Misplaced Pages

#32967

147-543: The town of Byczyna was first mention in 1054 when it temporarily served as the capital of the Bishopric of Wrocław . Its name is of Polish origin. It was part of Poland and during its fragmentation period it was part of the duchies of Silesia , Głogów and Namysłów , before it was again under direct rule of Polish King Casimir III the Great from 1341 to 1348. It was granted town rights before 1268. In 1356 it passed to

294-599: A diocesan administrator for each of them on 15 August, with effect of 1 September. Capitular Vicar Piontek confirmed Onderek on 18 August 1945 as vicar general for the Czechoslovakian part of the archdiocese. Piontek was asked to help Karol Milik, the new administrator in Wrocław, and stayed. He could also take care of the Catholic clergy and laymen of German language, who were in the course of expulsion in accordance to

441-789: A kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire , and subsequently a part of the Habsburg monarchy and the Austrian Empire . After World War I and the establishment of an independent Czechoslovak state , the whole of Bohemia became a part of Czechoslovakia , defying claims of the German-speaking inhabitants that regions with German-speaking majority should be included in the Republic of German-Austria . Between 1938 and 1945, these border regions were annexed to Nazi Germany as

588-530: A Central European country to be canonized by Pope John Paul II before the " Velvet Revolution " later that year. After the Velvet Divorce in 1993, the territory of Bohemia remained in the Czech Republic. The new Constitution of the Czech Republic provided for higher administrative units to be established, providing for the possibility of Bohemia as an administrative unit, but did not specify

735-512: A German army in 1004, ending the rule of Bolesław I of Poland . The first to use the title of "King of Bohemia" were the Přemyslid dukes Vratislav II (1085) and Vladislaus II (1158), but their heirs would return to the title of duke . The title of king became hereditary under Ottokar I (1198). His grandson Ottokar II (king from 1253 to 1278) conquered a short-lived empire that contained modern Austria and Slovenia . The mid-13th century had

882-586: A Proto-Germanic *Bajahaimaz . Boiohaemum was apparently isolated to the area where King Marobod 's kingdom was centered, within the Hercynian forest . Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII in his 10th-century work De Administrando Imperio also mentioned the region as Boiki (see White Serbia ). The Czech name "Čechy" is derived from the name of the Slavic ethnic group , the Czechs , who settled in

1029-580: A Swabian who had educated at the German College at Rome, followed in his footsteps. At the diocesan synod of 1592 he endeavoured to improve church discipline. Besides his zeal in elevating the life of the Church, he was also a promoter of the arts and learning. The silver altar with which he adorned his cathedral still exists, and he brought the schools in the principality of Neisse into a flourishing condition. The bishop also rendered important services to

1176-454: A cardinal (1893). According to the census of 1 December 1905, the German part of Breslau diocesan area, including the prince-episcopal delegation, comprised 3,342,221 Catholics; 8,737,746 Protestants; and 204,749 Jews. It was the richest German diocese in revenues and offertories . There were actively employed in the diocese 1,632 secular and 121 regular, priests. The cathedral chapter included

1323-534: A law which was a source of much trouble to Schimonsky and his immediate successors; this was that in those places where Catholics were few in number, the parish should be declared extinct and the church buildings given to the newly founded Evangelical Church in Prussia . In spite of the protests of the episcopal authorities, over one hundred church buildings were lost in this way. King Frederick William III of Prussia put an end to this injustice, and sought to make good

1470-590: A liberal democratic republic, but serious issues emerged regarding the Czech majority's relationship with the native German and Hungarian minorities. Following the Munich Agreement in 1938, the border regions of Bohemia historically inhabited predominantly by ethnic Germans (the Sudetenland ) were annexed to Nazi Germany . The remnants of Bohemia and Moravia were then annexed by Germany in 1939, while

1617-739: A member of the noble Hungarian family of Thurzó . John V took an active part in the intellectual life of the time and sought at the diocesan synods to promote learning and church discipline, and to improve the schools. On the ruins of the old stronghold of Javorník he built the Jánský Vrch castle, later the summer residence of the Prince-Bishop of Breslau. The religious disturbances of the 16th century began to be conspicuously apparent during this episcopate, and soon after John's death Protestantism began to spread in Silesia, which belonged to

SECTION 10

#1732781043033

1764-447: A new nation named and led by them with a united "slavic" ethnic consciousness. Bohemia was made a part of the early Slavic state of Great Moravia , under the rule of Svatopluk I (r. 870–894). After Svatopluk's death Great Moravia was weakened by years of internal conflict and constant warfare, ultimately collapsing and fragmenting because of the continual incursions of the invading nomadic Magyars . Bohemia's initial incorporation into

1911-465: A rebirth as romantic nationalism developed among the Czechs. In 1861, a new elected Bohemian Diet was established. The renewal of the old Bohemian Crown ( Kingdom of Bohemia , Margraviate of Moravia , and Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia ) became the official political program of both Czech liberal politicians and the majority of Bohemian aristocracy ("state rights program"), while parties representing

2058-620: A trip to Silesia. During talks with Władysław in mid-1619, the Habsburgs promised to agree to a temporary occupation of part of Silesia by Polish forces, which the unsuccessfully Vasas hoped would later allow the re-incorporation of those areas into Poland. In July 1619 Czech Protestants rebelled against King Ferdinand II and offered the Bohemian crown to Elector Frederick V of the Palatinate . On 27 September 1619, probably on hearing

2205-464: A tripartite monarchy (Austria-Hungary-Bohemia) failed in 1871. The "state-rights program" remained the official platform of all Czech political parties (except for social democrats) until 1918. Under the state-rights program, appealing to the stability of Bohemia's borders over many centuries, the Czech emancipation movement claimed the right to the whole of the Bohemian lands over the Germans' right to

2352-404: A war against the powerful religious movement that had arisen. To an even greater degree than Jacob von Salza his successor, Balthasar von Promnitz (1539–63), avoided coming into conflict with Protestantism. He was more friendly in his attitude to the new doctrine than any other Bishop of Breslau. Casper von Logau (1562–74) showed at first greater energy than his predecessor in endeavouring to compose

2499-603: Is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic . Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohemian kings , including Moravia and Czech Silesia , in which case the smaller region is referred to as Bohemia proper as a means of distinction. Bohemia was a duchy of Great Moravia , later an independent principality,

2646-537: The Archdiocese of Gniezno and to make it a suffragan of the newly erected Archbishopric of Prague (1344) but the plan failed, owing to the opposition of the Archbishop of Gniezno. Przecław added to the cathedral the beautiful Lady Chapel, in which he was buried and where his tomb still exists. Dietrich, dean of the cathedral, who was elected as successor to Przecław, could not obtain the papal confirmation, and

2793-486: The Bishop of Olomouc , who was chosen in his place, soon died. After a long contest with Charles, Bishop Wenceslaus of Lebus , Duke of Legnica , was transferred to Wrocław (1382–1417). The new bishop devoted himself to repairing the damage inflicted on the Church in Silesia by the actions of Charles. He held two synods, in 1410 and 1415, with the object of securing a higher standard of ecclesiastical discipline; and he settled

2940-415: The Bohemian crown controlled such diverse lands as Moravia , Silesia , Upper Lusatia and Lower Lusatia , Brandenburg, an area around Nuremberg called New Bohemia, Luxembourg , and several small towns scattered around Germany. From the 13th century on, settlements of Germans developed throughout Bohemia, making Bohemia a bilingual country. The German settlers particularly brought mining technology to

3087-739: The Catholic Church centered in the city of Wrocław in Poland . From its founding as a bishopric in 1000 until 1821, it was under the Archbishopric of Gniezno in Greater Poland . From 1821 to 1930 it was subjected directly to the Apostolic See . Between 1821 and 1972 it was officially known as (Arch)Diocese of Breslau . Christianity was first introduced into Silesia by missionaries from Moravia and Bohemia . After

SECTION 20

#1732781043033

3234-607: The Czech Crown Lands , and it soon returned under the rule of local Polish dukes of the Piast dynasty , as part of the duchies of Świdnica , Opole , Brzeg , Oleśnica , again Brzeg, Opole and finally Legnica until 1675. Afterwards it was incorporated into the Habsburg -ruled Czech Kingdom. It was a border town, located near Poland. The Battle of Byczyna took place nearby between Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria , who

3381-886: The Diocese of Hradec Králové within the Archdiocese of Prague until 1972. The Breslau Diocese included the Catholic parishes in the Duchy of Teschen and the Austrian part of the Principality of Neisse . The bull also assigned the Prussian-annexed parts of the Apostolic Prefecture of Meissen in Lower Lusatia (politically part of Prussian Brandenburg since 1815 ) and eastern Upper Lusatia (to Silesia province as of 1815) to Breslau diocese. With

3528-742: The Elbe - Danube watershed . In the second century BC, the Romans were competing for dominance in northern Italy with various peoples, including the Gauls -Celtic tribe Boii . The Romans defeated the Boii at the Battle of Placentia (194 BC) and the Battle of Mutina (193 BC) . Afterward, many of the Boii retreated north across the Alps. Much later Roman authors refer to the area they had once occupied (the "desert of

3675-465: The Habsburg monarchy since 1526. Princes, nobles, and town councils were zealous promoters of the new belief; even in the episcopal principality of Neisse (Nysa)-Grottkau (Grodków) Protestant doctrines found approval and acceptance. The successors of John V were partly responsible for this condition of affairs. Jacob von Salza (1520–39) was personally a stanch adherent of the Church; yet the gentleness of his disposition caused him to shrink from carrying on

3822-694: The Potsdam Agreement by the Soviet -installed communist authorities. Pope Pius XII did not recognise Hlond's overbearances. In order to strengthen Piontek's position Pius XII granted him the rights of a residing bishop on 28 February 1946. However, on 9 July the Polish authorities expelled Piontek and he was stranded in Peine , then British zone of occupation. On 31 July Pius XII confirmed Onderek's appointment and advanced him to Apostolic Administrator of

3969-557: The Potsdam Agreement . The Bohemian Germans' property was confiscated by the Czech authorities, and according to contemporary estimates, amounted to a third of the Czechoslovak national income. Germans who were valued for their skills were allowed to stay to pass on their knowledge to the Czech migrants. The expulsion severely depopulated the area and from then on, locales were referred to in only their Czech equivalents regardless of their previous demographic makeup. The resettlement of

4116-576: The Prussian Concordat of 1929 the prior exempt Bishopric of Breslau was elevated to the rank of archdiocese in 1930 and was henceforth known as the Archbishopric of Breslau , then supervising the Eastern German Ecclesiastical Province comprising Breslau proper and three suffragans , to wit the new diocese of Berlin , comprising the former Prince-Episcopal Delegation for Brandenburg and Pomerania ,

4263-688: The Sudetenland . The remainder of Czech territory became the Second Czechoslovak Republic and was subsequently occupied as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia until the end of World War II, after which Bohemia became part of the restored Czechoslovakia. In 1969, the Czech lands (including Bohemia) were given autonomy within Czechoslovakia as the Czech Socialist Republic . In 1990, the name

4410-451: The Treaty of Altranstädt , in 1707, the secularization came to an end, and the churches had to be returned. The Habsburg Emperor Joseph I endeavoured to repair the loss of these buildings to the Catholic faith by founding the so-called Josephine vicarships. The next prince-bishop, Philip, Count von Sinzendorf , Cardinal and Bishop of Győr (1732–1747), owed his elevation to the favour of

4557-404: The rector of Charles University and a prominent reformer and religious thinker, influenced the rise of modern Czech. During the ecumenical Council of Constance in 1415, Jan Hus was sentenced to be burnt at the stake as a heretic . The verdict was passed despite the fact that Hus was granted formal protection by Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg prior to the journey. Hus was invited to attend

Byczyna - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-626: The suffragan diocese of Berlin , except for its areas east of the Oder-Neisse line. However, the territory of the other suffragans and the Territorial Prelature of Schneidemühl/Piła had come under Polish or Soviet rule. Bohemia Bohemia ( / b oʊ ˈ h iː m i ə / boh- HEE -mee-ə ; Czech : Čechy [ˈtʃɛxɪ] ; German : Böhmen [ˈbøːmən] ; Upper Sorbian : Čěska [ˈtʃɪska] ; Silesian : Czechy )

4851-615: The 1960 and 2000 reforms). However, the three lands are mentioned in the preamble of the Constitution of the Czech Republic : "We, citizens of the Czech Republic in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia..." Bohemia had an area of 52,065 km (20,102 sq mi), and today is home to about 6.9 million of the Czech Republic's 10.9 million inhabitants. Bohemia was bordered in the south by Upper and Lower Austria (both in Austria ), in

4998-410: The 19th century, the town was still largely inhabited by Poles . After World War I and the rebirth of independent Poland, Germany introduced a number of restrictions, including a state of emergency , to hinder the self-organization of local Poles. In the interwar period the town remained part of Germany. In September 1939, Germany, invaded Poland also from Pitschen , sparking World War II . After

5145-562: The Bohemian aristocracy, started a campaign for restoration of the kingdom's historic rights, whereby Czech was to regain its historical role and replace German as the language of administration. The enlightened absolutism of Joseph II and Leopold II , who introduced minor language concessions, showed promise for the Czech movement, but many of these reforms were later rescinded. During the Revolution of 1848 , many Czech nationalists called for autonomy for Bohemia from Habsburg Austria, but

5292-621: The Bohemians could defeat the Bohemians." Despite an apparent victory for the Catholics, the Bohemian Utraquists were still strong enough to negotiate freedom of religion in 1436. That happened in the so-called Compacts of Basel , declaring peace and freedom between Catholics and Utraquists. It lasted for only a short period of time, as Pope Pius II declared the compacts to be invalid in 1462. In 1458, George of Poděbrady

5439-539: The Boii" as Pliny and Strabo called it ) as Boiohaemum . The earliest mention was by Tacitus ' Germania 28 (written at the end of the first century AD), and later mentions of the same name are in Strabo and Velleius Paterculus . The name appears to consist of the tribal name Boio- plus the Proto-Germanic noun * haimaz "home" (whence Gothic haims , German Heim , Heimat , English home ), indicating

5586-641: The Breslau diocesan area which from then on remained unchanged until 1922. Breslau diocese then included the bulk of the Catholic parishes in the Prussian Province of Silesia with the exception of Catholic parishes in the districts of Ratibor ( Racibórz ) and Leobschütz ( Głubczyce ), which until 1972 belonged to the Archdiocese of Olomouc , and Catholic parishes in the Prusso-Silesian County of Glatz (Kłodzko) , which were subject to

5733-878: The Breslau diocese, a cross-border bilateral bishopric since 1742 between – at last – Germany and Austro-Hungary, thus turned into a trilateral Czechoslovakian-German-Polish bishopric. Since 1770 the prince-bishop had appointed separate vicars general for the Bohemian (or Austrian, since 1918 partially Czechoslovakian and Polish, resp.) part of the diocese. Also the Dioceses of Hradec Králové and of Olomouc comprised cross-border diocesan territories in Czechoslovakian Bohemia and smaller parts in German Silesia (Hradec Kr. diocese: Bad Altheide , Glatz , Habelschwerdt and Neurode ; Olomouc archdiocese: Branitz , Katscher , Leobschütz and Owschütz ). So also

5880-622: The Catholic Church of Poland. On 16 July 1945 the archdiocesan chapter , still comprising nine members, elected the Polish-speaking Ferdinand Piontek as capitular vicar , whom the Gestapo had banned from Breslau in early February 1945. On his return to the town he was sworn in by the chapter on 23 July. On 12 August 1945 Cardinal August Hlond appeared and demanded Piontek to resign from his office for

6027-472: The Catholic Church those church buildings in the chief places of the principalities which had become the property of the sovereign through the extinction of vassal families. Until 1632 de facto rule was held in Warsaw by King Sigismund III and not by the bishop or archbishop. According to the terms of the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia , the remaining churches, 693 in number, of such territories were secularized in

Byczyna - Misplaced Pages Continue

6174-787: The Church and the State brought his labours in the Prussian part of his diocese to an end. He was deposed by the State and was obliged to leave Breslau and retire to the Austrian Silesian castle of Johannisberg where he died, 20 October 1881; he was buried in the cathedral at Breslau. Pope Leo XIII appointed as his successor in the disordered diocese Robert Herzog (1882–86), who had been Prince-Episcopal Delegate for Brandenburg and Pomerania and provost of St. Hedwig's in Berlin. Prince-Bishop Herzog made every endeavour to bring order out of

6321-663: The Church, and the return of peace did not fully restore him to favour. In 1766 he fled to the Austrian part of his diocese in order to avoid confinement in Oppeln ( Opole ), which the king had decreed against him. After this Frederick made it impossible for him to rule the Prussian part of his diocese, and until the death of the bishop this territory was ruled by vicars Apostolic . The former coadjutor of von Schaffgotsch, Joseph Christian, Prince von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein (1795–1817), succeeded him as bishop. During his episcopate

6468-594: The Czechoslovak part of the Archdiocese of Breslau ( Czech : Apoštolská administratura českotěšínská ), seated in Český Těšín , thus definitely divesting it from Breslau's jurisdiction. The East German Ecclesiastical Province of Breslau remained in existence de jure ; however, de facto this only applied to the archdiocesan territory in the Allied Occupation Zones in the remainder of German post-war territories. This also included big parts of

6615-523: The Czechoslovak part of the archdiocese. Bertram died on 6 July 1945 in Jánský Vrch castle in Czechoslovakia, supposedly due to the Polish demands upon him (an ethnic German, who, however, had pleaded for German-Polish reconciliation during the time of Piłsudski 's rule). Expelled, deported, German ex-Silesians from West Germany have since ca. 1946 entertained claims that Bertram was actually killed or brought near to death by Polish "imperialists" inside

6762-403: The Diocese of Wrocław, which, together with the Bishoprics of Kraków and Kołobrzeg , was placed under the Archbishopric of Gniezno in Greater Poland , founded by Otto in 1000 during the Congress of Gniezno . The first Bishop of Wrocław is said to have been named Jan , but nothing more than this is known of him, nor is there extant any official document giving the boundaries of the diocese at

6909-404: The German minority and small part of the aristocracy proclaimed their loyalty to the centralist Constitution (so-called "Verfassungstreue"). After the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Hungarian politicians achieved the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 , ostensibly creating equality between the Austrian and Hungarian halves of the empire. An attempt by the Czechs to create

7056-525: The Helvetii and Boii left southern Germany and Bohemia a lightly inhabited "desert" into which Suebic peoples arrived, speaking Germanic languages, and became dominant over remaining Celtic groups. To the south, over the Danube, the Romans extended their empire, and to the southeast, in present-day Hungary, were Dacian peoples. In the area of modern Bohemia, the Marcomanni and other Suebic groups were led by their king, Marobodus , after they had suffered defeat to Roman forces in Germany. He took advantage of

7203-402: The Holy See disentangled the Catholic parishes in the new voivodeship from the Breslau diocese and subordinated them to an Apostolic Administrator on 17 December the same year. On 28 October 1925 Pope Pius XI elevated that apostolic administration to the new diocese of Katowice with Bishop August Hlond , then a suffragan of Kraków , by the papal Bull Vixdum Poloniae Unitas . According to

7350-457: The Hussite armies, he used innovative tactics and weapons, such as howitzers, pistols, and fortified wagons, which were revolutionary for the time, and established Žižka as a great general who never lost a battle. After Žižka's death, Prokop the Great took over the command for the army, and under his lead the Hussites were victorious for another ten years, to the sheer terror of Europe. The Hussite cause gradually splintered into two main factions,

7497-601: The Ilag IV camp for interned civilians from western Allied countries in the region. There were also 17 subcamps of the Flossenbürg concentration camp , in which both men and women, mostly Polish , Soviet and Jewish, but also French, Yugoslav, Czech, Romani and of several other ethnicities, were imprisoned and subjected to forced labor , and 16 subcamps of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp , in which men and women, mostly Polish and Jewish, but also Czechs, Russians, and other people, were similarly imprisoned and subjected to forced labor. Any open opposition to German occupation

SECTION 50

#1732781043033

7644-461: The Kingdom of the Marcomanni, concerning a queen named Fritigil , is from the fourth century, and she was thought to have lived in or near Pannonia. The Suebian Langobardi , who moved over many generations from the Baltic Sea , via the Elbe and Pannonia to Italy, recorded in a tribal history a time spent in "Bainaib". After the Migration Period , Bohemia was partially repopulated around the sixth century, and eventually Slavic tribes arrived from

7791-414: The Moravian Empire resulted in the extensive Christianization of the population . A native monarchy arose to the throne, and Bohemia came under the rule of the Přemyslid dynasty , which would rule the Czech lands for the next several hundred years. The Přemyslids secured their frontiers after the collapse of the Moravian state by entering into a state of semivassalage to the Frankish rulers . The alliance

7938-464: The Oder – belonged, therefore, to the Diocese of Poznań , which was suffragan to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg . This part of Silesia was thus under the jurisdiction of a priest named Jordan who was appointed first Bishop of Poznań in 968. The part of Silesia lying on the left bank of the Oder belonged to the territory included in then Bohemia , and was consequently within the diocesan jurisdiction of Prague . The Bishopric of Prague , founded in 973,

8085-407: The Poles and Czechs regained independence, and the Duchy of Teschen , until 1918 politically an Austro- Bohemian fief and ecclesiastically a part of the Breslau diocese, was politically divided into a Czechoslovakian western and a Polish eastern part ( Cieszyn/Těšín Silesia ), even dividing its capital into Czech Těšín and Polish Cieszyn . However, the ecclesiastical affiliation remained unchanged,

8232-419: The Polish party in the cathedral chapter . His maintenance of the prerogatives of the Church brought him, also, into conflict with the temporal rulers of Silesia; in 1296 he called a synod for the defence of these rights. In the election of Henry of Wierzbna (1302–19), the German party in the cathedral chapter won, but this victory cost the new bishop the enmity of the opposing faction. He was made guardian of

8379-585: The Pope. After the death of King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia in the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria became the new king of Bohemia, and the country became a constituent state of the Habsburg monarchy . From 1599 to 1711, Moravia (a Land of the Bohemian Crown ) was frequently subjected to raids by the Ottoman Empire and its vassals (especially the Tatars and Transylvania ). Overall, hundreds of thousands were enslaved whilst tens of thousands were killed. Bohemia enjoyed religious freedom between 1436 and 1620 and became one of

8526-451: The Roman Catholic parishes in Czechoslovakian Těšín Silesia remained part of Breslau diocese. Following the German–Polish Convention regarding Upper Silesia , signed in Geneva on 15 May 1922, also eastern Upper Silesia was transferred from Weimar Germany to the Second Polish Republic on 20 June the same year and formed together with the Polish Cieszyn Silesia part of the new Polish Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship . On 7 November 1922

8673-410: The Silesian County of Glatz within the Diocese of Hradec Králové. The new prince-bishop, who was 79 years old, lived only a year after his appointment. His successor was Melchior, Freiherr von Diepenbrock (1845–53). This episcopate was the beginning of a new religious and ecclesiastical life in the diocese. During the revolutionary period the prince-bishop not only maintained order in his see, which

8820-489: The Slovak lands became the separate Slovak Republic , a puppet state of Nazi Germany. From 1939 to 1945, Bohemia (without the Sudetenland), together with Moravia, formed the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia . During World War II , the Germans operated the Theresienstadt Ghetto for Jews, the Dulag Luft Ost, Stalag IV-C and Stalag 359 prisoner-of-war camps for French , British, Belgian, Serbian, Dutch, Slovak, Soviet, Romanian, Italian and other Allied POWs, and

8967-482: The Winter Queen or Queen of Hearts, was the daughter of King James I of England and VI of Scotland . After Frederick's defeat in the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, 27 Bohemian estates leaders together with Jan Jesenius , rector of the Charles University of Prague, were executed on the Prague's Old Town Square on 21 June 1621, and the rest were exiled from the country; their lands were then given to Catholic loyalists (mostly of Bavarian and Saxon origin). That ended

SECTION 60

#1732781043033

9114-401: The acuteness to perceive the inimical intent of the king's scheme, nor sufficient decision of character to withstand it. The king desired to secure a successor to Sinzendorf who would be under royal influence. In utter disregard of the principles of the Church, and heedless of the protests of the cathedral chapter, he presented Count Philipp Gotthard von Schaffgotsch as coadjutor-bishop. After

9261-446: The altars of the Catholic Church. After Tomasz I, Ladislaus , a grandson of Saint Hedwig, and Archbishop of Salzburg , was Administrator of the Diocese of Wrocław until his death in 1270. He was followed by Tomasz II Zaremba (1270–92), who was involved for years in a violent dispute with Duke Henryk IV Probus as to the prerogatives of the Church in Silesia. In 1287 a reconciliation was effected between them at Regensburg , and in 1288

9408-543: The archdiocesan territory east of the Oder-Neisse line , claiming to act on the authority of papal mandates, however, only applying to the pre-war territory of Poland. So Piontek – not knowing of the restricted mandate – resigned for the Polish-held parts of the Archdiocese, but not for the remaining parts in Czechoslovakia and Allied occupied Germany. Hlond divided the Polish-held area of the ecclesiastical province into four apostolic administrations of Gorzów Wielkopolski , Olsztyn , Opole , and Wrocław proper and appointed

9555-431: The area during the sixth or seventh century AD. Bohemia, like neighboring Bavaria , is named after the Boii , a large Celtic nation known to the Romans for their migrations and settlement in northern Italy and other places. Another part of the nation moved west with the Helvetii into southern France, which was one of the events leading to the interventions of Julius Caesar's Gaulish campaign of 58 BC. The emigration of

9702-404: The assemblies of the nobles and at the meetings of the diet, the bishops and the deputies of the cathedral chapter were, as a rule, the only Catholics against a large and powerful majority on the side of Protestantism. The Habsburg suzerains, who lived far from Silesia (in Vienna or Prague), and who were constantly preoccupied by the danger of a Turkish invasion , were not in a position to enforce

9849-412: The beginning of substantial German immigration, as the court sought to replace losses from the brief Mongol invasion of Europe in 1241. Germans settled primarily along the northern, western, and southern borders of Bohemia, although many lived in towns throughout the kingdom. The House of Luxembourg accepted the invitation to the Bohemian throne with the marriage to the Přemyslid heiress, Elizabeth and

9996-427: The bishop took active measures in regard to church discipline. As coadjutor, he had selected a Swabian , Johann IV Roth , Bishop of Lavant , a man of humanistic training. Urged by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary , to whom Silesia was then subject, the cathedral chapter, somewhat unwillingly, chose the coadjutor as bishop (1482–1506). His episcopate was marked by violent quarrels with the cathedral chapter. But at

10143-435: The castle of Milicz which belonged to the cathedral chapter. The bishop excommunicated the king and those members of the Council of Wrocław who sided with him. On account of this he was obliged to flee from Breslau and take refuge in Nysa , where he died. Przecław of Pogorzela (1341–1376) was elected bishop while pursuing his studies at Bologna , and was consecrated bishop at Avignon . Through his friendship with Charles,

10290-481: The cathedral chapter requested his transfer from the small Diocese of Lavant in Carinthia , after he had confirmed their privileges. From this time these privileges were called "the Rudolfian statutes". Under his leadership the party opposed to Podebrady obtained the victory, and Rudolf proceeded at once to repair the damage which had been occasioned to the Church during this strife; mortgaged church lands were redeemed; in 1473 and 1475 diocesan synods were held, at which

10437-600: The cease-fire agreement, did not support Bohemian German self-defense, while the Czechoslovak army, having status of an Entente army, could freely operate. The absorption of the German-speaking areas in Czechoslovakia was hence a fait accompli . As a result, the totality of Bohemia (as the largest and most populous land) became the core of the newly formed country of Czechoslovakia , which combined Bohemia, Moravia , Czech Silesia , Upper Hungary (present-day Slovakia ) and Carpathian Ruthenia into one state. Under its first president, Tomáš Masaryk , Czechoslovakia became

10584-415: The communists and their Soviet protectors in many of the state's institutions. Gottwald and the communists responded with a coup d'état and installed a pro-Soviet authoritarian state. In 1949, Bohemia ceased to be an administrative unit of Czechoslovakia, as the country was divided into administrative regions that did not follow the historical borders. In 1989, Agnes of Bohemia became the first saint from

10731-456: The confusion into which the quarrel with the State during the immediately preceding years had thrown the affairs of the diocese. His episcopate was but of short duration; he died after a long illness, 26 December 1886. The Holy See appointed as his successor a man who had done much to allay the strife between Church and State, the Bishop of Fulda , Georg Kopp . He was transferred from Fulda to Breslau and installed 20 October 1887; later created

10878-515: The conversion of Duke Mieszko I of Poland and the conquest of Silesia, the work of bringing the people to the new faith went on more rapidly. Up to about the year 1000 Silesia had no bishop of its own, but was united with neighbouring dioceses. The upper part of the Oder River formed the boundary of the Kingdom of Poland . All the territory which is now Silesia – lying on the right-hand bank of

11025-471: The council to defend himself and the Czech positions in the religious court, but with the emperor's approval, he was executed on 6 July 1415. The execution of Hus, as well as five consecutive papal crusades against followers of Hus, forced the Bohemians to defend themselves in the Hussite Wars . The uprising against imperial forces was led by a former mercenary, Jan Žižka of Trocnov. As the leader of

11172-490: The country against hostile incursions. In 1435 the bishop issued a decree of which the chief intent was to close the prebends in the diocese of Wrocław to "foreigners", and thus prevent the Poles from obtaining these offices. The effort to shut out the Polish element and to loosen the connection with Gniezno was not a momentary one; it continued, and led gradually to a virtual separation from the Polish archdiocese some time before

11319-494: The crowning subsequent of John I of Bohemia (in the Czech Republic known as Jan Lucemburský ) in 1310. His son, Charles IV , became King of Bohemia in 1346. He founded Charles University in Prague , Central Europe's first university, two years later. His reign brought Bohemia to its peak both politically and in total area, resulting in his being the first king of Bohemia to also be elected as Holy Roman Emperor . Under his rule,

11466-534: The cultivation of waste lands. This introduction of German settlers by the bishop was in accordance with the example set by Duke Henry the Bearded and Duchess consort St. Hedwig. The monasteries of the Augustinian Canons , Premonstratensians and Cistercians took an active part in carrying out the schemes of the rulers by placing great numbers of Germans, especially Thuringians and Franconians , on

11613-458: The death of Cardinal Sinzendorf the king succeeded in the placement of Schaffgotsch as Bishop of Breslau (1748–95). Although the method of his elevation caused the new bishop to be regarded with suspicion by many strict Catholics, he was zealous in the fulfilment of his duties. During the Seven Years' War he fell into discredit with Frederick on account of his firm maintenance of the rights of

11760-405: The defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, Byczyna was reintegrated with Poland. See twin towns of Gmina Byczyna . Bishopric of Wroc%C5%82aw The Archdiocese of Wrocław ( Polish : Archidiecezja wrocławska ; German : Erzbistum Breslau ; Czech : Arcidiecéze vratislavská ; Latin : Archidioecesis Vratislaviensis ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of

11907-625: The definition, in the Pragmatic Sanction of 1699, of the extent of the jurisdiction of the vicariate-general and the consistory. In 1675, upon the death of the last reigning Piast duke, the Silesian Duchy of Legnica-Brzeg-Wołów lapsed to the emperor, and a new secularization of the churches begun. But when King Charles XII of Sweden secured for the Protestants the right to their former possessions in these territories, by

12054-556: The demand of Pope Gregory XVI , he resigned his see in 1840. He went afterwards to Berlin, where he was made a privy-councillor, and where he became a Protestant in 1862. In 1871 he died in Berlin and was buried in the Protestant cemetery in Rankau (today's Ręków, a part of Sobótka ). The dean of the cathedral, Dr. Ritter, administered the diocese for several years until the election of Joseph Knauer (1843–44), earlier Grand Dean of

12201-474: The diocesan finances into a better condition and in redeeming the greater part of the church lands which his predecessor had been obliged to mortgage. At the diocesan synod of 1454 he endeavoured to suppress the abuses that had arisen in the diocese. Jošt of Rožmberk (1456–67) was a Bohemian nobleman and Grand Prior of the Knights of St. John . His love of peace made his position a very difficult one during

12348-542: The diocese also becoming called the Bishopric of Breslau. Tomasz's defence of the rights of the Church involved him in bitter conflicts with Duke Bolesław II the Horned . Tomasz began the construction of the present cathedral, the chancel being the first part erected. St. Hedwig died during his episcopate; and he lived until the process of her canonization was completed, but died before the final solemnity of her elevation to

12495-492: The diocese did not fall into spiritual ruin. The chapter was the willing assistant of the bishops in the reform of the diocese. Martin of Gerstmann (1574–85) began the renovation of the diocese, and the special means by which he hoped to attain the desired end were: the founding of a seminary for clerics, visitations of the diocese, diocesan synods, and the introduction of the Jesuits. His successor, Andreas von Jerin (1585–96),

12642-468: The diocese possessed, as episcopal institutions for the training of the clergy, 5 preparatory seminaries for boys, 1 home (recently much enlarged) for theological students attending the university, and 1 seminary for priests in Breslau. The statistics of the houses of the religious orders in the dioceses were as follows: In the above-mentioned monastic houses for men there were 512 religious; in those for women, 5,208 religious. After World War I ,

12789-574: The duke founded the collegiate church of the Holy Cross at Wrocław. Before his death, on the Eve of St. John in 1290, the duke confirmed the rights of the Church to sovereignty over the territories of Nysa and Otmuchów. Tomasz II consecrated the high altar of the cathedral; he was present at the First Council of Lyon (1274) and in 1279 held a diocesan synod. Jan III Romka (1292–1301), belonged to

12936-704: The early Middle Ages , two new Suebic groupings appeared to the west of Bohemia in southern Germany, the Alemanni (in the Helvetian desert), and the Bavarians ( Baiuvarii ). Many Suebic tribes from the Bohemian region took part in such movements westwards, even settling as far away as Spain and Portugal. With them were also tribes who had pushed from the east, such as the Vandals , and Alans . Other groups pushed southwards towards Pannonia . The last known mention of

13083-482: The early 9th century, but became dominant only much later, in the 10th or 11th century. The 9th century was crucial for the future of Bohemia. The manorial system sharply declined, as it did in Bavaria. The influence of the central Fraganeo-Czechs grew, as a result of the important cultic center in their territory. They were Slavic-speaking, thus contributed to the transformation of diverse neighboring populations into

13230-469: The east, and their language began to replace the older Germanic, Celtic, and Sarmatian ones. These are precursors of today's Czechs, but the exact amount of Slavic immigration is a subject of debate. The Slavic influx was divided into two or three waves. The first wave came from the southeast and east, when the Germanic Lombards left Bohemia ( circa 568 AD). Soon after, from the 630s to 660s,

13377-406: The edicts which they issued for the protection of the Church. The Silesian clergy had in great measure lost their high concept of the priestly office, although there were honourable exceptions. Among those faithful were the majority of the canons of the cathedral of Breslau; they distinguished themselves not only by their learning, but also by their religious zeal. It was in the main due to them that

13524-428: The emperor, as legate at various times. Bonaventura Hahn, elected in 1596 as the successor of Andreas von Jerin, was not recognized by the emperor and was obliged to resign his position. The candidate of the emperor, Paul Albert (1599–1600), occupied the see only one year. Johann VI (1600–8), a member of a noble family of Silesia named von Sitsch, took more severe measures than his predecessors against Protestantism, in

13671-552: The emperor. During his episcopate, the greater part of the diocese was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the Silesian Wars . King Frederick II of Prussia desired to erect a "Catholic Vicariate" at Berlin, to be the highest spiritual authority for the Catholics of Prussia. This would have been in reality a separation from Rome, and the project failed through the opposition of the Holy See. Bishop Sinzendorf had neither

13818-487: The episcopate of Bishop Walter (1149–69) the history of the diocese of Wrocław begins to grow clearer. Pope Adrian IV , at Walter's request in 1155, took the bishopric under his protection and confirmed to it the territorial possessions of which a list had been submitted to him. Among the rights which the Pope then confirmed was that of jurisdiction over the lands belonging to the castle of Otmuchów , which had been regarded as

13965-608: The exception of the districts of Bütow ( Bytów ) and Lauenburg (Pommern) ( Lębork ), until 1922 both part of the Diocese of Culm/Chełmno , the rest of Brandenburg and Pomerania province were, since 1821, supervised by the Prince-Episcopal Delegation for Brandenburg and Pomerania . Schimonsky retained for himself and his successors the title of prince-bishop, although the episcopal rule in the Principality of Neisse had ended by its secularization. However,

14112-525: The fierce ecclesiastic-political contention that raged between the Hussite King of Bohemia, George of Poděbrady , and the people of Breslau, who had taken sides with the German party. Jodokus was followed by a bishop from the region of the Rhine , Rudolf of Rüdesheim (1468–82). As papal legate , Rudolf had become popular in Breslau through his energetic opposition to George of Podebrady; for this reason

14259-435: The formal separation took place. The troubles of the times brought the bishop and the diocese into serious pecuniary difficulties, and in 1444 Konrad resigned, but his resignation was not accepted and he resumed his office. In 1446 he held a diocesan synod and died in the following year. Konrad's successor was the provost of the cathedral of Wrocław, Peter II Nowak (1447–56). By wise economy Bishop Peter succeeded in bringing

14406-416: The formerly German-settled areas allowed many poorer people to acquire property, thus "equalizing" Czechoslovak society. The Communist Party won the most votes in free elections, but not a simple majority . Klement Gottwald , the communist leader, became prime minister of a coalition government. In February 1948, the non-communist members of the government resigned in protest against arbitrary measures by

14553-556: The formerly exempt Diocese of Ermland (Warmia) , and the new Territorial Prelature of Schneidemühl (Piła). After World War II , the city of Breslau became part of Poland under its historic Polish name Wrocław. On 21 June 1945, the Archbishop , Cardinal Adolf Bertram , while staying in the episcopal castle of Jánský Vrch in Czechoslovak Javorník , appointed František Onderek (1888–1962) as vicar general for

14700-510: The founding of the Cistercian monastery of Lubusz by Duke Bolesław I the Tall . In 1180 Żyrosław took part in the national assembly at Łęczyca at which laws for the protection of the Church and its property were promulgated. Jarosław (1198–1201), the oldest son of Duke Bolesław, and Duke of Opole , was the first prince to become Bishop of Wrocław (see prince-bishop ). Cyprian (1201–7)

14847-539: The hope of checking it, especially in the episcopal principality of Neisse-Grottkau. Bishop Charles (1608–24), an Archduke of Austria, had greater success than his predecessor after the first period of the Thirty Years' War had taken a turn favourable to Austria and the Catholic party. Charles wanted to move under protection of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , hoping to avoid participation in

14994-442: The injuries inflicted. For several years after Schimonsky's death the see remained vacant. It was eventually filled by the election, through government influence, of Count Leopold von Sedlnitzky (1836–40). Prince-Bishop von Sedlnitzky was neither clear nor firm in his maintenance of the doctrines of the Church; on the question of mixed marriages , which had become one of great importance, he took an undecided position. At last, upon

15141-591: The lands, amounting to a third of Bohemia, where they formed the majority. After World War I , the German Bohemians demanded that the regions with German-speaking majority be included in a German state . Czech political leaders however claimed the entire Bohemian lands, including majority German-speaking areas, for Czechoslovakia. By the end of October, bilingual towns had been occupied by Czech forces. By end of November, many purely German-speaking towns had been occupied. German or Austrian troops, bound by

15288-464: The large estates that had been granted them. One of the most noted bishops of the diocese, Tomasz I (1232–68), continued the work of German colonization with so much energy that even the first Mongol invasion of Poland (1241) made but a temporary break in the process. As German colonization in Silesia increased, the city of Wrocław began to be also known by the Germanized name of Breslau, leading to

15435-412: The members of the ruling families resulted in a condition of weakness that resulted in dependence on a stronger neighbour, and parts of Silesia thus came under the control of Bohemia (first between 1289 and 1306; definitely from 1327 onwards), which itself was part of the Holy Roman Empire . A quarrel broke out between Bishop Nanker and the suzerain of Silesia, King John I of Bohemia , when the king seized

15582-532: The moderate Utraquists and the more fanatic Taborites . The Utraquists began to lay the groundwork for an agreement with the Catholic Church and found the more radical views of the Taborites distasteful. Additionally, with general war-weariness and yearning for order, the Utraquists were able to eventually defeat the Taborites in the Battle of Lipany in 1434. Sigismund said after the battle that "only

15729-495: The most liberal countries of the Christian world during that period. In 1609, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II , who made Prague again the capital of the empire at the time, himself a Roman Catholic, was moved by the Bohemian nobility to publish Maiestas Rudolphina , which confirmed the older Confessio Bohemica of 1575. After Emperor Matthias II and then King of Bohemia Ferdinand II (later Holy Roman Emperor) began oppressing

15876-463: The mountainous regions of the Sudetes . In the mining town of Sankt Joachimsthal (now Jáchymov ), famous coins called Joachimsthalers were coined, which gave their name to the thaler and the dollar . Meanwhile, Prague German intermediated between Upper German and East Central German , influencing the foundations of modern standard German. At the same time and place, the teachings of Jan Hus ,

16023-469: The names of the Bishops of Wrocław for the next half century are unknown. Casimir I , the son of Mieszko, and his mother were driven out of the country, but through German aid they returned and the affairs of the Church were brought into better order. A Bishop of Wrocław from probably 1051 to 1062 was Hieronymus, said by later tradition to have been a Roman nobleman. He was followed by John (1062–72), who

16170-523: The natural defenses provided by its mountains and forests. They were able to maintain a strong alliance with neighboring tribes, including (at different times) the Lugii , Quadi , Hermunduri , Semnones , and Buri , which was sometimes partly controlled by the Roman Empire and sometimes in conflict with it; for example, in the second century, they fought Marcus Aurelius . In late classical times and

16317-535: The news, Władysław and Charles left Silesia in a hurry and on 7 October 1619 arrived in Warsaw. In December 1619, young Władysław's brother, Prince Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Opole , was chosen by Charles as auxiliary bishop of Wrocław, which was confirmed by the Polish episcopate. The Battle of the White Mountain (1620) broke the revolt in Bohemian Crown (i.e. including the opposition of the Protestants of Silesia). The Bishopric of Breslau (Wrocław) returned to

16464-472: The patrimony of the diocese from its foundation. In 1163 the sons of the exiled Polish duke Władysław returned from the Empire and, through the intervention of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa , received as an independent duchy the part of Silesia which was included at that date in the see of Wrocław. Bishop Walter built a new, massively constructed cathedral, in which he was buried. Żyrosław II (1170–98) encouraged

16611-509: The performance of his duties. He carried on the construction of the cathedral, and in 1305 and 1316 held diocesan synods. The office of Auxiliary Bishop of Wrocław dates from his episcopate. After his death a divided vote led to a vacancy of the see. The two candidates, Wit and Lutold, elected by the opposing factions, finally resigned, and Pope John XXII transferred Nanker of Kraków to Wrocław (1326–41). The constant division and subdivision of Silesian territory into small principalities for

16758-492: The pro-reformation movement in Bohemia and also ended the role of Prague as ruling city of the Holy Roman Empire. In the so-called "renewed constitution" of 1627, German was established as a second official language in the Czech lands. Czech formally remained the first language in the kingdom, but both German and Latin were widely spoken among the ruling classes, although German became increasingly dominant, and Czech

16905-530: The rank of prince-bishop later included the ex officio membership in the Prussian House of Lords (since 1854) and in the Austrian House of Lords (since 1861). Schimonsky combatted the rationalistic tendencies which were rife among his clergy in regard to celibacy and the use of Latin in the church services and ceremonies. During the episcopate of his predecessor the government had promulgated

17052-479: The red cap and violet almutium of the canons he substituted the red mozzetta . He was buried in a beautiful chapel which he had added to the cathedral in honour of his ancestress, St. Elizabeth of Thuringia. After his death the chapter presented Carl von Liechtenstein, Bishop of Olomouc, for confirmation. Their choice was opposed by the emperor, whose candidate was the Count Palatine Wolfgang of

17199-500: The region. In May 1945, Allied American , Polish, Czechoslovak , Soviet and Romanian troops captured the region, which was then restored to Czechoslovakia. After the war ended in 1945, after initial plans to cede lands to Germany or to create German-speaking cantons had been abandoned, the vast majority of the Bohemian Germans were expelled by the order of the re-established Czechoslovak central government, based on

17346-409: The revolutionaries were defeated. At the same time, German-speaking towns elected representatives for the first German Parliament at Frankfurt . Towns between Karlsbad and Reichenberg chose leftist representatives, while Eger , Rumburg , and Troppau elected conservative representatives. The old Bohemian Diet, one of the last remnants of the independence, was dissolved, although Czech experienced

17493-564: The right of inheritance in the territory under his dominion by promulgating the church decree called "Wenceslaus' law". Resigning his bishopric in 1417, Wenceslaus died in 1419. The episcopate of Konrad IV the Elder , Duke of Oleśnica , the next bishop (1417–47), was a trying time for Silesia during the Hussite wars . Konrad was placed at the head of the Silesian confederation formed to defend

17640-600: The rights of Protestants in Bohemia, the resulting Bohemian Revolt led to outbreak of the Thirty Years' War in 1618. Elector Frederick V of the Electorate of the Palatinate , a Calvinist Protestant, was elected by the Bohemian nobility to replace Ferdinand on the Bohemian throne and was known as the Winter King. Frederick's wife, the popular Elizabeth Stuart and subsequently, Elizabeth of Bohemia, known as

17787-628: The rule of the Archbishopric of Gniezno in 1620, having before been practically independent. Bishop Charles began the restoration of the principality of Neisse (Nysa) to the Catholic faith. The work was completed by his successor, Charles Ferdinand, Prince of Poland (1625–55), who spent most of his time in his own country, but appointed excellent administrators for the diocese, such as the Coadjutor-Bishop Liesch von Hornau, and Archdeacon Gebauer. Imperial commissioners gave back to

17934-469: The ruling family of Pfalz-Neuburg . Count Wolfgang died, and his brother Francis Louis (1683–1732) was made bishop. The new ruler of the diocese was at the same time Bishop of Worms , Grand Master of the Teutonic Order , Provost of Ellwangen and Elector of Trier , and later was made Elector of Mainz . He separated the ecclesiastical administration and that of the civil tribunals, and obtained

18081-409: The same time he was a promoter of art and learning, and strict in his conception of church rights and duties. He endeavoured to improve the spiritual life of the diocese by holding a number of synods. Before he died the famous worker in bronze, Peter Vischer of Nuremberg , cast his monument, the most beautiful bishop's tomb in Silesia. His coadjutor with right of succession was John V Thurzó (1506–20),

18228-612: The son of King John, he was soon able to settle the discord that had arisen under his predecessor. The diocese prospered greatly under his rule. He bought the Duchy of Grodków from Duke Bolesław III the Generous and added it to the episcopal territory of Nysa. The Bishops of Wrocław had, therefore, after this the titles of Prince of Nysa and Duke of Grodków, and took precedence over the other Silesian rulers who held principalities in fief. Emperor Charles IV wished to separate Wrocław from

18375-593: The temporal power of the Bishops of Breslau came to an end through the secularization, in 1810, of the church estates in Prussian Silesia – only the estates in Austrian Silesia remained to the see. The cathedral foundation, eight collegiate foundations, and over eighty monasteries were suppressed, and their property confiscated. Only those monastic institutions which were occupied with teaching or nursing were allowed to exist. Bishop Joseph Christian

18522-606: The territory was taken by Samo 's tribal confederation. His death marked the end of the old "Slavonic" confederation, the second attempt to establish such a Slavonic union after Carantania in Carinthia . Other sources ( Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii , Bavaria, 800–850) divide the population of Bohemia into the Merehani, Marharaii, Beheimare (Bohemani), and Fraganeo. (The suffix -ani or -ni means "people of-"). Christianity first appeared in

18669-487: The time of its erection. However, they are defined in the Bulls of approval and protection issued by Pope Adrian IV , 23 April 1155, and by Pope Innocent IV , 9 August 1245. The powerful Polish ruler Bolesław I was succeeded by his son Mieszko II Lambert , who had but a short reign. After his death a revolt against Christianity and the reigning family broke out, the new Church organization of Poland disappeared from view, and

18816-482: The troubles of his distracted diocese, but later in his episcopate his attitude towards Lutheranism and his slackness in defending church rights gave great offence to those who had remained true to the Faith. These circumstances make the advance of Protestantism easy to understand. At the same time it must be remembered that the bishops, although also secular rulers, had a difficult position in regard to spiritual matters. At

18963-510: The two offices of provost and dean, and had 10 regular, and 6 honorary, canons. The prince-bishopric was divided into 11 commissariates and 99 archipresbyterates , in which there were 992 cures of various kinds (parishes, curacies, and stations), with 935 parish churches and 633 dependent and mother-churches. Besides the theological faculty of the Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Breslau,

19110-488: The war which was ravaging the Holy Roman Empire. As Charles's bishopric was nominally subordinated to the Polish Archbishopric of Gniezno, he asked the Archbishop of Gniezno for mediation in talks with King Sigismund III Vasa of Poland about protection and subordination of his bishopric. In May 1619, Prince Władysław (the future King Władysław IV Vasa ), invited by his uncle Charles, left Warsaw and started

19257-892: The west by Bavaria (in Germany ), and in the north by Saxony and Lusatia (in Germany and Poland , respectively), in the northeast by Silesia (in Poland), and in the east by Moravia (also part of the Czech Republic). Bohemia's borders were mostly marked by mountain ranges such as the Bohemian Forest , the Ore Mountains , and the Giant Mountains ; the Bohemian-Moravian border roughly follows

19404-452: The work of reorganization with still greater success than before. Frederick of Hesse-Darmstadt , Cardinal and Grand Prior of the Order of St. John , was the next Bishop of Breslau (1671–82). The new bishop was of Protestant origin but had become a Catholic at Rome. Under his administration the rehabilitation of the diocese went on. He beautified the cathedral and elaborated its services. For

19551-425: The years 1653, 1654, and 1668. This led to a complete reorganization of the diocese. The person who effected it was Sebastian of Rostock, a man of humble birth who was vicar-general and administrator of the diocese under the bishops Archduke Leopold Wilhelm (1656–62) and Archduke Charles Joseph (1663–64), neither of whom lived in the territory of Breslau. After Sebastian of Rostock became bishop (1664–71) he carried on

19698-508: The youthful Dukes of Wrocław, and this appointment, together with the factional disputes, led to the bringing of grave accusations against him. The researches of more recent times have proved the groundlessness of these attacks. He was kept in Avignon a number of years by a suit before the Curia which was finally settled in his favour. Notwithstanding the troubles of his life he was energetic in

19845-703: Was brutally suppressed by the Nazi authorities, and many Czech patriots were executed as a result. In 1942, the Czechoslovak resistance carried out the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich , and in reprisal German forces murdered the population of a whole village, Lidice . In the spring of 1945, death marches of prisoners of several subcamps of the Flossenbürg, Gross-Rosen and Buchenwald concentration camps in Saxony and Silesia, and Allied POWs from camps in Austria reached

19992-414: Was changed to the Czech Republic , which became a separate state in 1993 with the breakup of Czechoslovakia . Until 1948, Bohemia was an administrative unit of Czechoslovakia as one of its "lands" ( země ). Since then, administrative reforms have replaced self-governing lands with a modified system of "regions" ( kraje ), which do not follow the borders of the historical Czech lands (or the regions from

20139-464: Was elected as king of Poland, and Sigismund III Vasa who also was elected as king, on January 24, 1588. Maximilian was defeated. He surrendered and went to imprisonment. The German author Gustav Freytag reports in his memories about yearly border violations at Byczyna. During the Thirty Years' War the town was occupied by the Saxons in 1633 and Swedes in 1646. In the 16th century, a Polish school

20286-526: Was elected to ascend to the Bohemian throne. He is remembered for his attempt to set up a pan-European "Christian League", which would form all the states of Europe into a community based on religion. In the process of negotiating, he appointed Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál to tour the European courts and to conduct the talks. However, the negotiations were not completed because George's position was substantially damaged over time by his deteriorating relationship with

20433-465: Was established, which flourished in the 17th century, and from 1657 to 1661 its rector was Byczyna-born Polish scholar and translator John Herbinius . After the Prussian annexation in 1742, Byczyna, under the Germanized name Pitschen , entered a period of Germanisation , and the local school slowly diminished. In 1757 the town suffered the largest fire in its history. Despite those circumstances, in

20580-548: Was facilitated by Bohemia's conversion to Christianity, in the 9th century. Continuing close relations were developed with the East Frankish Kingdom , which devolved from the Carolingian Empire , into East Francia , eventually becoming the Holy Roman Empire . After a decisive victory of the Holy Roman Empire and Bohemia over invading Magyars in the 955 Battle of Lechfeld , Boleslaus I of Bohemia

20727-537: Was granted the Moravia by German emperor Otto the Great . Bohemia would remain a largely autonomous state under the Holy Roman Empire for several decades. The jurisdiction of the Holy Roman Empire was definitively reasserted when Jaromír of Bohemia was granted fief of the Kingdom of Bohemia by Emperor King Henry II of the Holy Roman Empire, with the promise that he hold it as a vassal once he reoccupied Prague with

20874-539: Was in a state of ferment, but was also a supporter of the government. He received unusual honours from the king and was made a cardinal by the Pope. He died 20 January 1853, at the Johannisberg ( Jánský Vrch ) castle and was buried in the Breslau cathedral. His successor, Heinrich Förster (1853–81), carried on his work and completed it. Prince-Bishop Förster gave generous aid to the founding of churches, monastic institutions, and schools. The strife that arose between

21021-473: Was originally Abbot of the Premonstratensian monastery of St. Vincent near Wrocław, then Bishop of Lubusz , and afterwards Bishop of Wrocław. During Cyprian's episcopate Duke Heinrich I and his wife, St. Hedwig , founded the Cistercian convent at Trzebnica . The episcopate of Bishop Wawrzyniec (1207–32) was marked by his efforts to bring colonies of Germans into the church territories, to effect

21168-807: Was spoken in much of the countryside. The formal independence of Bohemia was further jeopardized when the Bohemian Diet approved administrative reform in 1749. It included the indivisibility of the Habsburg Empire and the centralization of rule, which essentially meant the merging of the Royal Bohemian Chancellery with the Austrian Chancellery. At the end of the 18th century, the Czech National Revival movement, in cooperation with part of

21315-499: Was succeeded by Piotr I (1071–1111). During the episcopate of Piotr I, Count Piotr Włostowic entered upon the work of founding churches and monasteries which has preserved his name. Petrus was followed by: Żyrosław I (1112–20); Heymo (1120–26), who welcomed Otto of Bamberg to Wrocław in May 1124 when the saint was on his missionary journey to Pomerania; Robert I (1127–42), who was Bishop of Kraków ; Robert II (1142–46); and Janik (1146–49), who became Archbishop of Gniezno. With

21462-469: Was succeeded by his coadjutor, Emmanuel von Schimonsky. The affairs of the Catholic Church in Prussia had been brought into order by the Bull "De salute animarum", issued in 1821. Under its provisions the cathedral chapter elected Schimonsky, who had been administrator of the diocese, as Prince-Bishop of Breslau (1824–1832). The bull disentangled Breslau diocese from Gniezno ecclesiastical province and made Breslau an exempt bishopric. The bull also reconfined

21609-514: Was suffragan to the Archbishopric of Mainz . Duke Bolesław I the Brave , the son of Mieszko, obtained the Bohemian part of Silesia during his wars of conquest, and a change in the ecclesiastical dependence of the province followed. By a patent of Emperor Otto III in 995, Silesia was attached to the Bishopric of Meissen , which, like Poznań, was suffragan to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Soon after, Bolesław, who ruled all of Silesia, and emperor Otto, to whom Bolesław had pledged allegiance, founded

#32967