Bishopric of Augsburg
| Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg | ||||||||||
| Fürstbistum Augsburg | ||||||||||
| State of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||||||||
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| Government | Elective principality | |||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | |||||||||
| • | Bishopric established | 4th century | ||||||||
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Gained territory and, thus, Imperial immediacy |
c. 888 |
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Augsburg itself gained Imperial immediacy as a Free Imperial City |
1276 |
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Diet of Augsburg: Confessio Augustana |
1530 |
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| • | City joined Schmalkadic League |
1537 |
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| • | Peace of Augsburg | 1555 | ||||||||
| • | Occupied by Sweden | 1632–35 | ||||||||
| • | Secularised to Bavaria | 1803 | ||||||||
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Coat of arms
The Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg was one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, and belonged to the Swabian Circle. It should not be confused with the Diocese of Augsburg, which while administered by the same individual, was considerably larger than the Prince-Bishopric.
The city of Augsburg proper, after it gained Free Imperial Status, was a separate entity and constitutionally and politically independent of the prince-bishopric of the same name. The prince-bishopric covered some 2365 km2 and had approximately 100,000 inhabitants at the time it was annexed to Bavaria in the course of the German mediatization.
The present city of Augsburg appears in Strabo as Damasia, a stronghold of the Licatii; in 14 BC, it became a Roman colony known as Augusta Vindelicorum, received the rights of a city from Hadrian and soon became of great importance as an arsenal and the point of junction of several important trade routes.
Though the beginnings of Christianity within the limits of the present diocese are shrouded in obscurity, its teachings were probably brought there by soldiers or merchants. According to the acts of the martyrdom of St. Afra, who with her handmaids suffered at the stake for Christ, there existed in Augsburg early in the fourth century a Christian community under Bishop Narcissus. St. Dionysius, uncle of St. Afra, is mentioned as his Successor.
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Wikipedia