The Imperial Church (Reichskirche)

Key: abol. =abolished; archbp.=archbishopric; bp.=bishopric; diss.=dissolved; est.=established; ex.=exempt; reest.=reestablished; reorg.=reorganized; sec.=secularized.
 
MAINZ--est. 2nd-4th c.; archbp. 782-1802; to Malines/Mechelen 1802; to Freiburg 1821
STRASBOURG--est. 4th c.; to Mainz 195; to Besancon 1802
WORMS--est. ca. 4th c.; to Mainz 747; diss. 1806
SPEYER--est. ca. 4th c.; to Mainz 747; to Bamberg 1817
CHUR--est. 5th c.; from Milan 843; ex. 1803
AUGSBURG--est. ca. Sth-6th c.; to Mainz 798; to Munich-Freising 1821
CONSTANCE--est. ca. 610; from Besan~on 795; diss. 1821
WÜRZBURG--est. 741142; to Bamberg 1821
EICHSTÄTT--est. 741/48; to Bamberg 1821
VERDEN--est. ca. 787; abol. 1631/48
PADERBORN--est. ca. 800/05; to Cologne 1821
HILDESHEIM--est. ca. 800/15; ex. 1824; to Paderborn 1929
BRANDENBURG--est. 948; to Magdeburg 968
HAVELBURG--est. 948; to Magdeburg 968
PRAGUE--est. 973; archbp. 1344
OLMÜTZ/OLOMOUC--est. ca. 976/1063; to Prague 1344
BAMBERG--est. 1007; archbp. 1817
SALZBURG--est. 6th c.; reorg. 739; archbp. 798
SAEBEN--seat of Brixen/Bressanone since ca. 1000) (est. 5th-6th c.; to Salzburg 798; ex. 1921
PASSAU--est. by 739; to Salzburg 798; to Munich-Freising 1821
REGENSBURG--est. by 739; to Salzburg 798; to Munich-Freising 1821
FREISING--est. ca. 724/39; to Salzburg 798; archbp. 1821
GURK--est. 1072; seat of Klagenfurt since 1787
CHIEMSEE--est. 1215; diss. 1807
SECKAU--est. 1218; seat of Graz since 1786
LAVANT--est. 1225/28; seat of Marburg on the Drava since 1859; ex, 1924
LEOBEN--est. 1786; abol. 1859
COLOGNE--est. 2nd c.; archbp. 795
LIEGE--est. 4th c. @ Tongern, 8th c. to Liege; to Cologne 795; to Malines/Mecheln 1802
UTRECHT--est. 695/96; to Cologne 795; archbp. 1559
OSNABRÜCK--est. ca. 772; to Cologne 795; ex. 1802; to Cologne 1929
MINDEN--est. ca. 780; to Cologne 795; abol. 1643/48
BREMEN--est. ca. 787; to Cologne 795; archbp. [with Hamburg] 848
MÜNSTER--est. ca. 800
TRIER--est. ca. 1st-4th c.; archbp. ca. 800; 1802 to Malines/Mechelen; 1821 to Cologne
METZ--est. 3rd-4th c.; to Trier ca. 800; to Besancon 1801
TOUL--est. 4th-5th c.; to Trier ca. 800; to Besancon 1801
VERDUN--est. 4th-6th c.; to Trier ca. 800; to Besancon 1822
HAMBURG-BREMEN--est. 787/831;archp. 838; abol. 1566/1648
SCHLESWIG--est. 947/48; to Lund 1104
RIPEN--est. 947/48; to Lund 1104
AARHUS--est. 947/48; to Lund 1104
OLDENBURG--est. 948/68; seat of Lübeck 1160 ; abol. 1588
MECKLENBURG--Est. ca. 992/1158; seat of Schwerin since 1160; abol. 1555
RATZEBURG--est. ca. 1062/1154; sec. 1554; abol. 1648
RIGA--est. 1201; archbp. 1255
MAGDEBURG--est. 968; sec. 1551; abol. 1680
BRANDENBURG--from Mainz 968; abol. 1539/65
HAVELBERG--from Mainz 968; abol. 1548/65
MERSEBURG--est. 968/1004; abol. 1543/61
MEISSEN--est. 968; ex. 1365/99; abol. 1581; reest. ex. 1921
ZEITZ--est. 968; seat of Naumburg since ca. 1030; abol. 1564
RIGA--est. 1201 under Hamburg-Bremen; archbp. 1255; abol. 1563; reest. as bp. 1918
DORPAT/TARTU--est. 1211/24; from Lund 1255; abol. 1558
KURLAND--seat at Pilten; est. 1219; to Riga 1255; abol. 1560
OESEL-WIEK/SAREMA--est. 1228; to Riga 1255; abol. 1560/82
POMESANIEN--seat at Riesenburg; est. 1243; to Riga 1255; to Genesen 1466
SAMLAND--seat at Fischhausen; est. 1243; to Riga 1255; abol. 1525
ERMLAND--seat at Heilsberg; est. 1243; to Riga 1255; ex. 1354; to Gnesen 1466
GNESEN/GNIEZNO--est. 1000
POSEN/POZNAN--est. ca. 968; to Gnesen ca. 1000; united with Genesen 1821
CRACOW--est. ca. 984; to Gnesen 1000; archbp. 1880
BRESLAU/WROCLAW--est. ca. 1000; ex. 1821; archbp. 1929
LEBUS--est. 1123/24; sec. 1556; abol. 1648
KULM/CHELMNO--from Riga 1466; since 1821 seat at Pelplin
ERMLAND--ex. to 1466; ex. 1772; to Breslau 1929
PRAGUE--est. 973 under Mainz; archbp. 1344
OLMÜTZ/OLOMOUC--from Mainz 1344; archbp. 1777
LEITOMISCHL/LITOMYSL--est. 1344; 1660/64 seat of Königgrätz) 1344
LEITMERITZ/LITOMERICE--est. 1655
BUDWEIS/CESKE BUDEJOVICE--EST. 1785/89
VIENNA--est. 1486/79; archbp. 1722
WIENER NEUSTADT--est. 1468/76 as ex.; to Vienna 1722; abol. 1785
LINZ--est. 1784
ST. PÖLTEN--est. 1784
OLMÜTZ/OLOMOUC--est. 976/1063 under Mainz; to Prague 1344; archbp. 1777
BRÜNN/BRNO--est. 1777


Suggestions for Further Reading:
Gerhard Benecke, "The German Reichskirche," in William J. Callahan and David Higgs, eds., Church and Society in Catholic Europe of the Eighteenth Century (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979), 77-87.
Marc R. Forster, "The Elite and Popular Foundations of German Catholicism in the Age of Confessionalism: The Reichskirche," Central European History 26/3 (1993): 311-325.
Francis Oakley, The Western Church in the Later Middle Ages (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1979).
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