Lothar Anselm von Gebsattel

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Archbishop Lothar Anselm Freiherr von Gebsattel, portrait by Moritz Kellerhoven

Lothar Karl Anselm Joseph Freiherr von Gebsattel (born January 20, 1761 in Würzburg , † October 1, 1846 in Mühldorf am Inn ) was Würzburg Cathedral Dean , Grand Ducal State Councilor and from 1821 to 1846 first Archbishop of Munich and Freising .

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Lothar Karl Anselm Joseph, his baptismal name, came from the von Gebsattel family, one of the oldest and most distinguished noble families in Bavaria. He was the fifth of eight children of the Oberhofmarschall and knight captain Franz Philipp Bonifatius Freiherr von Gebsattel and his first wife Therese Maria Anna Franziska Gottlieba, nee. Freiin von Hettersdorf . The boy had seven full and six half siblings.

At the age of 12 he received a prebend at the cathedral monastery in Würzburg through the resignation of Baron von Mauchenheim . On December 19, 1773 he received confirmation and tonsure. He studied theology and philosophy in the aristocratic Julianum and at the university in his hometown. In 1796 he was elected cathedral dean, whereupon he was ordained diaconate on November 22, 1796 and 14 days later he was ordained priest.

After the secularization that brought the Würzburg monastery to Bavaria , he temporarily withdrew into private life. In 1806, Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany , to whom the Peace Treaty of Preßburg of December 26, 1805 had granted the former bishopric of Würzburg, appointed him to his service and handed him the difficult handover and delimitation negotiations with Bavaria. As a Grand Ducal State Councilor, he represented the Grand Ducal interests in Munich. After Würzburg was finally transferred to Bavaria in 1814 , Gebsattel withdrew again into private life and managed the family estates together with his brothers.

On February 16, 1818, von Gebsattel was nominated by King Max I Joseph as the first archbishop of the newly established Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Pope Pius VII agreed with this election, but due to differences between Bavaria and the Church, it took more than three years until the official appointment was finally made in the government gazette on September 13, 1821. On November 1, 1821, the Munich nuncio Francesco Serra di Cassano performed the consecration in Munich's Michaelskirche . The next day he took possession of his new cathedral, the Frauenkirche , which had previously been the parish church.

Epitaph by Ludwig Schwanthaler, in the Frauenkirche, Munich

The archbishop had massively interfered in the dispute over the religious upbringing of children of mixed marriages. In this regard his position was clear. He made no concessions. The shepherd was of the opinion that in mixed marriages all children must be baptized Catholic and raised in the Catholic religion. In 1841 he was responsible for the scandal surrounding the funeral of the Protestant Queen Karoline von Baden .

During his tenure, he advocated the alleviation and partial reversal of the damage that the secularization of the church had brought. In particular, under the reign of Ludwig I , who was attached to the romantic ideals of religion, many orders were able to return to their former monasteries.

On a confirmation trip through his diocese von Gebsattel died on October 1, 1846 at the age of 85, was transferred to Munich a day later and buried on October 5, 1846 in the former chapter crypt of the Frauenkirche. In the church, an epitaph by Ludwig Schwanthaler in the entrance hall also commemorates the archbishop.

In accordance with his generous legacy, despite the difficulties that arose due to the recognition of the will, all donations and foundations ordered were meticulously executed.

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Commons : Lothar Anselm von Gebsattel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Joseph Konrad von Schroffenberg COA archbishop DE Gebsattel Lothar Anselm.png Archbishop of Munich and Freising
1821 - 1846
Karl August von Reisach