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The Bishopric of Utrecht ( nl, Sticht Utrecht) was an
ecclesiastical principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...
of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
in the
Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
, in the present-day
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. From 1024 to 1528, as one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, it was ruled by the bishops of Utrecht. The Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht must not be confused with the Diocese of Utrecht, which extended beyond the Prince-Bishopric and over which the bishop exercised spiritual authority. In 1528, Charles V, secularized the Prince-Bishopric, depriving the bishop of its secular authority.


History


Foundation

The Diocese of Utrecht was established in 695 when Saint Willibrord was consecrated bishop of the
Frisians The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal regions of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany. They inhabit an area known as Frisia and are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, ...
at
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
by
Pope Sergius I Pope Sergius I (8 September 701) was the bishop of Rome from 15 December 687 to his death, and is revered as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected at a time when two rivals, Paschal and Theodore, were locked in dispute about wh ...
. With the consent of the Frankish ruler, Pippin of Herstal, he settled in an old Roman fort in
Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...
. After Willibrord's death the diocese suffered greatly from the incursions of the Frisians, and later on of the
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
. Whether Willibrord could be called the first bishop of Utrecht is doubtful; as James Palmer points out, "there was no real concept of a well-defined bishopric until at least the days of Alberic (775–84)". And while
Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations o ...
is referred to in his hagiographies as the successor of Willibrord (and, in turn,
Gregory of Utrecht Gregory of Utrecht ( 700/705 – August 25, 776) was born of a noble family at Trier.
is referred to as the successor to Willibrord and Boniface), this does not necessarily mean "successor as bishop", but rather that they succeeded each other as missionaries to the Frisians.


Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht

Better times appeared during the reign of the
Saxon emperors, who frequently summoned the Bishops of Utrecht to attend the imperial councils and diets. In 1024 the bishops were made Princes of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
and the new Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht was formed. The secular territory over which it ruled was known as Sticht Utrecht or Het Sticht (a sticht was any piece of land governed by a bishop or abbot). This territory was divided into the ''Nedersticht'' (Lower Sticht, roughly corresponding to the present day province of
Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...
) and ''
Oversticht Overijssel (, ; nds, Oaveriessel ; german: Oberyssel) is a province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the Episcopal principality of ...
'' (Upper Sticht, encompassing the present-day provinces of
Overijssel Overijssel (, ; nds, Oaveriessel ; german: Oberyssel) is a province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the Episcopal principality of U ...
,
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nove ...
, and part of Groningen). In 1122, with the Concordat of Worms, the Emperor's right of investiture was annulled, and the cathedral chapter received the right to elect the bishop. It was, however, soon obligated to share this right with the four other collegiate chapters in the city. The Counts of
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
and Guelders, between whose territories the lands of the Bishops of Utrecht lay, also sought to acquire influence over the filling of the episcopal see. This often led to disputes and consequently the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
frequently interfered in the election. After the middle of the 14th century the popes repeatedly appointed the bishop directly without regard to the five chapters. It was part of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle In 1527, the Bishop sold his territories, and thus his secular authority, to Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...
and the principality became an integral part of the
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
dominions. The chapters transferred their right of electing the bishop to Charles V and his government, a measure to which
Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...
gave his consent, under political pressure after the Sack of Rome.


End

The Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht was conquered by Habsburg troops in 1528. The southwestern Nedersticht core territory around the city of Utrecht became the Lordship of Utrecht, whilst the southern part of the Oversticht was transformed into the Lordship of Overijssel. The northern parts were annexed in 1536 as the County of Drenthe.


Prince-bishops

* Adalbold II (1010–1026) * Bernold (1026/7–1054) * William I (1054–1076) * Conrad (1076–1099) * Burchard (1100–1112) * Godbald (1114–1127) * Andreas van Cuijk (1127/8–1139) * Hartbert (1139–1150) * Herman van Horne (1151–1156) * Godfrey van Rhenen (1156–1178) * Baldwin II van Holland (1178–1196) *
Arnold I van Isenburg Arnold (or Arnoud) van Isenburg (died in April or June 1197) was Bishop of Utrecht from 1196 to 1197. Arnold descended from the German House of Isenburg and had been provost in Deventer since 1176. After Bishop Baldwin II van Holland died Arnold ...
(1196–1197) * Dirk I van Holland (1197) * Dirk II van Are (van Ahr) (1197/8–1212) * Otto I van Gelre (1212–1215) *
Otto II van Lippe Otto of Lippe was a son of Bernhard II, Lord of Lippe. He was bishop of Utrecht as Otto II from 1216 to 1227. Several of his brothers also held high ecclesiastical offices in the Rhineland. During the Fifth Crusade, Otto visited Palestine. In ...
(1216–1227) *
Wilbrand van Oldenburg Wilbrand of Oldenburg (before 1180 - Zwolle, 26 July 1233) was a bishop of Paderborn and of Utrecht. Family Wilbrand was the son of Henry II, Count of Oldenburg-Wildeshausen, and Beatrix of Hallermund, daughter of Wilbrand I, Count of Loccum-Ha ...
(1227–1233) *
Otto III van Holland Otto van Holland (died 27 March 1249) was a bishop of Utrecht from 1233 to 1249. Otto was the second son of William I, Count of Holland and his first wife Adelaide of Guelders. He was elected as bishop in 1233, but because of resistance from ...
(1233–1249) * Gozewijn van Amstel (van Randerath) (1249–1250) * Henry I van Vianden (1250/2–1267) * John I of Nassau (1267–1290) * John II van Sierck (1290–1296) *
Willem II Berthout William II Berthout of Mechelen (died near De Meern, 4 February 1301) was bishop of Utrecht from 1296 to 1301, succeeding Jan II van Sierck. He was a leader of the Berthout family, which ruled over the Heerlijkheid of Mechelen. William was a ...
(1296–1301) *
Guy van Avennes Guy van Avennes (also spelt as Guy van Avesnes; Dutch Gwijde van Avesnes) (c. 1253 – 23 May 1317, Utrecht) was Bishop of Utrecht from 1301 to 1317. Family He was descended from an important Hainaut family, the House of Avesnes. He was the bro ...
(1301–1317) * Frederik II van Sierck (1317–1322) * Jacob van Oudshoorn (1322) *
Jan III van Diest John or Jan van Diest (died 1 June 1340) was bishop of Utrecht from 1322 to 1340. Jan descended from a noble family from Brabant, and was initially provost of Cambrai. In 1322 Jan was proposed as candidate for the Bishopric of Utrecht by William ...
(1322–1340) * Jan IV van Arkel (1342–1364) * Jan V van Virneburg (1364–1371) *
Arnold II of Horne Arnold (or Arnoud) II of Horne (1339–1389) was the son of Willem IV of Horne and Elisabeth of Cleves. He was canon, provost, Bishop of Utrecht from 1371 to 1378, and Bishop of Liège from 1378 to 1389. After the death of bishop Jan van Virneb ...
(1371–1379) * Floris van Wevelinkhoven (1379–1393) * Frederik III van Blankenheim (1393–1423) *
Rudolf van Diepholt Rudolf van Diepholt ( – Vollenhove, 24 March 1455) or Rudolf of Diepholz was a bishop of Utrecht from 1423 to 1455 and bishop of Osnabrück from 1454 to 1455. Biography Rudolf van Diepholt was one of the most influential Prince-Bishops of ...
(1423–1455) * Zweder van Culemborg (1425–1433) *
Walraven van Meurs Walraven is a Dutch given name and patronymic surname. The given name is first attested in 1294 and has the Germanic roots *wald- ("ruler") and *χraban- ("raven"). The German equivalent of the name is ''Walram''.Gijsbrecht van Brederode Gijsbrecht van Brederode (1416 – Breda, 15 August 1475) was bishop-elect of Utrecht from 1455 to 1456. Gijsbrecht van Brederode was a son of Walraven I van Brederode and the brother of Reinoud II van Brederode. He was provost in Utrecht an ...
(1455–1456) * David of Burgundy (1456–1496) * Frederick IV of Baden (1496–1517) * Philip of Burgundy (1517–1524) * Henry of the Palatinate (1524–1529)


Notes


References


Further reading

* *


External links


Apostolisch vicarissen van de Hollandse Zending
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Utrecht, Bishopric (1024-1528) Utrecht (city) Medieval Netherlands
Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht The Bishopric of Utrecht ( nl, Sticht Utrecht) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries, in the present-day Netherlands. From 1024 to 1528, as one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, it ...
History of Utrecht (city) States and territories established in 1024 States and territories disestablished in 1528 Former polities in the Netherlands * Prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire in the Netherlands Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle
Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht The Bishopric of Utrecht ( nl, Sticht Utrecht) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries, in the present-day Netherlands. From 1024 to 1528, as one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, it ...
Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht The Bishopric of Utrecht ( nl, Sticht Utrecht) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries, in the present-day Netherlands. From 1024 to 1528, as one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, it ...
2nd millennium in the Netherlands