Lothar Franz von Schönborn

Lothar Franz von Schönborn (4 October 1655 – 30 January 1729) was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1694 to 1729 and the Bishop of Bamberg from 1693 to 1729. As Archbishop of Mainz, he was also Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire. Lothar Franz von Schönborn is known for commissioning a number of Baroque buildings, such as the palace Schloss Weissenstein.

Lothar Franz was born in Steinheim am Main, now a suburb of Hanau, on 4 October 1655 to Count Philipp Erwein von Schönborn () (1607-1668) and Maria Ursula von Greiffenclau-Vollraths (). He was a nephew of Johann Philipp von Schönborn, Archbishop of Mainz from 1647 until 1673, and a grand nephew of Georg Friedrich von Greiffenklau, Archbishop of Mainz from 1626 until 1629. Furthermore he was an uncle to the Schönborn-Buchheim branch which included Johann Philipp Franz, Friedrich Karl, Damian Hugo Philipp and Franz Georg.

He was educated at the Jesuit College in Aschaffenburg. In 1665 Lothar Franz was appointed Domizellar (canon) of Würzburg Cathedral, 1667 in Bamberg Cathedral. He received a prebendary at Mainz Cathedral in 1674. Lothar Franz made his Grand Tour through the Netherlands, France and Italy. His Biennium (two-year period of preparation) he attended from 1673 to 1675 in Vienna. During this time he kept a pro-imperial life stance. He was appointed canon of Bamberg in 1681 and in Würzburg in 1683. For the Bishop of Bamberg, he travelled in various diplomatic missions and was appointed President of the Court Chamber. In 1689 he was Scholastikus (schoolmaster) and curator in Bamberg and canon of Mainz. Still being a canon, he already influenced the artistic design of Schloss Gaibach at Volkach after 1694.

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