Ludwig II (Munster)

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Ludwig Landgrave of Hesse (* 1282 or 1283; † August 18, 1357 in Münster ) was Ludwig II. From 1310 Bishop of Münster and thus also sovereign of the bishopric of Münster . His 47-year term in office was the longest of all Münster bishops.

Origin and appointment

He came from the House of Hesse , which leads back to the House of Brabant in the male line . The father was Landgrave Heinrich I of Hesse († 1308), the mother was Mechthild Countess von Kleve.

In 1307 Ludwig was canon in Chartres and Trier . Not least at the insistence of King Philip IV of France , he was also appointed a cathedral canon in Mainz . In 1309 he became canon in Munster at the instigation of King Heinrich VII . In 1310, Ludwig owes the appointment of Pope Clement V as Bishop of Munster to the efforts of his uncle Count Otto von Kleve .

This was preceded by the declaration of the illegality of the Pope's election of his predecessor Konrad von Berg . This was followed by a vacancy lasting almost a year. Only then was Ludwig appointed by the Pope. The cathedral chapter declined to propose a candidate. The Pope's fear that the installation of Ludwig could lead to resistance in Münster was not fulfilled. The estates also recognized him. The strong escort by Otto von Kleve's troops played a role in this.

Approaches to the expansion of power

The bishop initially weakened the class’s opportunities to have a say. In place of the corporate representation in the vicinity of the bishop, only trusted confidants, mainly from the clergy, took the place of him. In addition, he tried not to weaken the influence of the nobles by building new state castles , as before , but by creating a system of open houses . The lords of the castle entered into a feudal relationship with the bishop, who in turn assured them protection against their enemies.

Ludwig also tried systematically to secure peace in his territory by granting city rights. These included Dülmen (1311), Billerbeck (1318), Ramsdorf (1319), Sendenhorst (before 1315) and Rheine (1327). The economic development of the towns was improved by the city charter, at the same time the income of the sovereign increased. Another aspect of the expansion of the rule was the acquisition of goge courts , wooden courts or similar rights. With this he was successful in some cases. But this did not always succeed, especially in the center of the pen.

External conflicts

The successes in expanding his rule in the first few years were diminished by external conflicts. From 1312 onwards there was a long series of feuds against neighboring territories.

The German controversy for the throne also played a role. Neighboring territorial lords such as the Counts of Jülich , Berg , Kleve , Holland and Arnsberg stood on the side of Ludwig of Bavaria . Bishop Ludwig initially decided to wait and see , despite his fundamental support for Frederick the Fair . When Ludwig the Bavarian withdrew the imperial fiefs and pledges from the Count of the Mark , there was also a conflict with the Bishop of Munster.

The situation was calmed by a peace agreement between the Archbishop of Cologne , the Bishops of Münster and Osnabrück , the cities of Münster, Osnabrück and Dortmund from 1319.

The great Bredevoort feud was a conflict between Ludwig and Rainald II von Geldern over the rights to the former rule wages . Otto and Johann von Ahaus, the heirs of the last Count Hermann II von Lohn , had sold the rulership, including Bredevoort Castle, to the Monastery of Münster, without taking into account the Geldrische feudal rights in the western part of the rulership. Both sides then gathered significant supporters around them. Behind Rainald II stood among others the bishops of Liège and Utrecht , the counts of Jülich, Berg, Mark , Artois , Holland and Flanders as well as King John of Bohemia . On Ludwig's side stood the Bishop of Osnabrück, the Counts of Waldeck and Sayn and the noblemen of Lippe . There were also alliance agreements with Archbishop Heinrich von Köln and his brother Robert von Virneburg, Marshal of Westphalia . In some cases severe damage occurred in the western Münsterland. Conversely, the citizens of Borken managed to defeat their opponents on March 23, 1323. Although the bishop was finally awarded the disputed area by arbitration, he was unable to maintain it due to financial difficulties. After he moved against the city of Hamm with his troops , he fell into the hands of Count von der Mark in 1323. The episcopal troops were defeated militarily some time later. The bishop was only able to buy his way out in 1323 for a ransom of 5000 silver marks and the razing of some castles. This ruined the bishop's finances and he had to admit his insolvency to the Pope himself. Since only a small amount could be raised for the ransom, Ludwig had to cede the Botzlar castle and two courts. In addition, Ludwig had to pledge various parishes in order to receive the Barnsfeld rule for the bishopric.

In the north of the Münster territory, too, Ludwig led military conflicts with most of the neighboring areas. In addition, there was the uprising of the Frisians in 1341. There were also conflicts with the Diocese of Osnabrück. There were also further feuds and disputes.

Loss of influence

The cost of the troops led to the diocese becoming indebted and properties pledged. This meant that the sovereign could hardly give offices or fiefdoms, and some of the state castles were also pledged. The financial situation led to a dispute with the estates. These were able to greatly expand their influence. Of these, a board of trustees was set up in 1336 with the task of controlling the bishop. Without the consent of the council, Ludwig was no longer allowed to lead feuds, sell estates or appoint spiritual judges.

Archbishop Walram of Cologne also criticized the pledging of monastery property. He even threatened to file a lawsuit with the Pope. Criticism also came from the cathedral chapter, complaining about the preference given to members of the bishop's family in benefices. The chapter therefore appealed to the Pope for relief. Ludwig, however, stuck to his benefice policy.

Promotion of the spiritual life

In all secular disputes, the bishop endeavored to elevate church life. He founded collegiate chapters in Dülmen, Horstmar and the monasteries Hoffriege and Reine in the city of Münster. During the bishop's tenure, which was marked by plague and famine, he took care of the sick and poor.

After his death, Ludwig was buried in Münster Cathedral.

literature

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Footnotes

  1. ^ Heinrich Börsting : History of the Diocese of Münster . Deutscher Heimat-Verlag, Bielefeld 1951, p. 68.
predecessor Office successor
Konrad I. von Berg Bishop of Münster
1310–1357 		Adolf III. from the mark
personal data
SURNAME Ludwig II.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ludwig Landgrave of Hesse
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Münster (1310-1357)
DATE OF BIRTH 1282 or 1283
DATE OF DEATH August 18, 1357
Place of death Muenster