Metz bishopric

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Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor with haloes (1400-1806) .svg
Territory in the Holy Roman Empire
Metz bishopric
coat of arms
Coat of arms of the bishopric of Metz


Alternative names Principality , Hochstift
Ruler / government Prince-bishop , administrator or vacant : cathedral chapter



Reichskreis Upper Rhine
Capitals / residences Metz , later Vic-sur-Seille
Denomination / Religions Roman Catholic
Language / n German , French , Latin


Incorporated into France


The Metz bishopric ( French évêché de Metz ) was the secular domain of the Prince-Bishop of Metz . The territory of the bishopric was under German sovereignty until 1648 and came under French sovereignty in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 .

geography

The Metz bishopric belonged to the Upper Rhine Empire and in the Middle Ages comprised considerable worldly goods that initially spread from the Chiemsee to the Cevennes . In modern times it comprised a narrow territory around Vic-sur-Seille in eastern Lorraine .

history

Castle of the Prince-Bishops of Metz in Vic-sur-Seille

A diocese of Metz may have existed since the 4th century and has been reliably identifiable since 535. It belonged to the Archdiocese of Trier . During the Carolingian divisions, the diocese came to Lotharingia .

In the early and high Middle Ages, the Metz bishopric received allocations from the Königsgut , for example the counties of Metz , Saarbrücken and Dagsburg . Since the 12th century, worldly possessions have declined sharply.

The city of Metz became independent (1180–1210, 1189) together with the surrounding area; the prince-bishops chose Vic-sur-Seille as their residence and magnificently expanded the castle in Vic-sur-Seille.

In 1552 the French King Heinrich II , who had reached an agreement with some Protestant imperial princes at the expense of Emperor Charles V in the Treaty of Chambord , occupied the cities of Metz, Toul and Verdun and the monastery property, which had previously belonged to the Upper Rhine Empire. Emperor Charles V failed to recapture. In 1613 France forced homage in the bishopric. With the entry of France into the Thirty Years War and the occupation of the Duchy of Lorraine from 1632, France was under King Louis XIII. to the dominant power in the region. After 1632 the powers of the governor of Metz were extended to all areas of the prince-bishopric. In the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 the prince-bishopric was finally ceded to France.

The Metz bishopric now formed the province of the three bishoprics together with the two other monasteries of Toul and Verdun, which were ceded to France . The bishop was a member of the Lorraine parliament. At the same time he called himself Prince of the Holy Roman Empire until the French Revolution.

Domain

In the 18th century, the episcopal feudal lords belonged to the bishopric of Metz

literature

  • Hans-Walter Herrmann (Ed.): The old diocese of Metz, L´ancien diocèse de Metz, presentations at a colloquium in Waldfischbach-Burgalben, Saarbrücken 1993.
  • Gerhard Köbler : Historical lexicon of the German countries. The German territories from the Middle Ages to the present. 3rd, improved edition expanded by one register. CH Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-34838-6 , p. 339.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b Gerhard Köbler: Historical Lexicon of the German Lands. The German territories from the Middle Ages to the present. 3rd, improved edition expanded by one register. CH Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-34838-6 , p. 339.