Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg

Fürstbistum Augsburg

State of the Holy Roman Empire

c. 888 – 1803

Coat of arms

Capital

Government

Elective principality

Historical era

Middle Ages

•

Bishopric established

4th century

•

Gained territory and,
thus, Imperial immediacy

c. 888

•

Augsburg itself gained
Imperial immediacy as a
Free Imperial City

1276

•

Diet of Augsburg:
Confessio Augustana

1530

•

City joined Schmalkadic
League

1537

•

Peace of Augsburg

1555

•

Occupied by Sweden

1632–35

•

Secularised to Bavaria

1803

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Duchy of Swabia

Electorate of Bavaria

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