Franz Ludwig Freiherr von Erthal (16 September 1730 in

Lohr am Main Lohr am Main (, ; officially: ''Lohr a.Main'') or Loa () is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany and the seat (but not a member) of the ''Verwaltungsgemeins ...

- 14 February 1795 in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

) was the Prince-bishop of Würzburg and

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...

from 1779 until his death. He was buried at the

Würzburg Cathedral Würzburg Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg for hundreds of ye ...

(#45 diagram).

Early life and ancestry

Born into the House of Erthal, an ancient

Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...

n noble family, Franz Ludwig was the son of Baron Philipp Christoph von und zu Erthal (1689-1748), Lord Marshal and Vice-President of the Chamber of

Electorate of Mainz The Electorate of Mainz ( or '; ), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the Archbishop-Elec ...

, and his wife, Baroness Maria Eva von Bettendorf (d. 1738). He was younger brother of

Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal Friedrich Karl Joseph Reichsfreiherr von Erthal (3 January 1719 – 25 July 1802) was prince-elector and Archbishopric of Mainz, archbishop of Mainz from 18 July 1774 to 4 July 1802, shortly before the end of the archbishopric in the ''Reichsdepu ...

Prince-elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...

and

Archbishopric of Mainz The Electorate of Mainz ( or '; ), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the Archbishop-Elec ...

Biography

From 1779 until his death, he was very prudent as the prince-bishop of Bamberg and Würzburg in personal union. He was permeated with the ideas of the Enlightenment and promoted the education of the clergy. In Bamberg, he built the first modern hospital and introduced a first public social insurance. The University of Bamberg received a chair for veterinary medicine under its government. Politically, he was loyal to the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

and close to Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...

. Unlike his predecessor

Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim Adam Friedrich Graf von Seinsheim (1708–1779) was the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1755 to 1779 and Prince-Bishop of Bamberg from 1757 to 1779. Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim was born in Regensburg on 16 February 1708, the son of Maximilian ...

, Erthal disapproved of worldly pleasures, and there were no hunts and opera performances at his court. The

Würzburg Residenz Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

was however completed during his reign.

External links

1730 births 1795 deaths People from Lohr am Main People from the Electorate of Mainz Prince-bishops of Bamberg Prince-bishops of Würzburg German barons 18th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Bavaria Burials at Würzburg Cathedral Dukes of Franconia {{Germany-RC-bishop-stub