Henry III. from Braunschweig-Lüneburg

The (lost) grave slab of Henry III .; Drawing from 1787: on the side of the bishop the coats of arms of the Hildesheim monastery and the duchy of Braunschweig; in the corners the four castles he acquired, Marienburg , Wiedelah , Schladen and Woldenstein

Henry III. von Braunschweig-Lüneburg (* around 1296; † February 6, 1363 in Hildesheim ) had been Bishop of Hildesheim since 1331 .

family

Heinrich came from the Guelph house of the Dukes of Braunschweig-Lüneburg . His father was Duke Albrecht II. His mother was called Rixa and was the daughter of Heinrich von Werle, Prince of the Wenden . His brothers were Duke Otto von Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Bishop Albrecht von Halberstadt , Duke Magnus von Braunschweig and Duke Ernst von Braunschweig-Lüneburg.

Struggle for power

Heinrich was elected bishop by the majority of the cathedral chapter in 1331. However, the confirmation encountered significant difficulties. The election was confirmed by the administrator of the Archdiocese of Mainz Baldwin of Luxembourg . However, the Pope had appointed Heinrich von Virneburg archbishop, so that Heinrich's archbishop confirmation was doubtful. In addition, his predecessor Otto II von Hildesheim had placed the diocese in the hands of the Pope before his death, which made the choice of the chapter without papal consent in vain. In fact, Pope John XXII. appointed Count Erich von Holstein-Schaumburg as Bishop of Hildesheim.

Heinrich did not accept this and was therefore subject to the papal ban and interdict . Since the cathedral chapter, the Brunswick dukes and the nobility stood behind him, he ruled large parts of the Hildesheim bishopric . The influence of his competitor was essentially limited to the city of Hildesheim and the monasteries.

The Dammstadt , a settlement of Flemish immigrants just outside the city of Hildesheim, was fought between the two . This made the city considerable economic competition and stood behind Heinrich. Erich attacked the dam city on Christmas night 1332 and destroyed it. As a result, he had to sign an expiation treaty, which also included a ceasefire. Erich did not adhere to it and was defeated by Heinrich in the following battles. In 1346 Erich was forced to sign a peace treaty in which he ceded Hildesheim and the dam city to Heinrich.

Followers, followers and allies

The protracted dispute over the Hildesheim bishop's chair and other conflicts, some of which were linked with him, gave Bishop Heinrich the impetus to consolidate and expand the political network of relationships with the regional nobility that had already been woven by his predecessors. During his pontificate, the bishop could therefore rely on a circle of aristocratic rulers who appeared at various times as his allies or servants. Count Konrad III was one of the actors of the dynasty nobility who were bound by a service contract. and Konrad IV. von Wernigerode, Johannes IV., Burchard VIII. and Gerhard von Wohldenberg and Ludolf von Wohldenstein. There was also a mostly friendly relationship with the Counts of Blankenburg-Regenstein. From the stratum of the lower nobility, it is above all the gentlemen von Schwicheldt and von Gadenstedt who, through special services, offices and feudal instructions, become tangible as important helpers in Heinrich's network of relationships.

Further work

After Eric's death, the papal ban was lifted in 1352. Clement VI. subsequently also confirmed all of Heinrich's official acts. However, the Pope reserved the right to name a successor. In 1355 Heinrich received the regalia and imperial fiefdom . The royal investiture followed in 1362 . The emperor's ability to intervene in matters relating to the Hildesheim monastery, however, was hardly available. When Emperor Charles IV wanted to forbid the bishop from campaigning against Nordhausen, Heinrich had not obeyed.

Inside, he has triggered a number of pledged castles and palaces. However, in 1333 he had to pledge the coin to the city of Hildesheim for a time. He has also built or purchased new castles to secure the borders. Among them were the Marienburg , Woldenstein and Burg Wiedelah . He also bought back the episcopal Schladen castle from the last tenant Albrecht von Schladen. In the face of the desires of the Dukes of Braunschweig, he succeeded in preserving the monastery territory. He had the cathedral in Hildesheim decorated further. He donated a benefit to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi .

After his death, Heinrich found his grave in Hildesheim Cathedral.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Adolf Bertram, History of the Diocese of Hildesheim , Hildesheim 1899, p. 341f.
2. ^ Heinrich von Braunschweig-Göttingen on thepeerage.com , accessed on September 18, 2016.
3. ↑ Nathalie Kruppa / Jürgen Wilke, The Hildesheimer bishops from 1221 to 1398 (Germania Sacra: Historical-statistical description of the Church of the Old Kingdom, NF 46: The dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Mainz. The diocese of Hildesheim 4). 2006, p. 389 ff.
4. ↑ On this, in a summary of the most important research literature Kruppa / Wilke, Hildesheimer Bischöfe, p. 397 ff.
5. ^ Jan Habermann, Allied vassals: The networks of counts and lords on the northwest Harz in the tension between rival princes (approx. 1250–1400). Norderstedt 2011, p. 177 ff.

literature

• Nathalie Kruppa / Jürgen Wilke, The Hildesheim Bishops from 1221 to 1398 (Germania Sacra: Historical-statistical description of the Church of the Old Kingdom, NF 46: The Dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province of Mainz. The Diocese of Hildesheim 4). 2006.
• Wilhelm Wachsmuth: History of the bishopric and city of Hildesheim. Hildesheim, 1863 p. 162ff.
• Hermann Engfer:  Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Heinrich III. from. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 8, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1969, ISBN 3-428-00189-3 , p. 359 ( digitized version ).

predecessor	Office	successor
Otto II von Woldenberg	Bishop of Hildesheim 1331–1363	Johann Schadland