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Diocese and prince-bishopric of Schwerin

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TheDiocese and Prince-bishopric of Schwerinwas aCatholicdioceseinSchwerin,Mecklenburg,in Germany. The first registeredbishopwas ordained in the diocese in 1053, and the diocese ceased to exist in 1994.

Coat-of-arms of the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin

Pre-Reformation Catholic (prince-)bishopric

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The bishops of theRoman Catholic diocese of Schwerin(German:Bistum Schwerin), asuffraganof the MetropolitanArchdiocese of Bremen,were simultaneously secular (political) rulers of princely rank (prince-bishop) in thePrince-Bishopric of Schwerin(Hochstift Schwerin); established 1180 and secularised in 1648), animperially immediatestateof theHoly Roman Empire.Schwerinwas the seat of thechapter,Schwerin Cathedraland residence of the bishops until 1239. In 1180 a prince-episcopal residence was established inBützow,which became the main residence in 1239.

Titulature of the Schwerin bishops

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Not all incumbents of the Schwerin see were imperially invested with princely temporal power as Prince-Bishops and not all were papally confirmed as bishops. In 1180 part of the Schwerin diocesan territory was disentangled from theDuchy of Saxonyand became an own territory of imperial immediacy calledPrince-Bishopric of Schwerin,an imperially immediate feudal member state of theHoly Roman Empirelike many prince-prelatures.

Bützow Castle,prince-episcopal residential castle inBützow
Cathedral of SS. Mary and John the Baptist,church of the bishops in Schwerin, view before 1845.

The prince-bishopric was anelective monarchy,with the ruling prince being the respective bishop usually elected by theCathedral chapter,and confirmed by theHoly See,or exceptionally only appointed by the Holy See. Papally confirmed bishops were then invested by the emperor with the princelyregalia,thus the title prince-bishop. However, sometimes the respective incumbent of the see never gained a papal confirmation, but was still invested the princely regalia. Also the opposite occurred with a papally confirmed bishop, never invested as prince. A number of incumbents, elected by the chapter, neither achieved papal confirmation nor imperialinvestiture,but as a matter of fact neverthelessde factoheld the princely power. From 1532 to 1648 all incumbents wereLutherans.

The respective incumbents of the see bore the following titles:

  • BishopofMecklenburguntil 1162
  • Bishop of Schwerin 1162 to 1181
  • Prince-Bishopof Schwerin from 1181 to 1516, except o the years of 1474 to 1479 and 1506 to 1508
  • Administratorof the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin 1474 to 1479, 1506 to 1508, and again 1516 to 1648. Either simply de facto replacing the Prince-Bishop or lacking canon-law prerequisites the incumbent of the see would officially only hold the title administrator (but nevertheless colloquially referred to as Prince-Bishop).

Catholic bishops of Mecklenburg and Schwerin (1053–1181)

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Catholic Bishops of Mecklenburg and Schwerin (1053–1181)
Episcopate Portrait Name Birth and death
with places 		Reason for
end of office 		Notes
1053–1066 John Scotus
asJohn I 		*approx. 990 – 10 November 1066* death martyr,sacrificed by pagans toRadegast
1066–1148 sede vacante the diocese was abandoned after theWendishuprising
1148–1162 Eberhard
also: Emmehard
1162–1191 Berno of Amelungsborn[1]
 *unknown – 14 January 1191* death Apostle of theObotrites,gained princely power in part of his diocese by 1181 on the carve-up ofSaxony

Catholic Prince-Bishops (1181–1474)

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Roman Catholic Prince-Bishops of Schwerin (1181–1474)
Reign and episcopate Portrait Name Birth and death
with places 		Reason for
end of office 		Notes
1162–1191 Berno of Amelungsborn
 *unknown – 14 January 1191* death Apostle of theObotrites,gained princely power in part of his diocese by 1181 on the carve-up ofSaxony
1191–1238 Brunward
1191–1195 Hermann of Hagen
 anti-bishop
1238–1240 Frederick of Hagen
asFrederick I
1240–1247 Dietrich
1247–1249 William
1249–1262 Rudolph I *unknown – 1262* death
1263–1291 Hermann of Schladen
asHermann I
1292–1314
left image 		Godfrey von Bülow
asGodfrey I
(Bülow family) 		*unknown – 1314* death uncle of Henry I and Ludolph
1315–1322 Hermann von Maltzan
asHermann II
1322–1331 Johann Gans zu Putlitz
asJohn II
(Gans zu Putlitz)
1331–1339
left image 		Ludolph von Bülow
(Bülow family) 		*before 1298 – 23 April 1339*,Warin death nephew of Godfrey I, brother of the next, uncle of Frederick II
1339–1347
right image 		Henry von Bülow
asHenry I
(Bülow family) 		*unknown – 1347* death brother of the former, nephew of Godfrey I, uncle of Frederick II
1347–1348 Willekin Pape
1348–1356 Andrew of Wislica
1356–1363 Albert of Sternberg
German: Albrecht 		*c. 1333 – 14 January 1380*,Litomyšl becameBishop of Litomyšl also Bishop of Litomyšl (1364–1368, and again 1371–1380),Prince-Archbishop of Magdeburg(1368–1371)
1363–1365 Rudolph of Anhalt
as:Rudolph II
(House of Ascania) 		*unknown – 1365*,Coswig in Anhalt death son ofAlbert II, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
1366–1377
right image 		Frederick von Bülow
as:Frederick II
(Bülow family) 		*unknown – 1366* death nephew of Ludolph and Henry I
1377–1381 Melchior of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Grubenhagen line
(House of Welf) 		*1341 – 6 June 1384* beforePrince-Bishop of Osnabrück(1369–1375); rivalled in Schwerin by anti-bishop Marquard in 1377/1378
1377–1378 Marquard Bermann anti-bishop
1381–1390 John Potho of Pothenstein
also: Pottenstein
asJohn III 		*unknown – 1390* death beforePrince-Bishop of Münster(1379–1382) appointed only, de facto he could not prevail over his rivals in Schwerin
1381–1388 Johann Junge
asJohn IV 		anti-bishop
1381–? Gerard of Hoya
(Counts of Hoya) 		anti-bishop
1390–1415 Rudolf of Mecklenburg-Stargard
as:Rudolph III
(House of Nikloting) 		*unknown – 1415* death beforeBishop of Skara(1387–1391), son ofJohn I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard
1416–1418 Henry of Nauen
asHenry II
1419–1429 Henry of Wangelin
asHenry III
1429–1444 Hermann Köppen
asHermann III 		*unknown – 3 January 1444* death
1444–1457 Nicholas Bödeker
asNicholas I
1458 Godfrey Lange
asGodfrey II
1458–1473 Werner Wolmers

Catholic Administrators and Prince-bishops (1474–1532)

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Catholic Administrators and Prince-Bishops (1474–1532)
Reign and episcopate Portrait Name Birth and death
with places 		Reason for
end of office 		Notes
1474–1479 Balthasar of Mecklenburg
(House of Nikloting) 		*1451 – 16 March 1507*,Wismar resigned tired from pursuing investiture, turned secular beforeAdministratorof thePrince-Bishopric of Hildesheim(1471–1474); only administrator, never invested bishop; since duke inMecklenburg-Schwerin,co-ruling with his brotherMagnus II
1479–1482 Nicholas of Pentz
asNicholas II
1482–1503 Conrad Loste
1504–1506 John Thun
asJohn V
1504 Reimar von Hahn
(Hahn family) 		anti-bishop
1506–1508 Ulrich von Malchow only administrator, never invested as bishop
1508–1516 Petrus Wolkow
1516–1522 Zutpheld Wardenberg
 		only administrator for the minor Magnus, alsoDean (Domdechant)ofSchwerin Cathedral
1522–1532 Heinrich Banzkow
also: Banzcow or Bantzkow 		*before 1499–1540* resigned when Magnus came of age only administrator for the minor Magnus, never pursued investiture as bishop; alsoprovostofHamburg Cathedral

Due to the Reformation, the Catholic diocese was suppressed in 1555, without formal successor.

Lutheran Schwerin

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Lutheran Administrators of the Prince-Bishopric (1532–1648)

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Lutheran Administrators of the Prince-Bishopric (1532–1648)
Reign and episcopate Portrait Name Birth and death
with places 		Reason for
end of office 		Notes
1532–1550 Magnus of Mecklenburg
(House of Nikloting) 		Stargard,*4 July 1509 – 28 January 1550*,Bützow death bishop elect since 1516, due to minority only officiating since 1532 as administrator, due to lack of papal confirmation, Magnus introduced theReformationin 1533
1550–1603 Ulrich of Mecklenburg
asUlrich I
(House of Nikloting) 		Schwerin,*5 March 1527 – 14 March 1603*,Güstrow death grandfather of the next; alsoDuke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow(1555–1603)
1603–1624 Ulrik of Denmark
asUlrich II
(House of Oldenburg) 		KoldinghusPalace,Kolding,*30 December 1578 – 27 March 1624*,Rühn death grandson of the former, uncle of the next; alsoLutheran Bishop of Schleswig(1602–1624)
1624–1629 Ulrik of Denmark
asUlrich III
(House of Oldenburg) 		Frederiksborg Palace,Hillerød,*2 February 1611 - 12 August 1633*,Schweidnitz resigned when his fatherChristian IVrenounced posts held by his family in the Empire in 1629 (Treaty of Lübeck) nephew of the former; since 1628 de facto deposed byWallenstein's conquest of the prince-bishopric
1629–1634 sede vacante territory of the Prince-Bishopric was part of Wallenstein's duchy of Mecklenburg
1634–1648 Adolf Frederick of Mecklenburg
(House of Nikloting) 		Schwerin, *15 December 1588 – 27 February 1658*, Schwerin prince-bishopric transformed into principality byPeace of Westphalia also Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as Adolphus Frederick I

(1592–1628, and again 1631–1658)

after 15 May 1648 The Prince-Bishopric was converted into a heritable monarchy, thePrincipality of Schwerin,ruled inpersonal unionby theHouse of NiklotinginMecklenburg-Schwerin.

Lutheran Regional Bishops of Mecklenburg since 1921

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Cathedral of Ss. Mary and John the Baptist,Schwerin, preaching venue of the Landesbischof of Mecklenburg.

When theGrand dukesofMecklenburg-SchwerinandMecklenburg-Strelitzabdicated, the Lutheranstate churchesbecame independent and adapted their newChurch Orders,providing for a function calledLandesbischof(state bishop). In 1934 the regional churches merged into theEvangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg.

New Catholic hierarchy in Schwerin from the 20th century

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Provostry Church of St. Anna, seat of theauxiliary bishopof the MetropolitanArchdiocese of HamburginSchwerin.

After a century and a half of abandonment, the Catholics on the territory were merely taken care of as missionary, part of the vastApostolic Vicariate of the Northern Missions of Northern Germany,the first post-Reformatory parish having been established in 1709 (St. Anna, Schwerin).

Since 1930, the Catholic parishes in the former diocese of Schwerin (and all ofMecklenburg) were part of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück.

However, MecklenburgSoviet occupation zone,whereas Osnabrück was in theBritish occupation zone(i.e. in the other half of partitioned Germany, and of the political world during theCold War), so the Bishop of Osnabrück appointed an episcopal commissary. Since 1959, the Osnabrück diocese posted anauxiliary bishopin Schwerin, responsible for Mecklenburg's Catholic parishes:

  • Bernhard Schräder,first 1946 – 1959 episcopal commissary for the episcopal commissariate of Schwerin, then 1959 – 1971auxiliary bishopof Osnabrück diocese for the episcopal commissariate in Schwerin.
  • 1971 – 1973 (see below):Heinrich Theissing,coadjutorof Osnabrück diocese for the episcopal commissariate in Schwerin

On July 23, 1974, the jurisdiction was restored as pre-diocesan 'permanent'Apostolic Administrationof Schwerin,its territory being formally split off from theDiocese of Osnabrück.It got two episcopal incumbents:

  • Heinrich Theissing,Apostolic Administrator(July 23, 1973– retired December 5, 1987) with episcopal rights of a residing bishop for the episcopal office in Schwerin;Titular Bishopof Mina (March 13, 1963 – death November 11, 1988), first as Auxiliary Bishop of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Berlin(March 13, 1963 – February 12, 1970), then asCoadjutor Bishopof Schwerin (February 12, 1970 – July 23, 1973), finally an emeritate
  • Theodor Hubrich,Apostolic Administrator (1987.11.23 – death 1992.03.26) with episcopal rights of a residing bishop for the episcopal office in Schwerin; previously Titular Bishop ofAuca(1975.12.05 – 1987.11.23) as Auxiliary Bishop ofMagdeburg(Germany) (1975.12.05 – 1987.11.23).

The diocese was suppressed on October 10, 1994, its territory reassigned to the already established MetropolitanRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Hamburg,thus the Catholic parishes of Mecklenburg became part of the newRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Hamburg.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Wollenberg, Klaus (2022). "The Danish Cistercian Houses in Northern Germany: A Master Plan or Planned Masterpieces? - ProQuest".Cistercian Studies Quarterly.57(2): 167–241.
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