Principality of Verden
| Prince-Bishopric of Verden Principality of Verden |
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(Hoch)Stift Verden (1180–1648) Fürstentum Verden (1648–1807/10) |
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| State of the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806) | ||||||||||
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 The territory of Verden (pink, below right) around 1655
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| Capital | Verden (seat of chapter), Rotenburg (residence of pr.-bishops since 1195)¹ |
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| Languages | German, Low German | |||||||||
| Religion | Catholic Church till the 1550s, then Lutheranism | |||||||||
| Government | Principality | |||||||||
| Ruler | ||||||||||
| • | 1395–1398 | Prince-Bishop Dietrich | ||||||||
| • | 1398–1399 | Prince-Bishop Conrad II | ||||||||
| • | 1623–29, 1635–45 | Administrator Frederick II | ||||||||
| • | 1630–1631 | Prince-Bishop Francis | ||||||||
| • | 1631–1634 | Admin. John Frederick | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | |||||||||
| • | Break-up of Saxony | 1180 | ||||||||
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Secularised as the Principality of Verden |
15 May 1648 |
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| • | Disestablished | 1807/10 | ||||||||
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Awarded to Kingdom of Hanover |
1815 |
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| Area | ||||||||||
| • | 1806 | 730 km² (282 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||
| • | 1806 est. | 20,000 | ||||||||
| Density | 27.4 /km² (71 /sq mi) | |||||||||
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| 1: Rotenburg castle was built in 1195, this may have been when the diocese had effectively acquired territorial power as prince-bishopric. | ||||||||||
The historic territory of Verden (German pronunciation: [ˈfeːɐ̯dən]) emerged from the Monarchs of the Frankish Diocese of Verden in the area of present-day central and northeastern Lower Saxony and existed as such until 1648. The territory managed by secular lords for the bishops was not identical with that of the bishopric, but was located within its boundaries and made up about a quarter of the diocesan area. The territory was referred to at the time as Stift Verden or Hochstift Verden, roughly equating to Prince-Bishopric of Verden. This territory described in local sources today incorrectly as Bistum Verden ("Bishopric of Verden") and, in 1648, was given the title Principality of Verden, sometimes referred to as the Duchy of Verden.
The territory of Verden covered the eastern part of the present district of Verden (its border ran between Langwedel and Etelsen), the southern part of the district of Rotenburg (Wümme) and parts of the districts of Harburg and the Heath district (Heidekreis).
The Diocese of Verden was founded around 800 in Verden upon Aller as an episcopal see and initially belonged to the Ecclesiastical Province of Mainz. Originally held in personal union with Amorbach Abbey in the Odenwald, by the 9th century the bishopric had become a political football for the regional nobility. For example, the Amelungs promoted their favourite monks from Corvey Abbey to the episcopal throne.
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