Prince-Bishopric of Freising

Fürstbistum Freising (German)

State of the Holy Roman Empire

1294–1802

Coat of arms

Capital

Freising

Government

Principality

Historical era

Middle Ages, Early modern period

•

Bishopric established

739

•

Imperial immediacy

1294

•

Joined Bavarian Circle

1500

•

Mediatised to Bavaria and Austria

1802

Today part of

Germany

Coat of arms

The Prince-Bishopric of Freising (German: Hochstift Freising) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1294 until its secularisation in the early years of the 19th century.

The Prince-Bishopric of Freising should not be confused with the diocese of the same name, which was considerably larger and over which the prince-bishop's authority was that of an ordinary bishop and therefore limited to spiritual and pastoral matters.

While the prince-bishopric's territory was comparatively small, it was very fragmented and its lands were dispersed over a wide area, from central Bavaria and the Tyrol in the west to Styria and Slovenia in the east (see map).

In 1800, the 15,000 subjects of the Prince-Bishop lived in the following areas:

The Benedictine abbey of Freising was founded by Saint Corbinian circa 723–730 although it was only in 739 that the diocese as such was established by Saint Boniface.

In 783, Bishop Atto von Kienberger acquired the town of Innichen (San Candido) in the South Tyrol after having delivered on his promise to the lord of the area, Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria, to build a Benedictine convent there. He then acquired the lordship of Burgrain in 808. Emperor Otto II donated the lordship of Bischoflack in Carniola (now Skofja Loka, Slovenia) in 973 and Henry II the lordships of Wölzer and Katschtal (Styria) in 1007. About 250 years later, the possessions of the bishops were to increase substantially with the acquisition of the rich county of Werdenfels in the late 13th century.

In 1294, the bishop was raised to the status of prince-bishop and thus became an Estate of the Empire enjoying imperial immediacy. A few years later, Duke Ludwig of Bavaria sold several towns along the Isar River to the bishop. That area became known as the county of Yserrain.

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Wikipedia