Leopold von Spaur

Tomb of Leopold and Ignaz von Spaur in Brixen Cathedral

Leopold Maria Joseph Reichsgraf von Spaur (born May 10, 1696 in Innsbruck , † December 31, 1778 ) was Prince-Bishop of Brixen .

He came from a Tyrolean noble family. His parents were Johann Anton II. Imperial Count von Spaur, District President of Upper Austria and governor in Innsbruck and his cousin Maria Magdalena Countess von Spaur. The Brixen bishops Ignaz von Spaur and Joseph von Spaur were nephews of Leopold.

Leopold studied philosophy and law at the University of Innsbruck from 1712 to 1715 and was awarded a Dr. phil is doing his doctorate. He then studied theology at the Collegium Germanicum in Rome until 1719 . Leopold was ordained a priest in Rome on April 16, 1719 . He became canon in Brixen in 1720 and shortly afterwards cathedral dean in Brixen. On October 18, 1747 Leopold was elected Bishop of Brixen, the papal confirmation took place on February 19 and the consecration on April 28, 1748.

Leopold had a new building built for the seminary and gave it new statutes. He replaced the Jesuits called to the seminary by his predecessor with diocesan priests. During his tenure, the renovation of the Brixen Cathedral started by his predecessor was completed. Leopold, who was interested in popular education, introduced Johann Ignaz von Felbiger's new school rules to the diocese . He resisted Maria Theresa's attempts to restrict the empire-free status of the bishopric. In 1765 he refused to take on the sovereign debts, the rejection of the militia reform led to the occupation of the city of Brixen by Austrian troops in 1772 .

In 1774 the frail bishop asked the cathedral chapter to appoint a coadjutor . Leopold's nephew Ignaz von Spaur was elected on June 23, 1775 . Leopold died on December 31, 1778 and was buried in Brixen Cathedral .

literature

• Josef Gelmi : Spaur, Leopold Maria Joseph Reichsgraf von. In: Erwin Gatz (Ed.): The Bishops of the Holy Roman Empire. 1648 to 1703. Dunker and Humblot, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-428-06763-0 . P. 475 f.
• Constantin von Wurzbach : Spaur, Leopold Maria Joseph Graf . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 36th part. Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1878, p. 101 ( digitized version ).

Web links

• Entry on Leopold von Spaur on catholic-hierarchy.org

predecessor	Office	successor
Kaspar Ignaz von Künigl	Prince-Bishop of Brixen 1748–1778	Ignaz von Spaur