Philipp von Flersheim

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philipp von Flersheim around 1530

Philipp von Flersheim (* 1481 in Kaiserslautern , Palatinate; † August 14, 1552 in Zabern , Alsace ) was a German Catholic prince-bishop during the Reformation. As Philip II, he was Prince-Bishop of Speyer from 1529–1552 and Prince Provost of Weissenburg from 1546–1552 .

Life

Origin and youth

Family coat of arms in Siebmacher's coat of arms book
Keystone from the demolished cloister of Worms Cathedral (today in the Worms City Museum ), donated by Philipp von Flersheim, as Speyer and Worms Canon, 1513. In addition to the dedication, it bears his parents' alliance coat of arms.

Philipp von Flersheim, from the Flersheimer family resident in Laumersheim , probably named after Nieder-Flörsheim in southern Rheinhessen, was born as the second son of the Electoral Palatinate bailiff of Kaiserslautern Hans von Flersheim and his wife Ottilie nee. Born in Kirchheim. The Kranich von Kirchheim were also a very respected aristocratic family, based in Kirchheim an der Weinstrasse . The boy was probably named after the local saint Philipp von Zell . Knight Hanns Chamberlain von Worms († 1531), lord of the Kropsburg and in Sankt Martin (Pfalz) , with a magnificent tomb in the local Martinskirche, was his cousin.

In 1492 the parents built a small moated castle in Laumersheim , where this branch of the Flersheim family had lived for several generations. Philipp grew up there too. He was appointed to the clergy at an early stage and received a canonical at St. Martinsstift in Worms as early as 1491 ; before he was 14 years old, at the same time the parish of Ilvesheim near Heidelberg . Since he was not lacking in protection, these first benefices were soon followed by numerous others after the bad custom of the time . In 1501 he was pastor in Biebesheim am Rhein , in 1503 he became canon in Worms and Speyer, later also in Augsburg and Eichstätt , then canon at St. Donatianstift in Bruges . These offices were basically only nominal benefices that included a certain salary. When Philip was ordained priest , it is not clear from the sources. The young man began his studies in Heidelberg in 1495, where he was enrolled on October 18 that year. He later continued it in Paris and Leuven and was elected rector of Heidelberg University for one semester on June 22, 1504 . Here he was on May 6, 1505 Baccalaureus, on August 19, 1507 licentiate and on February 17, 1517 doctor of both rights .

In addition to the ministry, he embarked on a career in statesmanship. As early as 1505 he served Emperor Maximilian and Elector Philip of the Palatinate as an advisor, since 1510 Bishop Philip I of Speyer used him as his envoy, in which capacity he z. B. 1512 participated in the Diets of Trier and Cologne . Philip of Flersheim became the Cathedral singers in Speyer and held that office until March 17, 1529. local provost was chosen. When Bishop Philipp (I) von Rosenberg died on February 3, 1513, Flersheim was already in such esteem with the cathedral chapter that he would undoubtedly have been elected bishop at that time, had it not been for Elector Ludwig of the Palatinate to use all his influence in choosing his Brother, the Count Palatine Georg , would have mobilized. The Flersheimer was even closer to episcopal dignity in 1523 when Bishop Reinhard von Worms, with the consent of the cathedral chapter there, elected him coadjutor with the right of succession and he had already been elected by Pope Hadrian VI. was confirmed as such. Here he renounced this dignity in favor of Count Palatine Heinrich , a second brother of Elector Ludwig.

Bishop of Speyer

Philipp von Flersheim, contemporary coat of arms seal as bishop, family coat of arms applied to the Speyer cross coat of arms.
Personal coat of arms of Bishop Philipp von Flersheim. The diocese coat of arms (with cross) in connection with the striped coat of arms of the Flersheimer.

When Bishop Georg von Speyer died on September 27, 1529 of an epidemic that raged in the city under the name of " English sweat ", the time situation forced the cathedral chapter, this time in the election of bishops regardless of other circumstances, to consider the most capable. As such, Philipp von Flersheim, an impressive, tall and stately man, also through his outward appearance, had proven himself. He had been the right-hand man of his predecessor in all important state business. He had gained rich experience on the numerous diets which he attended; distinguished by prudence and prudence. On October 22, 1529, Philipp von Flersheim was unanimously elected Bishop of Speyer and, despite some reservations, accepted the election. The papal confirmation soon followed, and on June 23, 1530 the imperial enfeoffment in Augsburg. The traditional solemn entry of the bishop in Speyer was delayed until December 6, 1530. His position as canon in the diocese of Eichstätt he ceded to the Speyer vicar general Johannes Brenner von Löwenstein († 1537).

The conditions in the prince-bishopric were very difficult. In some areas of the Sprengels that were under foreign secular rule (e.g. in Zweibrückisches and Landau ) the Reformation was implemented and also counted numerous followers in the city of Speyer itself, as well as in the secular possessions of the bishop - especially in Bruchsal . Philip's predecessor, Bishop Georg, had even tolerated men in his immediate vicinity who openly adhered to Luther , which is why there were frequent conflicts with the cathedral chapter, which was mostly loyal to the Pope. The Anabaptists had also found their way into the bishop's area. In addition, the economic situation of the diocese was bad. The consequences of the peasant war were still palpable, the debts of the bishopric had grown under Philip's predecessor; the Turkish threat made new financial efforts essential. Bishop Philipp showed himself to be equal to the demands placed on him in such difficult times. He soon brought greater order to the finances of the diocese through wise austerity and tried to raise the reduced prosperity of his subjects through insightful care. He tried to put an end to the abuses that were torn down during the service and, in contrast to the majority of the bishops, also personally submitted to the church duties of his office. The clergy under him, which resulted in a most annoying part of life, he was not only through his own transformation a good role model, but also exhorted them in over 50 Send letters repeatedly to avoiding all the provocations, including the concubinage . With mildness and perseverance, he succeeded in pushing back the Reformation, at least in the area of ​​his own secular rule. He was less happy with this in the parts of the diocese that were under foreign secular rule. The Reformation made unstoppable progress in the Pfalz-Zweibrückischen as well as in the Electoral Palatinate . Even in the city of Speyer, where - apparently out of consideration for the Reich Chamber of Commerce there - open advocacy of the Reformation had been avoided for a long time, the bishop had to experience that the 14 Catholic collegiate and parish churches were almost empty and almost the entire citizenry the Visited the Augustinian and the Aegidia Church, in which the preachers appointed by the council preached in an evangelical manner.

Flersheim continued his political activity as a bishop for a long time. Before the Reichstag in Augsburg he took part in the secret deliberations between Emperor Charles V and King Ferdinand in Munich , and at the Reichstag he won the emperor's confidence to a high degree. Repeatedly he sat in the Reich regiment and was several times a commissioner on visits to the Reich Chamber Court . In 1537 he was absent from the diocese for a whole year to conduct state business. The bishop took part in the religious talks in Regensburg (1541), Hagenau and Worms (1544) and was a member of those advising on peace and unity. In 1542 and 1544 he worked for the Speyer Diet, but withdrew from political affairs because of increasing sickness.

For the long-awaited reform council, he had proposed the conference venue Trento . This was still in Reich German territory, with which he hoped to satisfy the Protestant faction. At the same time he was in Italy and beyond the Alps, which he hoped to meet the Pope and the Curia . As the disease progressed, Flersheim decided in January 1543 not to attend the Council of Trent . But the emperor remained indebted to him for his life, always striving for peace and reconciliation. It was probably due to the general reputation in which Bishop von Flersheim stood that, after the death of the last independent provost of Weißenburg , Rüdiger Fischer († July 7th 1545), he succeeded in uniting this important provost with the Speyer To enforce Hochstift and thus to preserve these areas for the Catholic faith.

Philipp von Flersheim also excelled himself in the literary field. It is true that he did not write for a wider readership and never thought of giving to the public what he dictated to his writer in the pen. He was only concerned with preserving the members of the old Flersheim dynasty with their glorious history for instruction and emulation. In 1547 he had Laurentius Fohenstein write the Flersheim Chronicle , which has been preserved in several manuscripts. Philip's work has great merits. The history of the 15th and 16th centuries, namely that of Franz von Sickingen , receives numerous additions here. The information given is consistently reliable and either comes from archival sources or reports on personal experiences. In terms of form and content, the work allows the most favorable conclusions to be drawn about the author, whose modesty and lively sense of family are just as beneficial to the reader as his dexterity of form. Unfortunately, Philip's second work, his diary, which he wrote down with his own hand based on the testimony of the “Flersheim Chronicle”, has been lost.

Heraldic pilaster in the Speyer Cathedral, probably from the tomb of Philip von Flersheim (left crane from Kirchheim, right Flersheim)

When Margrave Albrecht Alcibiades of Brandenburg and his troops threatened the diocese at the end of July 1552 , the old bishop no longer felt safe in his country and fled - already suffering badly - to Zabern in Alsace. He died there on August 14, 1552, without knowing the extent of the devastation and misery that the margrave's arson troops brought over the entire bishopric a few days later. On September 2, 1552, Philip's body was solemnly buried in the cloister of the Speyer Cathedral . The cloister went under with the burials there in the great city fire of 1689 and was no longer rebuilt. The tomb of Philip was destroyed and for a long time there were some remains of it on the outer wall on the south side of the cathedral. There are two pilasters with the family coat of arms Flersheim and Kranich. During the cathedral renovation in 1961, these were moved to the cathedral (south aisle) to protect them from further weathering.

In Flörsheim-Dalsheim , the ancestral seat of the Flersheim family, a street is named after the bishop.

Relatives to Franz von Sickingen

Philipp von Flersheim on the deathbed of his brother-in-law Franz von Sickingen, from the novel by Conrad von Bolanden .

Bishop Philipp von Flersheim's sister Hedwig von Flersheim was married to the knight Franz von Sickingen . She always had a moderating effect on her rowdy and adventurous husband, but died very early in childbed (1515). Philipp von Flersheim always remained connected to his brother-in-law and tried several times, in his good-natured manner, to dissuade him from his plans for a coup. Franz von Sickingen, too - who never relied on the death of his beloved wife - was very fond of her brother, and they shared a lifelong friendship. Nevertheless, he did not allow himself to be dissuaded from his treasonable plans and died tragically. As an uncle, Philipp von Flersheim took care of Sickingen's left children in a touching way. Conrad von Bolanden lets Philipp von Flersheim appear several times as a historical figure in his novel Franz von Sickingen . It is known about Sickingen that he regretted his deeds when he died and Bolanden transfers his brother-in-law Philipp von Flersheim to the knight's deathbed in his work. There is a beautiful illustration of Philipp von Flersheim on Franz von Sickingen's deathbed in Bolanden's novel .

Hedwig von Flersheim is the direct ancestor of King Albert II of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg . Both ruling princes descend from one of the Sickinger children, whom Philipp von Flersheim took on as an uncle.

coat of arms

The prince-bishop's coat of arms is usually quartered . The fields of the coat of arms alternate with the family coat of arms of the von Flersheim and the coat of arms of the diocese of Speyer, a silver cross on a blue background. The family coat of arms of Flersheim is horizontally divided into blue, silver and red. After the appointment as prince provost of Weissenburg, the coat of arms of the provost takes the place of the family coat of arms, which has a new place as a heart shield .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Coat of arms and description of the noble Kranich von Kirchheim family
  2. ↑ Genealogical website Flersheim
  3. ↑ Hedwig von Flersheim ( Memento from August 17, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Genealogy page Hedwig von Flersheim
  5. ↑ Hans Ammerich : The Speyer diocese and its history. Volume 3: From the Reformation to the end of the old diocese. Kehl am Rhein 1999, ISBN 3-927095-49-4 , p. 11.

Web links

Commons : Philipp von Flersheim  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
George of the Palatinate Prince-Bishop of Speyer
1529–1552 		Rudolf von and zu Frankenstein
Rüdiger Fischer Prince Provost of Weißenburg
1546–1552 		Rudolf von and zu Frankenstein
personal data
SURNAME Flersheim, Philipp von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prince-Bishop of Speyer
DATE OF BIRTH 1481
PLACE OF BIRTH Kaiserslautern
DATE OF DEATH August 14, 1552
Place of death Zabern , Alsace