Bibra family


The House of Bibra was one of the leading Uradel families in Franconia and present day Thuringia from the mid-15th century to about 1600. Later on the family rose from Reichsritter to Reichsfreiherr. After the Holy Roman Empire dissolved, they were made ‘’Freiherr’‘ of Bavaria and Bohemia.

History

The earliest references to the family include a document of Bishop Otto of Bamberg from the year 1119 of a Rupertus de Bibra. In 1151 a Pertholdus de Bibra and his sons Pertholdus and Tagino are referenced in another document. The family prospered in numbers, wealth, and influence in the 15th century and early 16th century. By the time of Siebmachers Wappenbuch of 1605, the family is listed as the most important family of Franconia under the rank of Freiherr. By 1600 most of the family died off without heirs partially due natural causes such as the Bubonic plague and the number of family members who took church positions. After the death of Heinrich von Bibra in 1602, the Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn seized most of the family’s assets as part of the Counter-Reformation resulting in a 79-year lawsuit. The lawsuit was eventually settled with the family receiving all the properties except Burgwallbach but without income during the suit. From 1602 on there were many important members of the family but the family itself never recovered the leading position it previously had in the late 15th and 16th centuries. Between 1698 and 1772, the various lines were raised to Reichsfreiherr. In later times, the family spread to the Austrian Empire, the British Empire, and the United States. According to Wagenhöfer, the Bibra family is the most researched family of the low nobility in Franconia after the Guttenberg and Seckendorff families.

Prominent members of the family

Kilian von Bibra, 1 December 1450 Gilianus de Bibrach de Alemania receives doctorate in church law in Padua, Italy, Dean of the Cathedral Chapter of Würzburg, Generalvicar of Bishopric of Würzburg, statesman Wilhelm von Bibra, Lorenz' half brother, Papal emissary, Knight of the Golden SpurAlbrecht von Bibra, Dean of the Cathedral Chapter of Würzburg, Cathedral Chapter member of Bamberg Lorenz von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Duke in Franconia Conrad von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Duke in Franconia Christoph Erhard von Bibra participant at Battle of Blenheim, 12.10.1704 kaiserlicher ''Generalfeldwachtmeister, 2.5.1705 Generalfeldmarschalleutnant, Commander of the Plassenburg and Kulmbach Johann Ernst von Bibra 12.4.1701 kaiserlicher Feldmarschall-Leutnant, 11.5.1704 Reichsgeneralfeldmarschallleutnant, 20.5.1704 kaiserlicher Feldzeugmeister Heinrich Carl von Bibra Franconian Circles, Bamberg Generalfeldmarschalleutnant, father Prince-Bishop Heinrich of Fulda, builder of the Bibra Palais in Bamberg Heinrich von Bibra, Prince-Bishop, Prince-Abbot of Fulda was Prince-Bishop from Siegmund von Bibra, high official Bishopric and Abby of Fulda and editor of Journal von und für Deutschland Franz Ludwig von Bibra was soldier, author, and early settler of Tasmania, Australia.Ernst von Bibra, German naturalist and author. Ernst was a botanist, zoologist, metallurgist, chemist, geographer, travel writer, novelist, duellist, art collector and trailblazer in ethnopsychopharmacology.Ernst Wilhelm Freiherr von Bibra German officer during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Missing presumed dead since February 15, 1943 - Oktjabersky, RussiaAugust von Bibra general manager of the Adelsverein, or Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas.Wilhelm Franz von Bibra Generalfeldmarschalleutnant Austro-Hungarian Army

Riemenschneider patronage

The tomb of Lorenz von Bibra by Tilman Riemenschneider in the Würzburg Dom is one of Riemenschneider's most famous works. Lorenz also commissioned Riemenscheider to do the tomb of his predecessor, Rudolf von Scherenberg. In Bibra the family commissioned Riemenschneider to do the Altar of the Apostles, Altar of the Church Fathers, Altar of the Annunciation, Carving of St. Kilian, a crucifix, and an epitaph of Hans von Bibra. Kilian von Bibra also commissioned a work by Riemenscheider other than at Bibra.

Localities associated with family

Family seat :
  • Burg Bibra near Meiningen is reportedly the longest continuously owned castle by a family in Thuringia having been in the family since written records began including during the East German period. While the burg itself remained in the family, the forest, farmland and Lower Castle was sold at auction in 1936.
Second seat:
Historical holdings still in family:
  • Schloss Brennhausen is a unique and beautifully situated castle frequently featured in books and calendars. In 2002 transferred to the Stiftung Brennhausen by the family which continues to use.
  • Dörfleshof farming estate
Estates, castles, manor houses, and villages that previously came under Bibra control :
German cities with close association:
Memorials:
  • Bibra Kreuz – A memorial to fallen WWI soldier Helmuth von Bibra from the Irmelshausen Senior Sub-line in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany German Wikipedia Article
Monasteries closely associated with Bibra family:
Australia
  • Bibra Lake, a suburb of Perth, Australia is named after Benedict von Bibra who in the summer of 1843 bought land there which contains the lake Bibra Lake
  • Bibra’s Landing in the west coast of Australia is named after Francis Louis von Bibra and/or brother Charles who operated in the area in the 1870s–90's
  • Beaufront, Ross, Tasmania : a historical country home and large estate

Coats of arms of municipalities

The Bibra coat of arms is incorporated into several municipalities.

Organization of the family

For the last four centuries the family has divided itself between two Branches named after the two brothers whom all living Bibra descend: Valentine and Bernhard. Within each branch, the family has divided further in Lines centered on castles and a manor house. The last two centuries, the Lines are as follows:
Valentine Branch

Bernhard Branch

All branches of the family were raised to Freiherr. In 1919, all nobility predicates were transformed into constituents of the family name in Germany.

Erbuntermarschallamt (hereditary under-[marshal] office) of Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg">Bishopric of Würzburg">Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg 1357 – 1803

1357: The counts of Henneberg had the title to the office in 1357 transferred to the Bibra family, but then withdrawn and returned to it to the von der Kere family.
1405: In two contracts of 1405 and 1486, both families finally agreed on the alternating exercise of the office. When the Henneberg family renounced the Obermarschall of Würzburg in 1533 for political reasons, there were no more changes with the Untermarschallamt until the extinction of the Henneberg house in 1584.
1572: The sole right of succession claimed by the Bibra after the extinction of the von der Kere family in 1572 was contested by Prince Bishop Julius Echter of Mespelbrunn, and the share of the Kere family transferred to his own family. Until the extinction of the Mespelbrunn, members of both families exercised an alternating office.
1665 -1803 : The Bibras stand unchallenged. Beginning in 1803, it became an "empty title" with no Prince-Bishopric.
The Erbntermarschallamt was held by the Familiensenior or Senior familiae which is the eldest male member of the Bibra family when the family held the position. Friedrich Gotthelf claimed office in 1783 even though Prince Bishop Heinrich was older but was unable to fulfill role.

Erbuntertruchsess of the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg

Beginning in 1721, members of the Schabelwaid/Weisendorf line had the Erbuntertruchsess of the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg. This officed ended in 1803 when then bishopric was secularized.

Bibra family / Bibran-Modlau family relationship

Bibran-Modlau family was a Silesian noble family which was raised to Reichsfreiherr 1624.
The family and the three sons-in-law of the apparent last Silesian Bibran-Modlau used multiple variations of the name including:
One source '' reports that the family descends from a Sigmund von Bibra who traveled to Silesia in the 11th century, however the different coat of arms casts doubt on the connection. The description with the published print of Schloss Modlau describes the Bibran family as having split off from the Franconia Bibras five hundred years ago. By 1480 Modlau and Profen were already in possession of the family. At the end of the family, it was centered at Reisicht and Modlau, in present-day Poland. Prominent members of the family were: Friedrich Heinrich von Bibran-Modlau, Abraham von Bibran Kittlitztreben und Woitsdorf, and Sigismund Heinrich von Bibran-Modlau who was one of the largest land owner in Silesia.
David Heinrich von Bibran-Modlau was the apparent last male member of the family in Silesia. When he died in 1828, he had three daughters. His three sons-in-law incorporated the Bibran-Modlau into their names. The son-in-law Ernst Heinrich von Kölichen, who had incorporated the Bibran-Modlau name and coat of arms died with a daughter, Agnes, but no sons. Ernst’s son-in-law, Ludwig von Senden again incorporated the Bibran name into his own becoming "von Senden-Bibran" as in Gustav von Senden-Bibran.

German

  • RHEINHOLD ALBERT: Chronik der Gemeinde Sulzdorf an der Lederhecke. hrsg. von der Gemeinde Sulzdorf a. d. L., Verlag Frankenschwelle Pages. 515 – 534. 1994. This is the most thorough source on Brennhausen.
  • MARINA VON BIBRA, Heinrich VIII. – Fürstbischof von Fulda. In: Gerhard Pfeiffer, Fränkische Lebensbilder, Bd. 4, Würzburg 1971, 213–229;
  • ;
  • WILHELM FRHR. VON BIBRA, Beiträge zur Familien Geschichte der Reichsfreiherrn von Bibra, Ernster Band, 1880; Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf
  • WILHELM FRHR. VON BIBRA, Beiträge zur Familien Geschichte der Reichsfreiherrn von Bibra, Zweiter Band, 1882; Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf
  • WILHELM FRHR. VON BIBRA, Beiträge zur Familien Geschichte der Reichsfreiherrn von Bibra, Dritter Band, 1888; Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf
  • A. GNAU, Das kirchliche Wirken Heinrich VIII. von Bibra, Fürstbischofs von Fulda, in: Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins der Diözese Fulda 6 12–19;
  • JOHANN EBERHARD VON KAISER, Regierungsgeschichte des jetztigen Fürsten-Bischofs Heinrich des VIII. zu Fulda im Grundriße, Vornehmlich in Hinsicht der innern Landes-Anstalten und Verbesserungen, in: Patriotisches Archiv für Deutschland 2 1–102;
  • HANS KARLINGER, Die Kunstdenkmäler von Bayern, III, 13. Bezirksamt Königshofen. – Munich, 1915
  • WERNER KATHREIN, Bibra, Heinrich, in: Erwin Gatz, Die Bischöfe des Heiligen Römischen Reiches 1648–1803, Berlin 1990, 29f.;
  • JOSEF LEINWEBER, Die Fuldaer Äbte und Bischöfe, Frankfurt a.M. 1989, 159–163;
  • MICHAEL MÜLLER, Fürstbischof Heinrich von Bibra und die katholische Aufklärung im Hochstift Fulda. Wandel und Kontinuität des kirchlichen Lebens, Fulda 2005;
  • FRANZ SAYN-WITTGENSTEIN, Schlosser in Franken : Residenzen Und Landsitze Im Frankischen, 1974 ;
  • MARTIN STINGL, REICHFREIHEIT UND FÜRSTENDIENST DIE DIENSTBEZIEHUNGEN DER BIBRA 1500 BIS 1806, Verlag Degener & Co, 1994, 341 pages, ;
  • WERNER WAGENHÖFER, Die Bibra: Studien und Materialien zur Genealogie und zur Besitzgeschichte einer fränkischen Niederadelsfamilie im Spätmittelalter, Verlag Degener & Co, 1998, 699 pages, ;
  • WERNER WAGENHÖFER, Grablegen des Niederadels im Spätmittelalterlichen Franken – das Beispiel der Bibra, Wirtschaft – Gesellschaft – Mentalitäten im Mittelalter, Festschrift zum 75. Geburtstag von Rolf Sprandel, Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart, 2006,, Pages.335–359.
  • ALFRED WENDEHORST, Das Bistum Würzburg: Teil 3. Die Bischofsreihe von 1455 -1617, 1978, ;
  • PETER ADOLPH WINKOPP, Beiträge zur Lebensgeschichte Heinrich des achten Fürstbischofen zu Fulda, welcher am 25. September 1788 das Zeitliche mit dem Ewigen verwechselte, in: Der neue deutsche Zuschauer 1 93–102.134–144;
  • KLAUS WITTSTADT, Der Bibliotheksgründer Fürstbischof Heinrich VIII. von Bibra, in: Artur Brall, Von der Klosterbibliothek zur Landesbibliothek. Beiträge zum zweihundertjährigen Bestehen der Hessischen Landesbibliothek Fulda 269–293;
  • F. ZWENGER, Heinrich v. Bibra. Fürstbischof von Fulda, in: BuBl 4 139f., 143f., 148 ;

English

  • JULIEN CHAPUIS, Tilman Riemenschneider: Master Sculptor of the Late Middle Ages, National Gallery London Publications, 11 October 1999,
  • LOIS NYMAN AND GRAEME VON BIBRA, THE VON BIBRA STORY, Foot & Playsted Pty. Ltd., Launceston, Australia, 1996, ;
  • ERNST VON BIBRA Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants 1995 Translation of Die narkotischen Genussmittel und der Mensch Translated by Hedwig Schleiffer, Foreword by Martin Haseneier and extensive technical notes by Jonathan Ot, an ethnobiologist- ;
  • HILLAY ZMORA, State and nobility in early modern Germany: The knightly feud in Franconia 1440–1567, Cambridge University Press, 1997, 2002, ;