Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/785

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WURZBURG


719


WURZBURG


built during 1711-10 in place of the earlier church over the grave of St. Kilian, contains the bodies of St. Kilian and his companions; the Hauger Collegiale Church, built (1670-S3) by Petrini, has a fine dome; the Church of St. Peter, originally Roman- esque with a Gothic choir, was enlarged in the Baroque style during 1717-20; the Uni\'ersity Church, built by Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn and dedicated in 1591, is a curious mixture of Gothic and Renais- sance styles; the Chapel of the Virgin (Marienkapelle), a Gothic church, built 1.377-1479, contains numerous figiu'es by Riemenschneider; the Church of St. .\dal- bero, buUt 1896-99, is in Romanesque style from the design by Denzinger; the church of St. Burchard, erected in the eleventh century in the Romanesque style on the site of a monastery church built by St. Burchard, was enlarged in Gothic style during 149-t to 1497. Outside of Wiirzburg special mention should be made of the church at Dettelbach and the collegiate church at Aschaffenburg. Places of pilgrimage are: the Church of St. Nicholas (called Kappele) near Wiirzburg; the Franciscan monastery church near Dettelbach, and the Engelberg near Miltenberg.

The first Apostle of Christianity for the territory now included in the Diocese of Wiirzburg was the Irish missionary, St. Kilian (q. v.), who converted Gozbert the Frankish duke of Thuringia but who fell a sacrifice to the enmity of the duchess. In his castle above Wiirzburg, Goabert's son Hetan built the first chiu-ch dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; on this account the castle received the name of Marienburg. The first mention of Wiirzburg is in 704, when it is called CastcUum ViTlehuch. A diocese was estabhshed in Wiirzburg by St. Boniface, who in 741 consecrated his friend St. Burchard as bishop; in 742 Pope Zacharv confirmed the selection of Burchard. St. Biu-chard (741-53) built the first cathedral church, and buried there the bodies of St. Kihan and his companions; he connected with the church a monastery which followed the Rule of St. Benedict. Karlmann, the Frankish mayor of the palace, gave great gifts of land to the bishopric. In 7.52 or 753 the church of Wiirzburg was granted immunity for all its possessions, also secular jurisdic- tion, whereby the foundation was laid for the future secular authority of the bishops. Like the majority of his successors, St. Burchard lived at the Marien- burg, which he had received from the last duke in exchange for another fortified castle. His suc- cessor, St. Megingoz or Mcgingaud (75.3-85), did much towards Christianizing Saxony. Bishop Bern- welf (78.5-800) replaced the Benedictine secular clergy at the cathedral by the Brothers of St. Kilian, who led a common hfe after the Rule of Chrodegang of Metz. Amo (S.55-92) rebuilt the cathedral, which had been destroyed by hghtning, on the site of the present cathedral; in 892 he took part in the campaign of Emperor Arnolf against the Duke of Moravia, and was killed by the enemy while celebrating Mass. During the episcopate of Dietho (908-31) the privi- leges of the diocese were confirmed anew by Henrj' I. Burchard II (930-41) rebuilt the cathedral, which had been burned a second time. Poppo I of Henne- berg (941-61) obtained for his diocese from Emperor Otto I, whose chancellor he had been, the right of the free election of the bi.shop. Bishop Henry I of Rothenburg (99.5-1018) built, on the site of the first cathedral, the Neumiinster Cathedral of St. Kilian, and founded the Benedictine .\bbey of St. Stephen and the abbey of August inian Canons called Haug, in which he himself was buried. He gave an unwilling con.sent to the .separation from hisdioce.se, by Emperor Henry II, of a large part of its territory; this portion was made into an independent diocese, the "imperial" Archdiocese of Bamberg. Bernhard of Rothenburg (1018-33) received from Emperor Henry II the


right to the use of the forest in the Steigerwald, and from Emperor Conrad II the right of coinage and of exacting customs. The Saxon Bruno (1034-45), a cousin of Conrad II, laid the comer-stone of the present cathedral, and restored the Abbey of St. Burchard. His nephew and successor, who is venerated as Saint Adalbero of Lambach and Wels (1045-90), sided with the pope in the Conflict of Investitures, took part in the election of both rival kings, and was therefore declared deposed from his bishopric by Emperor Henry IV, and forced into exile. The city and diocese suffered greatly during the struggles in which papal and imperial bishops frequently engaged. During the episcopate of Erlung (1106-26), who received from Henry V the formal confirmation of the dignity of a Duke of Eastern Franconia, peace was restored in the diocese. Embrico (112.5-47) favoured the founding of monas- teries of the reformed orders, as: the Cistercian Abbey of Ebrach; the Premonstratensian Abbey of Zell near \\'tirzburg, estabhshed by St. Norbert himself; the Scotch Abbey of St. James in Wiirzburg. Under Gebhard of Hennebcrg (11.50-59) Frederick Bar- barossa celebrated at Wiirzburg his marriage with Beatrice of Burgimdy; Herold of Hochheim (110.5-71) received from Barbarossa " complete judicial authority in the entire (li(iccs(> and duchy of Wiirzburg and over all countship.s situated in the diocese or duchy".

The brilliant position which the bishops occupied among the German princes often cost the diocese heavy sacrifices on account of the wars and e.vpedi- tions to Rome which the bishops were obliged to undertake in the retinue of the emperors; the bishops were involved, not only in the Conflict of Investitures, but also in the struggle of the Hohenstaufendjmasty with the popes. The city of Wiii-zburg made use of this struggle to gain greater freedom from the episcopal power, and strove to obtain freedom of the empire. The vigorous Bishop Hartmann von Lobden- burg (1225-54), a loyal adherent of Frederick II, was able to keep the citizens within bounds, but during the episcopate of his successor, Iring von Reinstein (1254-66), Wiirzburg joined the confederation of the cities of the Rhine as an independent city. This bishop encouraged the settlement of the Dominicans in the diocese. His successors had to wage many wars with the city. Albrecht von Hohenlohe (1345— 72), during whose reign the dioce-se was ravaged by the Black Death, checked the presumption of the citizens with the aid of Emperor Charles V; Gerhard von Schwarzburg (1372-1400) by his victory over the citizens at Bergstein, in 1400, put an end to the schemes to make Wiirzburg a free city of the empire. John I von P)gloffstein (1400-01), an excellent ad- ministrator, founded the university. John II von Brunn (1411-40) brought the diocese to the brink of financial ruin. Gottfried IV von Limburg (1443- 55). a zealous reformer, and John III von Grumbach (14.55-66) had to fight against the claims of the Mar- graves of Ansbach and Bayreuth of the Brandenburg line. The able Rudolph von Scherenberg (146(5-95) raised the diocese to a very flourishing condition, so that he was regarded as the second fotmder of the bishopric. The same spirit animated Lorenz von Bibra (149.5-1519), a friend of Humanism and a patron of Trithemius, whom he appointed abbot of the Scotch monastery at Wiirzburg. Conrad von Thiingen (1519-40) sought to the utmost of his ability to prevent the entrance of the new doctrines. During his episcopate the peasants who had revolted deva.stated the diocese, and the episcopal castle suffered a long siege from 20,000 pea.sants. Melchior von Zolx'l (1544-.5S) sought to preserve his diocese to the Catholic Faith by instituting reforms, and for this liurpo.se he attended the ("ouncil of Trent, but the cathedral chapter, which was composed of worldly minded nobles, blocked his efforts; he was murdered