Georg of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

Georg von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (born November 22, 1494 , † December 4, 1566 in Verden ) was elected and confirmed Bishop of Minden from 1554 and Archbishop of Bremen and Bishop of Verden from 1558 . While he allowed the Reformation to be introduced in Bremen and Verden, Catholicism remained predominant in the diocese of Minden.

origin

Georg was a son of Heinrich I of Braunschweig-Lüneburg . In the year after his birth, his grandfather Wilhelm II of Braunschweig-Calenberg-Göttingen abdicated and by dividing the inheritance his father, one of two parallel dukes of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, got the Principality of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel as part of the Duchy . This also gave rise to the Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel Guelph line, which ruled the principality until 1634. Georg's predecessor in Bremen and Verden, Christoph von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel , was his brother.

Life

In 1515 he was enrolled at the law faculty of the old University of Cologne ( Universitas Studii Coloniensis ). After the death of John VII , he was postulated Archbishop of Riga in 1527, but he resigned himself because of the hostilities of Wolter von Plettenberg . He became provost in Hildesheim in 1534, provost in Cologne in 1535, and provost in Bremen in 1536. He also had canons in St. Gereon (Cologne) and in the cathedral chapter of Strasbourg. In October 1554 he became Bishop of Minden , which came to rest under him after the Reformation efforts of his predecessors. In Minden, the Guelphs had fought for the right to the post of bishop in several disputes against the former Minden bishop Franz von Waldeck . Georg's predecessor Julius , who was supposed to fill out the Guelf claim to rule in Minden, resigned himself as Bishop Elect after only a short time because he surprisingly became Hereditary Prince in Wolfenbüttel. Therefore, the Minden cathedral chapter selected the Guelph George as the successor of Bishop Julius at short notice as a “replacement”.

On April 4, 1558, he was unanimously elected Archbishop of Bremen and on April 14, Bishop of Verden. He replaced his extravagant and heavily indebted brother Christoph. He succeeded in arranging the previously troubled dioceses and reducing the debt. The only act of war during his reign was the reconquest of Ottersberg Castle .

Georg is described as a princely, well-educated bon vivant who loved to interact with scholars. He was hospitable and charitable, which was made possible by his numerous benefices . Georg died in Verden on December 4, 1566. He was buried in Verden Cathedral . The common tomb was built by Prince-Bishop Philipp Sigismund von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel .

reformation

In the archbishopric of Bremen, the Reformation was well advanced despite the bitter resistance of the strictly Catholic Christoph von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. Although Catholic himself, but probably brought to the Reformation ideas by his Lutheran Chancellor Heinrich Borcholt , Georg promoted the Reformation by introducing the Bremen church order in Verden. In order to secure this, in 1564 he accepted Eberhard von Holle as coadjutor of Verden, in Bremen the cathedral chapter refused to approve it. In Minden he seems to have behaved neutrally. Pope Pius V had asked Georg in 1566 to act in the interests of the Catholic faith, which Georg ignored. He took the Lord's Supper on his death bed in both Catholic and Reformed forms.

progeny

Georg remained unmarried, but fathered two illegitimate sons, Willhelm and Heinrich, known as Dux von Ehrstein, with his partner Ottilie Lorima, who came from Alsace . But both fell at a young age.

literature

• Karl Ernst Hermann Krause:  Georg (Archbishop of Bremen) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 8, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1878, pp. 635-637.
• Hans Wohltmann:  Georg. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 6, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1964, ISBN 3-428-00187-7 , pp. 208 f. ( Digitized version ).

Web links

• Entry on Georg von Braunschweig-Lüneburg on catholic-hierarchy.org

predecessor	Office	successor
Christoph von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel	Archbishop of Bremen 1558–1566	Heinrich of Saxe-Lauenburg
Christoph von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel	Bishop of Verden 1558–1566	Eberhard von Holle
Julius of Braunschweig-Lüneburg	Bishop of Minden 1554–1566	Hermann von Schauenburg