Erich von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen

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Erich von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen

Erich von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (* 1478 ; † 14 May 1532 in Fürstenau ) was Prince-Bishop of Paderborn and Osnabrück from 1508 to 1532 and elected Bishop of Münster in 1532 .

Early years

Erich was the youngest child of the couple Duke Albrecht II of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen and Elisabeth Countess von Waldeck. The older brother Philip succeeded his father and introduced the Lutheran denomination during his reign. Erich was only co-regent of his brother for a short time in 1500.

From the outset he was destined for the clergy as a later-born son. In 1495 he was enrolled at the old University of Cologne ( Universitas Studii Coloniensis ). He held preambles at the cathedral chapters in Osnabrück and Paderborn . He went to Rome for further studies . It was at this time that he was gaining respect at the papal court.

Elected bishop in Osnabrück and Paderborn

After the death of Bishop Konrad von Rietberg , he was elected Bishop of Osnabrück in 1508. The election met with the indignation of the citizens of Osnabrück , who would have preferred it if Johann von Rietberg, a nephew of the former bishop, had been elected. Philipp von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen managed to dampen the displeasure. Erich's high appraisal demands seemed to confirm the criticism of the citizens shortly afterwards. Similar complaints came from the monasteries of the diocese. Nevertheless, Erich, accompanied by his brother and numerous princes and knights, made a splendid move into Osnabrück.

After the death of the Archbishop of Cologne and administrator for the diocese of Paderborn Hermann von Hessen , the cathedral chapter in Paderborn elected him on November 17th as its successor. On April 20, 1509, Erich received the commission from Pope Julius II for the diocese of Paderborn . The latter probably appointed him not only as administrator but also as bishop. The fact that he was able to become bishop in a second diocese indicates the esteem in Rome.

As Erich the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I of Osnabrück and Paderborn taxes for the imperial war against Venice was guilty of these took him to 1512 with the imperial ban and refused imperial recognition. After Erich had made the payment , the figure eight was lifted at the Reichstag in Cologne in 1512 , but Maximilian continued to refuse Erich the regalia. Only Emperor Charles V gave Erich this on April 2, 1521.

Attitude to the Reformation

The Reformation that broke out during his tenure did not cause any real changes in the work of Erich, neither in theological nor in sovereign terms, although he closely followed developments under the influence of the theologian Otto Beckmann . He remained faithful to Catholic teaching until the end. However, his concrete actions meant that the Protestants could see in him at least a potential supporter.

At the beginning of his term of office he certainly acted in the old church sense. In 1513 he had new breviaries printed for the Diocese of Paderborn and in 1516 for his Diocese of Osnabrück . In 1510 he introduced the St. Anna festival in Paderborn . He also forced the Helmarshausen monastery to join the Bursfeld congregation .

He only took action against reformatory efforts when they endangered his political power. Although he was valued by the papal court, he not infrequently disregarded Roman rights. In 1525 an uprising broke out in Osnabrück, which was directed against the clergy. Erich endeavored to put down the riot by force. The city council and the abbot of the Iburg monastery caused the bishop to forego this and be satisfied with a fine of 6000 gold gulden.

However, he was a bishop in neighboring areas that are not to his secular Episcopal Principalities belonged there be no conflict with Lutheran-minded neighbors. Erich was also quite open-minded towards the now Lutheran -minded urban citizenry and granted multiple special rights. In the Catholic literature, Erich is also considered dubious because in 1527 he witnessed the marriage of a sister Philip of Hesse , who previously lived as a Benedictine in Kaufungen with Count Nikolaus von Tecklenburg .

During the Hildesheim collegiate feud (1519–1523) , Erich politically suggested the establishment of the Lippstädter Bund to maintain neutrality. He belonged to this with his two dioceses and numerous counts and other lords. In 1521 Erich concluded an alliance with the Hessian Landgrave Philipp von Hessen against the attacks by Konrad von Tecklenburg.

1527 shows the request of Elector Johann von Sachsen and Philipp von Hessen that Erich, among others, should come to the Reichstag in Regensburg, that they said he was close to the Lutheran camp. Erich sent the Protestant Count Albrecht von Mansfeld to the second Reichstag in Speyer in 1529. Subsequently, too, the bishop appeared to be on the anti-Habsburg Protestant side and in 1529 accepted the invitation to a meeting in Zerbst .

Still, his attitude remained ambiguous. In Paderborn there was an anti-Catholic uprising in connection with the visit of Prince Johann Friedrich of Saxony. The cathedral was also devastated. Again the bishop planned military action. The leadership of the city took care of the re-consecration of the church and after paying a fine of 2000 guilders, the bishop renounced violence.

The bishop had a new hall, a new gate and walls built in the Osnabrück castle, Schloss Iburg. In Fürstenau he had the fortifications reinforced. He had the Paderborn residence Schloss Neuhaus demolished and replaced with a new building. In the bishopric of Paderborn, as in the bishopric of Osnabrück, there was resentment about the costly court of the bishop and the heavy financial burdens of the monasteries.

Election to the Bishop of Munster

In 1530 the resignation of the Bishop of Münster Friedrich III. from Wied on. At the urging of his sister Elisabeth, his uncle Philipp von Hessen stood up for Erich as successor. Erich started negotiations with Friedrich von Wied and his brother Archbishop Hermann von Wied . On November 22, 1530, those involved signed the secret treaty of Poppelsdorf. Thereafter Friedrich was to receive a severance payment of 40,000 guilders. The exact modalities were later agreed. Half should be paid immediately, the rest should flow in the form of a pension of 2000 gold guilders for life. Erich wanted to get the necessary funds out of the Paderborn and Osnabrück monasteries. The Münster cathedral chapter was not informed about the full extent of the simonist trade. He was therefore postulated as a bishop by the cathedral chapter. Despite the support of Philip of Hesse, the Lutherans in the Monastery of Münster and especially the capital viewed the election critically. This was the first time that these three bishoprics of Westphalia were united in personal union.

Against the radicalizing development in Münster, which was to lead to the Anabaptist rule , Erich wrote a threatening letter against the capital and the estates. In doing so, however, he did not have the religious aspect in mind; instead, as in Paderborn and Osnabrück, it was about maintaining episcopal power.

Erich died during the feast with noble friends on the occasion of his election as bishop of Münster in Fürstenau in Osnabrück . In the chronicles it says: he is “ well drunk. Some wanted to say that they should have drunk themselves. “He was buried in Osnabrück Cathedral.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm Kohl: The diocese of Münster. The Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, p. 547.
  2. ^ Wilhelm Kohl: The diocese of Münster. The Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, pp. 547-548.
  3. ^ Wilhelm Kohl: The diocese of Münster. The Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, p. 548.
  4. ^ Wilhelm Kohl: The diocese of Münster. The Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, p. 549.
  5. ^ Wilhelm Kohl: The diocese of Münster. The Diocese 1. Berlin, New York, 1999, p. 213.
  6. ↑ a b c d e Wilhelm Kohl: The diocese of Münster. The Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, p. 550.
  7. ^ A b Wilhelm Kohl: The Diocese of Münster. The Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, pp. 550–551.
  8. ^ A b Wilhelm Kohl: The Diocese of Münster. The Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, p. 551.
  9. ^ Wilhelm Kohl: The diocese of Münster. Die Diocese 3. Berlin, New York, 2003, pp. 548-549.

literature

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Commons : Erich von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Conrad IV of Rietberg Bishop of Osnabrück
1508–1532 		Franz von Waldeck
Hermann I of Hesse Bishop of Paderborn
1508–1532 		Hermann II of Wied
Friedrich III. from Wied Bishop of Munster
1532 		Franz von Waldeck
personal data
SURNAME Erich von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Paderborn, Osnabrück and Münster
DATE OF BIRTH 1478
DATE OF DEATH May 14, 1532
Place of death Fürstenau