Moritz von Hutten

Moritz von Hutten (born November 25, 1503 in Arnstein ; † December 6, 1552 in Eichstätt ) was bishop of the Eichstätt diocese and prince-bishop of the Eichstätt monastery during the Reformation .

Moritz von Hutten on the Albert von Hohenrechberg epitaph that he donated in 1552 in Eichstätter Cathedral

Coat of arms of Prince-Bishop Moritz von Hutten on the Hohenrechberg epitaph

The "Huttenstadel" in Eichstätt named after him

Live and act

Moritz came from the noble family von Hutten . He was the eldest son of the bailiff zu Königshofen, Bernhard von Hutten and his wife Gertraud von Ebersberg. One brother was Philipp von Hutten , the last governor of the Welser in Venezuela . Moritz was named after the martyr Mauritius , the Coburg coat of arms saint and church patron. Intended for the clergy since his earliest youth, he was awarded a canonical at the age of eight in 1512 . In 1516 he became a canon of the Würzburg cathedral chapter , albeit without a seat or vote. From 1518-30 he studied theology and canon law in Leipzig , Ingolstadt , Padua , Basel and Freiburg im Breisgau . In 1530 he became a canon in Augsburg, but a year later he renounced this office and his income in favor of a relative.

Since 1532 Canon zu Eichstätt , Moritz witnessed the agony of Eichstätter Prince-Bishop Gabriel von Eyb (1455 / 1496-1535) on December 1st, 1535 . His successor was Christoph von Pappenheim (1492 / 1535–1539), but only for three and a half years.

As a successor to Margrave Friedrich von Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1460–1536), who died of the plague in Rome in 1536 , Moritz was accepted into the Würzburg Cathedral Chapter as provost and ordained a deacon in the same year. However, the office remained controversial for four years and even brought Moritz a short-term excommunication until it was finally awarded to him by the Roman Curia in 1540.

Shortly before, on June 27, 1539, he was elected Prince-Bishop of Eichstätt. The papal confirmation took place on May 7, 1540. On March 2, 1541 he was enfeoffed by the emperor with the imperial regalia at the Reichstag in Regensburg and on May 26, 1540 he was awarded the Mainz chancellery due to the Eichstätter bishops.

Moritz ruled Eichstätt during the difficult time of the Reformation . His episcopate was primarily determined by efforts to eliminate spiritual grievances and to ward off Lutheranism. He took part in the Regensburg Religious Discussion from 1540–41 . His diocese again suffered painful losses during his tenure when the neighboring territories of Palatinate-Neuburg , the Upper Palatinate and the County of Oettingen joined the new doctrine. The diocese lost 210 parishes and melted down to around a third of its original size. He could essentially only exercise episcopal rights in the bishopric. He placed great hopes of recatholization at the Council of Trent , in which he took part for a time. On the instructions of Emperor Charles V , Moritz von Hutten led the second Regensburg Religious Discussion on January 23, 1546 , which, however, remained without result. For the inner-diocesan reform, Moritz carried out a diocese synod in 1548, which mainly concerned a reform of clerical education; For this purpose, the bishop also campaigned for a renewal of the dilapidated University of Ingolstadt .

Moritz also promoted the artists at his bishopric, whose order situation was poor due to the upheavals of the Reformation. Loy Hering (approx. 1484 - after 1554) and Peter Dell the Elder (approx. 1490–1552) received commissions from him and his family .

In 1540 he bought the Eisenhammer from Obereichstätt , 1541 Kraftsbuch and the rest of Untermässing , 1544 Titting , where the episcopal Vogtamt Titting- Raitenbuch was established and at the same time the Jews were expelled, half of the Bechthal Castle and Stiftsgüter in Langenaltheim . The “ Moritzbrunn ” estate near Eichstätt is named after him, which he bought for the bishopric and where he consecrated the church on September 23, 1545; Loy Hering was allowed to create a Trinity altar based on a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer . In 1546 he acquired the Rumburg and Enkering in the Anlautertal .

Since 1419 the town and office of Arnstein had been in the possession of the von Hutten family as pledges. A hospital was founded here in 1546 in the building of the former Hutti castle by a foundation from Moritz von Hutten. This senior citizens' home still exists today as "Freiherr Moritz von Huttensches Pfründnerspital".

Around 1545/50, Moritz von Hutten in Eichstätt built a granary behind the cathedral cloister, the "Huttenstadel" (today: Old City Theater Eichstätt ). In 1551 the bishop had an altar built in the Eichstätter collegiate church to "Our Lady" , which he was able to finish. Loy Hering again created a representation of the Trinity after Albrecht Dürer ; at the Savior's feet the bishop knelt in full regalia. Moritz von Hutten was buried next to his altar after his untimely death - he was only 49 years old. With the demolition of the "Kollegiata" after secularization , the bishop's grave also disappeared. In the Willibald Choir of the Eichstätter Cathedral, however, where he donated an epitaph for Prince-Bishop Albrecht II of Hohenrechberg († 1445) in 1552 , he is shown kneeling on the same as a praying bishop.

Appreciation

Moritz von Hutten was regarded by his contemporaries as "one of the very best and most learned bishops of his time". He is certainly to be counted among the more prominent German bishops of his time and is considered one of the pioneers of Catholic reform .

literature

• Felix Mader : The art monuments of Middle Franconia. I. City of Eichstätt . Munich 1924. (Reprint Munich / Vienna 1981, ISBN 3-486-50504-1 ). P. 99.
• Karl Ried: Moritz v. Hutten, Prince-Bishop of Eichstätt (1539–1557) [misprint for 1552] and the split in faith . Munster i. W. 1925.
• Calendar notes from Bishop Moritz von Hutten (in UB Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, manuscript department). Published in: Collection sheet of the historical association Eichstätt 50/51 . 1935/36. Pp. 86-88.
• JB Goetz: Calendar notes from Bishop Moritz von Hutten . In: Collective sheet of the historical association Eichstätt 51/52 . 1935/36. Pp. 86-88. - in addition: Collective sheet of the historical association Eichstätt 55 (1940), p. 55
• Dr. Ried: Moritz von Hutten. On the 400th anniversary of his death (December 6th). In: Heimgarten. Supplement to the Eichstätter Volkszeitung - Eichstätter Kurier, 23rd year (1952), rows 49 and 50.
• Heinrich Grimm:  Hutten, Moritz. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 10, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1974, ISBN 3-428-00191-5 , p. 98 ( digitized version ).
• Georg-Wilhelm Hanna : A bishop of the Reformation times. An unknown portrait of Prince-Bishop Moritz von Hutten . In: Historical sheets for the city and district of Eichstätt 37 1988. S. 3f.
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz :  Hutten, Moritz von. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 2, Bautz, Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-032-8 , Sp. 1222.
• Klaus Kreitmeir: The bishops of Eichstätt . Publishing house church newspaper. Eichstatt 1992.
• Georg-Wilhelm Hanna: The knight nobles von Hutten, their social position in church and state until the end of the Old Kingdom . Dissertation, University of Bamberg 2006 ( full text )

Web links

Commons : Moritz von Hutten  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Heinrich Grimm:  Hutten, Moritz. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 10, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1974, ISBN 3-428-00191-5 , p. 98 ( digitized version ).

predecessor	Office	successor
Christoph Marschall von Pappenheim	Bishop of Eichstätt 1539 - 1552	Eberhard II of Hirnheim