Diocese of Würzburg
The Diocese of Würzburg is a Latin Church diocese of Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, and the bishop is seated at Würzburg Cathedral. Founded in 741, the diocese lost all temporal power after the Napoleonic wars.
See Bishopric of Würzburg for more information about the history of the diocese.
History
The first Apostle of Christianity for the territory now included in the Diocese of Würzburg was the Irish missionary, Saint Kilian, the Apostle of Franconia. who converted Gozbert the Frankish duke of Thuringia. In his castle above Würzburg, Gozbert's son Hedan II built the first church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; on this account the castle received the name of Marienberg. The first mention of Würzburg is in 704, when it is called Castellum Virtebuch. A diocese was established in Würzburg by Saint Boniface, who in 741 consecrated his friend Saint Burchard as bishop; In 742 Pope Zachary confirmed the selection of Burchard. Burchard built the first cathedral church, and buried there the bodies of St. Kilian and his companions; he connected with the church a monastery which followed the Rule of St. Benedict.Carloman (mayor of the palace) gave great gifts of land to the bishopric. In 752 or 753 the church of Würzburg was granted immunity for all its possessions, also secular jurisdiction, whereby the foundation was laid for the future secular authority of the bishops. Like the majority of his successors, Burchard lived at the Marienburg, which he had received from the last duke in exchange for another fortified castle. His successor, Megingoz, did much towards Christianizing Saxony. Bishop Bernwelf replaced the Benedictine secular clergy at the cathedral by the Brothers of St. Kilian, who led a common life after the rule of Chrodegang of Metz. Arno rebuilt the cathedral, which had been destroyed by lightning, on the site of the present cathedral.
List of bishops
- Burchard I 741 – 755
- Megingoz 753–785
- Berowulf 786–800
- Liuttrit 800–803
- Egilwart 803–810
- Wolfgar 810–832
- Humbert 833–842
- Godwald von Henneberg 842–855
- Arno von Endsee 855–892
- Rudolf I von Conradines 892–908
- Theodo von Henneberg 908–931
- Burchard II 932–941
- Poppo I 941–961
- Poppo II 961–983
- Hugo von Rothenburg 983–990
- Bernward von Rothenburg 990–995
- Heinrich I von Rothenburg 995–1018
- Meinhard I von Rothenburg 1018–1034
- Bruno of Carinthia 1034–1045
- Adalbero von Lambach-Wels 1045–1085
- Meinhard II von Rothenburg 1085–1088
- Einhard von Rothenburg 1089–1105
- Rupert von Tundorf 1105–1106
- Erlung von Calw 1106–1121
- Gebhard von Henneberg 1122–1127
- Rudiger von Vaihingen 1122–1125
- Emicho von Leiningen 1125–1146
- Siegfried von Truhendingen 1146–1150
- Gebhard von Henneberg 1150–1159
- Heinrich II von Stuhlingen 1159–1165
- Herold von Hochheim 1165–1170
- Reginhard von Abenberg 1171–1186
- Gottfried I von Spitzenberg-Helfenstein 1186–1190
- Philip of Swabia 1190–1191
- Heinrich III of Berg 1191–1197
- Gottfried II von Hohenlohe 1197
- Konrad von Querfurt 1197–1202
- Heinrich IV von Katzburg 1202–1207
- 1207–1223
- Dietrich von Homburg 1223–1225
- Hermann I von Lobdeburg 1225–1254
- Iring von Reinstein-Homburg 1254–1266
- Heinrich V von Leiningen 1254–1255
- Poppo III von Trimberg 1267–1271
- Berthold I von Henneberg 1271–1274
- Berthold II von Sternberg 1274–1287
- Mangold von Neuenburg 1287–1303
- Andreas von Gundelfingen 1303–1313
- Gottfried III von Hohenlohe 1313–1322
- Friedrich von Stolberg 1313–1317
- Wolfram Wolfskeel von Grumbach 1322–1332
- Hermann II Hummel von Lichtenberg 1333–1335
- Otto II von Wolfskeel 1335–1345
- Albrecht I von Hohenberg 1345–1349
- Albrecht II von Hohenlohe 1350–1372
- Gerhard von Schwarzburg 1372–1400
- Albrecht III von Katzburg 1372–1376
- Johann I von Egloffstein 1400–1411
- Johann II von Brunn 1411–1440
- Sigmund of Saxony 1440–1443
- Gottfried Schenk von Limpurg †
- Johann von Grumbach †
- Rudolf von Scherenberg †
- Lorenz von Bibra †
- Konrad von Thüngen †
- Konrad von Bibra †
- Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt †
- Friedrich von Wirsberg †
- Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn †
- Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen †
- Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg †
- Franz Graf von Hatzfeld †
- Johann Philipp Reichsgraf von Schönborn †
- Johann Hartmann Reichsritter von Rosenbach †
- Peter Philipp Reichsgraf von Dernbach †
- Konrad Wilhelm Reichsfreiherr von Wernau †
- Johann Gottfried II von Gutenberg †
- Johann Philipp Reichsfreiherr von Greifenclau zu Vollraths †
- Johann Philipp Franz Reichsgraf von Schönborn †
- Christoph Franz Reichsfreiherr von Hutten †
- Friedrich Karl Reichsgraf von Schönborn †
- Anselm Franz Reichsgraf von Ingelheim †
- Karl Philipp Reichsfreiherr von Greifenclau zu Vollraths †
- Adam Friedrich Reichsgraf von Seinsheim †
- Franz Ludwig Reichsfreiherr von Erthal †
- Georg Karl Ignaz Freiherr von Fechenbach zu Laudenbach †
- Adam Friedrich Freiherr von Groß zu Trockau †
- Georg Anton von Stahl †
- Johann Valentin von Reißmann †
- Franz Joseph von Stein †
- Ferdinand von Schlör †
- Matthias Ehrenfried †
- Julius August Döpfner †
- Josef Stangl †
- Paul-Werner Scheele †
- Friedhelm Hofmann
- Franz Jung