Otto III of Hachberg
| Otto III of Hachberg | |
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Coat of arms of Otto III, part of the table of coats of arms of the bishops of Constance by Franz Xaver Stiehle
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| Noble family | House of Zähringen |
| Father | Rudolf III, Margrave of Hachberg-Sausenberg |
| Mother | Anne of Freiburg-Neuchâtel |
| Born |
6 March 1388 Rötteln Castle |
| Died | 14 November 1451 (aged 63) Constance |
Otto III of Hachberg (6 March 1388 at Rötteln Castle – 14 November 1451 in Constance) was Bishop of Constance from 1410 to 1434. During this time he was the host of the Council of Constance (1414-1418). Although he was the second person named Otto in the Hachberg-Sausenberg line of the House of Zähringen, he is consistently called Otto III in the literature, because he was the third bishop of Constance named Otto.
Otto was the eldest son of Margrave Rudolf III of Hachberg-Sausenberg and his second wife, Anne of Freiburg-Neuchâtel.
Already in 1403, when he was just 15 years old, he was mentioned as a canon in Basel. Pope Boniface IX recommended his appointment. This was probably a reward for Otto's father, Margrave Rudolf III, who had changed sides and supported Bonifact IX in Rome, against Antipope Benedict XIII in Avignon. In 1404, Otto III enrolled at the University of Heidelberg. The entry in the register describes him as a canon of Basel and Cologne and a cleric of Constance.
In 1409 and 1410, Rudolf III negotiated with Bishop Albert of Constance. Rudolf proposed that Albert would abdicate in favour of Otto, and Rudolf would financially compensate Albert. Rudolf knew his plan would be backed by the pope in Rome, as well as by the antipope supported by Albert, and they agreed to push the plan through, despite opposition from the cathedral chapter. On 11 July 1410, Albert and Rudolf III reached an agreement. As expected, the cathedral chapter initially opposed the deal. Nevertheless, the appointment of Otto III was confirmed by Antipope John XXIII. On 2 February 1411, Otto III took over the administration of the Bishopric of Constance. However, he was never consecrated.
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