininghaus, Reinhard Köhne: Mining, smelting and hammer works in the Duchy of Westphalia in the Middle Ages and in the early modern period . Münster 2008 p. 77
↑ On the history of illness and the death of the archbishop, who was around 40 years old in 1557, cf. the report of his co-treating doctor: Johann Weyer : De Quartana . In: Medicarum observationum rararum , Liber I. Amsterdam 1657, pp. 37–53, esp. Pp. 50–53 ( Google Books ).

Web links

predecessor	Office	successor
Adolf III. from Schaumburg	Elector Archbishop of Cologne 1557–1558	Gebhard von Mansfeld

personal data
SURNAME	Schaumburg, Anton von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Schauenburg, Anton von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cologne (1557–1558)
DATE OF BIRTH	uncertain: around 1517
DATE OF DEATH	June 18, 1558

[1] Wilfried Reininghaus, Reinhard Köhne: Mining, smelting and hammer works in the Duchy of Westphalia in the Middle Ages and in the early modern period . Münster 2008 p. 77

[2] On the history of illness and the death of the archbishop, who was around 40 years old in 1557, cf. the report of his co-treating doctor: Johann Weyer : De Quartana . In: Medicarum observationum rararum , Liber I. Amsterdam 1657, pp. 37–53, esp. Pp. 50–53 ( Google Books ).