View source for Prince-bishop

{{Short description|Bishop who also rules a principality}}
{{Redirect|Prince Bishop|the racehorse|Prince Bishop (horse)}}
{{Distinguish|Prince of the Church}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Original research|date=August 2018}}
{{expand Czech|date=March 2024}}
}}
[[File:Johann Otto von Gemmingen.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Johann Otto von Gemmingen]], Prince-Bishop of [[Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg|Augsburg]] (1591–1598)]]
{{Catholic Church hierarchy sidebar|Additional titles}}
A '''prince-bishop''' is a [[bishop]] who is also the civil ruler of some [[Secularity|secular]] principality and [[sovereignty]], as opposed to ''[[Prince of the Church]]'' itself, a title associated with [[cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinals]]. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the [[Bishop of Urgell]], Catalonia, who has remained ''ex officio'' one of two [[co-Princes of Andorra|co-princes of Andorra]], along with the [[President of the French Republic|French president]].<ref name="andorramania.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.andorramania.com/constit_gb.htm|title=The constitution of the Principality of Andorra}}</ref><ref name="Royal Central">{{cite web |url= https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/why-is-the-president-of-france-co-prince-of-andorra-130690/ |title=Why is the President of France Co-Prince of Andorra? |date=7 October 2019 |publisher=Royal Central |access-date=9 November 2019 |quote=The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, serves as Co-Prince of Andorra in addition to his duties as French President and is one of the few examples of a democratically elected leader serving in a royal capacity in another country. Since 2003, the other Co-Prince is the Catholic Bishop of Urgell from Spain, Joan-Enric Vives i Sicília. But how did the president and bishop become co-princes of another country? The answer lies in a political arrangement stretching back over seven centuries.}}</ref>

==Overview==
In the West, with the decline of [[Roman Empire|imperial power]] from the 4th century onwards in the face of the [[barbarian]] invasions, sometimes [[Christianity|Christian]] bishops of [[city|cities]] took the place of the Roman commander, made secular decisions for the city and led their own troops when necessary. Later relations between a prince-bishop and the [[Bourgeoisie|burghers]] were invariably not cordial. As cities demanded charters from emperors, kings, or their prince-bishops and declared themselves independent of the secular territorial magnates, friction intensified between burghers and bishops. The principality or [[Hochstift|prince-bishopric (Hochstift)]] ruled politically by a prince-bishop could wholly or largely have overlapped with his diocesan jurisdiction, but some parts of his [[diocese]], even the city of his residence, could have been exempt from his civil rule, obtaining the status of [[free imperial city]]. If the [[episcopal see]] was an [[archbishop]]ric, the correct term was prince-archbishop; the equivalent in the regular (monastic) clergy was [[prince-abbot]]. A prince-bishop was usually considered an [[elective monarchy|elected monarch]]. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the title finally became defunct in the [[Confederation of the Rhine]]. However, in respect to the lands of the former [[Holy Roman Empire]] outside of French control, such as the [[Habsburg Monarchy]], including Austria proper ([[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg|Salzburg]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Graz-Seckau|Seckau]]), the [[Lands of the Bohemian Crown]] (the bulk of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc|Olomouc]] and parts of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław|Breslau]]), as well as in respect to the parts of the [[1795]]-[[Partitions of Poland|partitioned Polish state]], including those forming part of the [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria]] or those acquired by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], the position continued in some cases nominally and was sometimes transformed into a new, titular type, initially recognized by the German Empire and Austria-Hungary until their demise, with the title ultimately abolished altogether by the pope in 1951.

The sole exception is the [[Bishop of Urgell]], Catalonia, who no longer has any secular rights in Spain, but remains ''ex officio'' one of two [[co-princes of Andorra]], along with the French head of state (currently its [[President of the French Republic|President]]), and thus the last extant prince-bishop.<ref name="andorramania.com"/><ref name="Royal Central"/>

In the [[Byzantine Empire]], the still [[autocratic]] Emperors passed general legal measures assigning all bishops certain rights and duties in the secular administration of their dioceses, possibly as part of a development to put the [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Church]] in the service of the Empire{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}, with its [[Ecumenical Patriarch]] almost reduced to the Emperor's minister of religious affairs.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}. The institution of prince-bishop was revived in the Orthodox Church in the modern times during the existence of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro]].

==History==
=== Holy Roman Empire ===
{{main|Imperial church system}}
<!--[[File:Kirchenprovinzen Deutschland 1500.jpg|thumb|Archdioceses and suffragan-dioceses, 1500]]
[[File:Holy Roman Empire 1648 Ecclesiastical.png|thumb|Ecclesiastical lands in the Holy Roman Empire, 1648]]-->
[[File:05 CoA Prince-Bishop 02 - mantle no scroll.png|thumb|upright|Arms of a Prince-Bishop with components from both princely and ecclesiastical heraldry.]]
[[File:HRE Dioceses Prince-Bishoprics, c. 1780.jpg|thumb|upright|Ecclesiastical lands in the Holy Roman Empire, 1780]]
Bishops had been involved in the government of the Frankish realm and subsequent [[Carolingian Empire]] frequently as the clerical member of a duo of envoys styled {{lang|la|[[Missus dominicus]]}}, but that was an individual mandate, not attached to the see. Prince-bishoprics were most common in the feudally fragmented [[Holy Roman Empire]], where many were formally awarded the rank of an [[Prince of the Holy Roman Empire|Imperial Prince]] {{lang|de|[[Reichsfürst]]}}, granting them the [[imperial immediacy|immediate]] power over a certain territory and a representation in the [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]] ({{lang|de|Reichstag}}).

The [[stem duchy|stem duchies]] of the [[Kingdom of Germany|German Kingdom]] inside the Empire had strong and powerful [[duke]]s (originally, war-rulers), always looking out more for their [[duchy]]'s "[[national interest]]" than for the Empire's. In turn the first [[Ottonian dynasty|Ottonian]] ([[Duchy of Saxony|Saxon]]) king [[Henry the Fowler]] and more so his son, Emperor [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I]], intended to weaken the power of the dukes by granting loyal bishops Imperial lands and vest them with {{lang|la|[[regalia]]}} privileges. Unlike dukes they could not pass hereditary titles and lands to any descendants. Instead the Emperors reserved the implementation of the bishops of their [[proprietary church]] for themselves, defying the fact that according to [[canon law]] they were part of the transnational [[Catholic Church]]. This met with increasing opposition by the [[Pope]]s, culminating in the fierce [[Investiture Controversy]] of 1076. Nevertheless, the Emperors continued to grant major territories to the most important (arch)bishops. The immediate territory attached to the episcopal see then became a prince-diocese or (arch)bishopric ({{lang|de|Fürst(erz)bistum}}).<ref>{{lang|de|Joachim Fernau: 'Deutschland, Deutschland über alles — Geschichte der Deutschen'}}</ref> The German term {{lang|de|[[Hochstift]]}} was often used to denote the form of secular authority held by bishops ruling a prince-bishopric with {{lang|de|Erzstift}} being used for prince-archbishoprics.

Emperor [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] by the [[Golden Bull of 1356]] confirmed the privileged status of the Prince-Archbishoprics of [[Electorate of Mainz|Mainz]], [[Electorate of Cologne|Cologne]] and [[Electorate of Trier|Trier]] as members of the [[Prince-elector|electoral]] college. At the eve of the [[Protestant Reformation]], the [[Imperial state]]s comprised 53 ecclesiastical principalities. They were finally secularized in the 1803 [[German Mediatization]] upon the territorial losses to [[French First Republic|France]] in the [[Treaty of Lunéville]], except for the Mainz prince-archbishop and German archchancellor [[Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg]], who continued to rule as [[Principality of Aschaffenburg|Prince of Aschaffenburg]] and [[Principality of Regensburg|Regensburg]]. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the title finally became defunct in the successor [[Confederation of the Rhine]].

No less than three of the (originally only seven) [[prince-elector]]s, the highest order of {{lang|de|[[Reichsfürst]]en}} (comparable in rank with the French [[pairie|pairs]]), were prince-archbishops, each holding the title of [[Archchancellor]] (the only arch-office amongst them) for a part of the Empire; given the higher importance of an electorate, their principalities were known as {{lang|de|Kurfürstentum}} ("electoral principality") rather than prince-archbishopric.

{|class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! style="width: 10%;" class="unsortable" | Arms
! style="width: 10%;" | Name
! style="width: 10%;" | Rank
! style="width: 20%;" class="unsortable" | Local name(s)
! style="width: 10%;" | [[Imperial immediacy]]
! style="width: 10%;" | [[Imperial Circle|Imperial<br />Circle]]
! style="width: 10%;" | Modern<br />nation
! style="width: 30%;" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Augsburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg|Augsburg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Augsburg}}
| {{circa|888}}–1803
| [[Swabian Circle|Swabian]]
| {{DEU}}
| [[Augsburg]] became a Free Imperial City in 1276.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bamberg bis.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg|Bamberg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Bamberg}}
| 1245–1802
| [[Franconian Circle|Franconian]]
| {{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Basel.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Basel|Basel]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|fr|Principauté de Bâle}}<br />{{langx|de|Fürstbistum Basel}}
| 1032–1803
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}<br />{{DEU}}<br />{{CHE}}
| [[Basel]] joined the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]] as the [[Canton of Basel]] in 1501. Secularized as a result of [[Act of Mediation|Swiss Mediation]]. A tiny fraction of the bishopric is not now in Switzerland: [[Schliengen]] and [[Istein]] are both now in Germany; a very small part of the [[Saint-Ursanne|Vogtei of St Ursanne]] is now in France.
|-
! [[File:Blason-diocèse-Besançon-ancien.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Besançon|Besançon]]
| Archbishopric
| {{langx|fr|Archevêque de Besançon}}<br />{{langx|de|Fürstbistum Bisanz}}
| 1043–1678/1803
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}
| Made [[Prince of the Holy Roman Empire|Prince]] by [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry III]] in 1043. Temporal power revoked and granted to the [[Free City of Besançon]] in 1290, while the title of ''Prince'' was retained by the Archbishop. Transferred to the [[Burgundian Circle]] in 1512. [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]] seat was retained but left vacant after [[Kingdom of France|France]] [[Treaties of Nijmegen|annexed]] Besançon in 1678.<!-- dates taken from [[fr:Principauté épiscopale de Besançon]] -->
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Brandenburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Brandenburg}}
| {{circa|1165}}–1598
| [[Upper Saxon Circle|Upper Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
| Founded in 948; annihilated 983; re-established {{circa|1161}}. Continued by Lutheran administrators after the Reformation in 1520; secularized and incorporated into the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] in 1571.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Erzbistum Bremen.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen|Bremen]]
| Archbishopric
| {{langx|de|Erzstift Bremen}}
| 1180–1648
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
| Continued by [[Diocesan administrator#Administrators of prince-bishoprics|Lutheran administrators]] from the Reformation in 1566 until 1645/1648. [[Bremen]] itself became autonomous in 1186, and was confirmed as a Free Imperial City in 1646.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Breslau.png|40px|alt=]]<br>[[File:POL księstwo nyskie COA.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Breslau|Breslau]] ([[Duchy of Nysa]])
| Bishopric
| {{langx|cs|Niské knížectví}}<br>{{langx|de|Fürstentum/Herzogtum Neisse}}<br />{{langx|pl|Księstwo Nyskie}}
| [[lands of the Bohemian Crown|fief of the Bohemian crown]], after 1748 also of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]
| None
| {{POL}}<br />{{CZE}}<br />(temporal and diocesan territory)<br />{{DEU}}<br />(diocesan territory only)
| Ceded 1335/1348 by Poland. After dissolution of the HRE, secularized in 1810 (Prussian part) and in 1850 (Austrian part). The princely title continued until 1951, elevated to archbishopric 1930
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Brixen.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Brixen|Brixen]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Brixen}} <br/> {{langx|it|Principato vescovile di Bressanone}}
| 1027–1803
| [[Austrian Circle|Austrian]]
| {{ITA}}
| [[German Mediatisation|secularized]] to [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]]
|-
! [[File:CoA Cambrai Diocese.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Cambrai|Cambrai]]
| Bishopric, then archbishopric
| {{langx|fr|Principauté de Cambrai}}<br />{{langx|de|Hochstift Kammerich}}
| 1007–1678
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{FRA}}
| To [[Early modern France|France]] by 1678 [[Treaties of Nijmegen|Peace of Nijmegen]]
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Chur.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Chur|Chur]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Chur}}<br />{{langx|rm|Chapitel catedral da Cuira}}<br />{{langx|it|Principato vescovile di Coira}}
| 831/1170–1526
| [[Austrian Circle|Austrian]]
| {{CHE}}<br/ >{{LIE}}
| Secularized 1803 as a result of [[Act of Mediation|Swiss Mediation]].
|-
! [[File:Wappen Erzbistum Köln.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Electorate of Cologne|Cologne]]
| Archbishopric electorate
| {{langx|de|Erzstift Köln, Kurköln}}
| 953–1803
| [[Electoral Rhenish Circle|Electoral Rhenish]]
| {{DEU}}
| [[Prince-elector]] and Arch-Chancellor of [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]]. [[Duchy of Westphalia|Duke of Westphalia]] from 1180. [[Cologne]] became a [[Free Imperial City]] in 1288.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Konstanz.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Constance|Constance]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Konstanz}}
| 1155–1803
| [[Swabian Circle|Swabian]]
| {{AUT}}<br />{{DEU}}<br />{{CHE}}
| Greatly reduced during the [[Reformation]], when significant parts of Swabia and Switzerland became Protestant.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Eichstätt.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Eichstätt|Eichstätt]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Eichstätt}}
| 1305–1802
| [[Franconian Circle|Franconian]]
| {{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Freising.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Freising|Freising]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Freising}}
| 1294–1802
| [[Bavarian Circle|Bavarian]]
| {{AUT}}<br />{{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Fulda.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Fulda monastery|Fulda]]
| Abbey, then bishopric
| {{langx|de|Reichskloster Fulda, Reichsbistum Fulda}}
| 1220–1802
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{DEU}}
| [[Imperial Abbey]] until 5 October 1752, when it was raised to a bishopric. Secularized in 1802 in the [[German Mediatization]]
|-
! [[File:Wappen Genf matt.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Prince Bishopric of Geneva|Geneva]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|fr|Évêché de Genève}}<br />{{langx|de|Fürstbistum Genf}}
| 1154-1526
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}<br />{{CHE}}
| {{lang|la|De jure}} {{lang|de|reichsfrei}} since 1154. {{lang|la|De facto}} dominated by their guardians, the [[County of Geneva|counts of Geneva]] (until 1400) and [[County of Savoy|Savoy]] (from 1401). [[Geneva]] joined the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]] in 1526.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Halberstadt.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Halberstadt|Halberstadt]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Halberstadt}}
| 1180–1648
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Havelberg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Havelberg|Havelberg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Havelberg}}
| 1151–1598
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
| Founded in 948; annihilated 983; re-established 1130. Continued by Lutheran administrators from Reformation in 1548 until 1598
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Hildesheim.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Hildesheim|Hildesheim]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Hildesheim}}
| 1235–1803
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Lausanne.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishop of Lausanne|Lausanne]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|fr|Principauté épiscopale de Lausanne}}<br />{{langx|de|Bistum Lausanne}}
| 1270–1536
| None
| {{CHE}}
| Conquered by the [[Old Swiss Confederacy|Swiss]] city canton of [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] in 1536.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Lebus.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Lebus|Lebus]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Lebus}}<br />{{langx|pl|Diecezja lubuska}}
| 1248/1454/1506–1598
| None
| {{DEU}}<br />{{POL}}
| Established 1124 in Poland, 1248-1372 disputed and 1372 ultimately lost to HRE. 1372–1454 [[lands of the Bohemian Crown|fief of the Bohemian crown]], seated in {{lang|de|[[Fürstenwalde]]}} from 1385; {{lang|de|reichsfrei}} ostensibly from 1248, but challenged by [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]. Continued by [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] Lutheran administrators from Protestant Reformation in 1555 until secularization in 1598.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Lüttich.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège|Liège]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|fr|Principauté de Liége}}<!-- é at the time, è now --><br />{{langx|de|Fürstbistum Lüttich}}<br />{{langx|wa|Principåté d' Lidje}}
| 980–1789/1795
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{BEL}}<br />{{NLD}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Lübeck.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Lübeck|Lübeck]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Lübeck}}
| 1180–1803
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
| Seated in [[Eutin]] from the 1270s; Reformation started in 1535, continued by Lutheran administrators from 1586 until secularization in 1803. [[Lübeck]] became a Free Imperial City in 1226.
|-
! [[File:Chapitre de Lyon simple.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lyon|Lyon]]
| Archbishopric
| {{langx|fr|Archevêque de Lyon}}<br />{{langx|frp|Arch·evèque de Liyon}}
| 1157-1312
| None
| {{FRA}}
| Seated in [[Lyon]]; {{lang|de|Reichsfreiheit}} confirmed by [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick Barbarossa]] in 1157. Annexed by the [[Kingdom of France]] in 1312.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Erzbistum Magdeburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Archbishopric of Magdeburg|Magdeburg]]
| Archbishopric
| {{langx|de|Erzstift Magdeburg}}
| 1180–1680
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
| Continued by [[Diocesan administrator#Administrators of prince-bishoprics|Lutheran administrators]] between 1566 and 1631, and again from 1638 until 1680.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Erzbistum Mainz.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Archbishopric of Mainz|Mainz]]
| Archbishopric electorate
| {{langx|de|Erzbistum Mainz, Kurmainz}}
| {{circa|780}}–1803
| [[Electoral Rhenish Circle|Electoral Rhenish]]
| {{DEU}}
| [[Prince-elector]] and Arch-Chancellor of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]].
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Merseburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Merseburg|Merseburg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Merseburg}}
| 1004–1565
| None
| {{DEU}}
| Administered by the Lutheran [[Electorate of Saxony]] between 1544 and 1565.
|-
! [[File:Blason fr Bishop of Metz.svg|50px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Metz|Metz]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|fr|Évêché de Metz}}<br />{{langx|de|Hochstift Metz}}
| 10th century–1552
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}
| One of the [[Three Bishoprics]] ceded to France by the 1552 [[Treaty of Chambord]].
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Minden.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Minden|Minden]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Minden}}
| 1180–1648
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Münster.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Münster|Münster]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Münster}}
| 1180–1802
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Naumburg-Zeitz.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Naumburg|Naumburg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Naumburg-Zeitz}}
|
|
| {{DEU}}
| Under guardianship of [[Margraviate of Meissen|Meissen]] from 1259. Administered by [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxony]] from 1564.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Erzbistum Olmütz.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc|Olomouc]]
| Bishopric, then archbishopric
| {{langx|cs|Arcibiskupství olomoucké}}<br />{{langx|de|Erzbistum Olmütz}}<br />{{langx|pl|Archidiecezja ołomuniecka}}
| [[lands of the Bohemian Crown|fief of the Bohemian Crown]], after 1742 also of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]
| None
| {{CZE}}<br />{{POL}}
| The Czech bishopric (later Metropolitan) of [[Olomouc]], as a [[lands of the Bohemian Crown|fief of the Bohemian Crown]], was the peer of the [[Margraviate of Moravia]], and from 1365 its prince-bishop was 'Count of the Bohemian Chapel', i.e., first [[court chaplain]], who was to accompany the monarch on his frequent travels. Secularized in 1803, but the princely title continued. However, all bishops' princely titles were abolished by the pope in 1951.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Osnabrück.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück|Osnabrück]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Osnabrück}}
| 1225/1236–1802
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{DEU}}
| Alternated between Catholic and Protestant incumbents after the [[Thirty Years' War]]; secularized in 1802/1803
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Paderborn.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince Bishopric of Paderborn|Paderborn]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Fürstbistum Paderborn}}
| 1281–1802
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{DEU}}
|
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Passau.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Passau|Passau]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Passau}}
| 999–1803
| [[Bavarian Circle|Bavarian]]
| {{AUT}}<br />{{DEU}}
| Princely title was confirmed at Nuremberg in 1217.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Ratzeburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Ratzeburg|Ratzeburg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Ratzeburg}}
| 1236–1648
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
| Ruled by Lutheran administrators between 1554 and 1648.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Regensburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Regensburg|Regensburg]]
| Bishopric, then archbishopric electorate
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Regensburg}}
| 1132?–1803
| [[Bavarian Circle|Bavarian]]
| {{DEU}}
| [[Regensburg]] became a Free Imperial City in 1245.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Erzbistum Salzburg.png|40px|alt=]]
|| [[Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg|Salzburg]]
| Archbishopric electorate
| {{langx|de|Fürsterzbistum Salzburg}}
| 1278–1803
| [[Bavarian Circle|Bavarian]]
| {{AUT}}
| Raised to an electorate in 1803, but simultaneously secularized; ''see [[Electorate of Salzburg]]''. Since 1648, the archbishop has also borne the title {{lang|la|Primas Germaniae}}, First [Bishop] of Germania, which used to include the right to preside over the [[Princes of the Holy Roman Empire]]. However, all bishops' princely titles were abolished by the pope in 1951.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Schwerin.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Schwerin|Schwerin]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Schwerin}}
| 1180–1648
| [[Lower Saxon Circle|Lower Saxon]]
| {{DEU}}
| Ruled by an administrator between 1516 and 1648.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Speyer.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Speyer|Speyer]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Speyer}}
| 888–1803
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{DEU}}
| Territories to the east of the Rhine were annexed by France in 1681, confirmed in 1697. Speyer became a Free Imperial City in 1294.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Straßburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Strasbourg|Strasbourg]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|gsw|Bistum Strossburi}}<br />{{langx|fr|Évêché de Strasbourg}}<br />{{langx|de|Fürstbistum Straßburg}}
| 982–1803
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}<br />{{DEU}}
| Territories to the east of the Rhine were annexed by France in 1681, confirmed in 1697.
|-
! [[File:Blason ville fr Moûtiers (Savoie).svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Roman Catholic Ancient Diocese of Tarentaise|Tarentaise]]
| Archbishopric
| {{langx|fr|Prince-évêque de Tarentaise}}<br />{{langx|frp|Prince Evèque de Tarentèsa}}<br />{{langx|it|Principato vescovile di Tarantasia}}
| 1186-1769
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}
| Count of Tarentaise from 996; {{lang|de|reichsfrei}} from 1186. ''De facto'' dominated by their guardians [[County of Savoy|Savoy]] (from 1271). Secularized and annexed by the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]] 1769.<ref name="Borrel">{{cite journal |last1=Borrel |first1=E.L. |title=Origine composition territoriale & Démembrements Successifs des Fiefs de l'évéché de Tarentaise |journal=Recueil des mémoires et documents de l'Académie de la Val d'Isère |date=1889 |volume=5 |pages=254–262 |ref=Borrel}}</ref>
|-
! [[File:Blason Vicherey 88.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Toul|Toul]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|fr|Principauté de Toul}}<br />{{langx|de|Bistum Tull}}
| 10th century – 1552
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}
| One of the [[Three Bishoprics]] ceded to France by the 1552 [[Treaty of Chambord]], confirmed in 1648.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Trient.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Trent|Trent]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|it|Principato vescovile di Trento}}<br />{{langx|vec|Principe-vescovo de Trento}}<br />{{langx|de|Fürstbistum Trient}}
| 1027–1803
| [[Austrian Circle|Austrian]]
| {{ITA}}
| [[German Mediatisation|Secularized]] to [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]] in 1803.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Erzbistum Trier.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Electorate of Trier|Trier]]
| Archbishopric electorate
| {{langx|de|Erzbistum Trier, Kurtrier}}<br />{{langx|fr|Archevêque Trèves}}
| 772–1803
| [[Electoral Rhenish Circle|Electoral Rhenish]]
| {{DEU}}
| [[Prince-elector]] and Arch-Chancellor of [[Kingdom of Burgundy|Burgundy]].
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Utrecht.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht|Utrecht]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|nl|Sticht Utrecht}}
| 1024–1528
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{NLD}}
| Sold to [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]] in 1528, after which it was moved to the [[Burgundian Circle]]. Founding member of the [[Dutch Republic]] in 1579/1581, confirmed in 1648.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Verden.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Verden|Verden]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Verden}}
| 1180–1648
| [[Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle|Lower Rhenish / Westphalian]]
| {{DEU}}
| Continued by Lutheran administrators after Reformation until 1645/1648, when it was continued as a secular and independent principality until its disestablishment in 1807. It became a part of the [[Kingdom of Hanover]] in 1815.
|-
! [[File:Coat of arms of the Bishopric of Verdun.svg|30px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Verdun|Verdun]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|fr|Principauté de Verdun}}<br />{{langx|de|Bistum Wirten}}
| 10th century – 1552
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{FRA}}
| One of the [[Three Bishoprics]] ceded to France by the 1552 [[Treaty of Chambord]], confirmed in 1648.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Worms.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Worms|Worms]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Bistum Worms}}
| 861–1801
| [[Upper Rhenish Circle|Upper Rhenish]]
| {{DEU}}
| [[Worms, Germany|Worms]] city rule established by Bishop [[Burchard of Worms|Burchard]] (1000–25). Episcopal residence at [[Ladenburg]] from 1400. Held large estates in the former {{lang|de|[[Lahngau]]}} region. Territories on the [[Left Bank of the Rhine]] lost by the 1797 [[Treaty of Campo Formio]]; secularized at first to the [[First French Empire|French Empire]], then to [[Grand Duchy of Baden|Baden]] and [[Grand Duchy of Hesse|Hesse-Darmstadt]] in 1815.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Würzburg.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Würzburg|Würzburg]]
| Bishopric electorate
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Würzburg}}
| 1168–1803
| [[Franconian Circle|Franconian]]
| {{DEU}}
| Duke of Franconia
|}

The suffragan-bishoprics of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk|Gurk]] (established 1070), {{lang|de|[[Bishopric of Chiemsee|Chiemsee]]}} (1216), {{lang|de|[[Prince-bishop of Seckau|Seckau]]}} (1218), and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lavant|Lavant]] (1225) sometimes used the {{lang|de|Fürstbischof}} title, but never held any {{lang|de|reichsfrei}} territory. However, all bishops' princely titles were abolished by the pope in 1951.

<!--
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Gurk.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk|Gurk]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Diözese Gurk}}
|
| None
| {{AUT}}
| Part of [[Duchy of Carinthia|Carinthia]], bishops claimed {{lang|de|Fürstbischof}} title, but never held any {{lang|de|[[Imperial immediacy|reichsfrei]]}} territory.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Lavant.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lavant|Lavant]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Diözese Lavant}}<br />{{langx|sl|Škofija Lavant}}
|
| None
| {{AUT}}<br />{{SVN}}
| Part of Carinthia and [[Duchy of Styria|Styria]], bishops since 1446 claimed {{lang|de|Fürstbischof}} title, but never held any {{lang|de|reichsfrei}} territory.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Seckau.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-bishop of Seckau|Seckau]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Diözese Seckau}}
|
| None
| {{AUT}}<br />{{SVN}}?
| Whilst the bishop was known as {{lang|de|Fürstbischof}}, it is unclear whether the bishopric held any {{lang|de|[[reichsfrei]]}} territory.
-->
The [[Patriarchate of Aquileia (state)|Patriarchate of Aquileia]]<ref>{{langx|la|Patriarchæ Aquileiensis}}, {{langx|it|Patriarcato di Aquileia}}, {{langx|fur|Patriarcjât di Aquilee}}, {{langx|vec|Patriarcal de Aquileja}}</ref> (1077–1433) was conquered by [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] in 1420 and officially incorporated after the 1445 [[Council of Florence]].

In [[Bishopric of Brescia|Brescia]] Bishop Notingus was made count of Brescia in 844.

In the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Belley-Ars|Bishopric of Belley]], Saint [[Anthelm of Belley]] was granted {{lang|de|Reichsfreiheit}} by Emperor [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick I]], but submitted temporal authorities to the [[Duchy of Savoy]] in 1401.

The [[Bishopric of Sion]] ({{langx|fr|Principauté épiscopale de Sion}}, {{langx|de|Bistum Sitten}}) was from 999 a classic example of unified secular and diocesan authority. It progressively lost its powers since the Renaissance, and was finally replaced by the [[Republic of the Seven Tithings]] in 1634.

===State of the Teutonic Order===
[[File:Teutonic Order 1466.png|thumb|Order's State in 1466: Livonian episcopal territories in violet, Prince-Bishopric of Warmia in cyan]]
Upon the incorporation of the [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword]] in 1237, the territory of the [[State of the Teutonic Order|Order's State]] largely corresponded with the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Riga|Diocese of Riga]]. Bishop [[Albert of Riga]] in 1207 had received the lands of [[Livonia]] as an Imperial fief from the hands of German king [[Philip of Swabia]], he however had to come to terms with the Brothers of the Sword. At the behest of [[Pope Innocent III]] the ''[[Terra Mariana]]'' confederation was established, whereby Albert had to cede large parts of the episcopal territory to the [[Livonian Order]]. Albert proceeded tactically in the conflict between the Papacy and Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]]: in 1225 he reached the acknowledgement of his status as a Prince-Bishop of the Empire, though the [[Roman Curia]] insisted on the fact that the Christianized [[Baltic region|Baltic]] territories were solely under the suzerainty of the [[Holy See]]. By the 1234 Bull of Rieti, [[Pope Gregory IX]] stated that all lands acquired by the Teutonic Knights were no subject of any [[conveyancing]] by the Emperor.

Within this larger conflict, the continued dualism of the autonomous Riga prince-bishop and the [[Teutonic Knights]] led to a lengthy friction. Around 1245 the Papal legate [[William of Modena]] reached a compromise: though incorporated into the Order's State, the archdiocese and its suffragan bishoprics were acknowledged with their autonomous ecclesiastical territories by the Teutonic Knights. The bishops pursued the conferment of the princely title by the Holy Roman Emperor to stress their sovereignty. In the original [[Prussia (region)|Prussian]] lands of the Teutonic Order, Willam of Modena established the suffragan bishoprics of [[Bishopric of Culm (Chełmno)|Culm]], [[Bishopric of Pomesania|Pomesania]], [[Bishopric of Samland|Samland]] and [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia|Warmia]]. From the late 13th century onwards, the appointed Warmia bishops were no longer members of the Teutonic Knights, a special status confirmed by the bestowal of the princely title by Emperor [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] in 1356.
{|class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! style="width: 10%;" class="unsortable" | Arms
! style="width: 10%;" | Name
! style="width: 10%;" | Rank
! style="width: 20%;" class="unsortable" | Local name(s)
! style="width: 10%;" | Territory
! style="width: 10%;" | Modern<br />nation
! style="width: 40%;" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
! [[File:Herb diecezji kurlandzkiej.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Courland|Courland]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Hochstift Kurland}}<br />{{langx|lv|Kurzemes bīskapija}}<br />{{langx|nds|Bisdom Curland}}
| [[Terra Mariana]]
| {{LVA}}
| Established about 1234, the smallest of the Livonian dioceses. [[Secularization|Secularized]] in 1559 and occupied by Prince [[Magnus, Duke of Holstein|Magnus of Denmark]]. From 1585 under the suzerainty of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], part of the [[Duchy of Livonia]].
|-
! [[File:Biskupstwo Dorpatu COA.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Dorpat|Dorpat]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|et|Tartu piiskopkond}}<br />{{langx|de|Hochstift Dorpat}}<br />{{langx|nds|Bisdom Dorpat}}
| [[Terra Mariana]]
| {{EST}}
| Bishop [[Hermann of Dorpat|Hermann]], appointed by his brother Bishop [[Albert of Riga]], received the title of a prince-bishop by King [[Henry (VII) of Germany|Henry VII of Germany]] in 1225. Dorpat ({{langx|et|Tartu}}) remained a [[suffragan diocese]] of [[Archbishopric of Riga|Riga]]. Dissolved in the course of the [[Protestant Reformation]] in 1558.
|-
! [[File:Herb diecezji Ozylii.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek|Ösel-Wiek]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|et|Saare-Lääne piiskopkond}}<br />{{langx|de|Bistum Ösel-Wiek}}<br />{{langx|nds|Bisdom Ösel-Wiek}}
| [[Terra Mariana]]
| {{EST}}
| Established on [[Saaremaa]] island in 1228 under Bishop Gottfried, appointed by Bishop [[Albert of Riga]], vested with the title of a prince-bishop by King [[Henry (VII) of Germany|Henry VII of Germany]]. It remained a [[suffragan diocese]] of [[Archbishopric of Riga|Riga]]. Dissolved in the course of the [[Protestant Reformation]] in 1559.
|-
! [[File:Rigasiebmacher new.png|25px|alt=]]
| [[Archbishopric of Riga|Riga]]
| Archbishopric
| {{langx|de|Erzbistum Riga}}<br />{{langx|lv|Rīgas arhibīskapija}}<br />{{langx|nds|Erzbisdom Riga}}
| [[Terra Mariana]]
| {{LVA}}
| Episcopal see at [[Ikšķile|Üxküll]] 1186–1202. In 1225 [[Albert of Riga]] received the title of a Prince-bishop of [[Livonia]] by Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]]. Last Archbishop [[William of Brandenburg]] resigned in 1561 during the [[Livonian War]], territory fell to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, to [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]] in 1621.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Ermland.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia|Warmia]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|de|Fürstbistum Ermland}}<br />{{langx|pl|Biskupie Księstwo Warmińskie}}
| [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]]
| {{POL}}<br />(temporal and diocesan territory)<br />{{LIT}}<br />{{RUS}}<br />(diocesan territory only)
| Established by Papal legate [[William of Modena]] in 1243, princely title documented in the [[Golden Bull of 1356]]. Incorporated into the [[Poland during the Jagiellon dynasty|Jagiellon kingdom of Poland]] in 1466 and re-established as an autonomous prince-bishopric under the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Polish crown]] in 1479 (see below). 
|}

=== Kingdom of Poland and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ===
Three bishoprics were initially parts of the Kingdom of Poland and its offshoots before being subsequently incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, namely the bishoprics of [[Bishopric of Cammin|Wolin/Kamień (Wollin/Cammin)]] (1140-1181), [[Bishopric of Lebus|Lubusz (Lebus)]] (1125-1372) and [[Bishopric of Breslau|Wrocław (Breslau)]] (1201-1335/1348), with the latter two of them continuing, however, as suffragan to the Polish [[Archdiocese of Gniezno|archbishopric of Gniezno]] for many years later (until 1424 in the case of Lebus and until 1821 in the case of Breslau). On the other hand, the Prince Bishopric of Warmia was obtained by [[Poland]] following the [[Second Peace of Thorn]].

{|class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! style="width: 10%;" class="unsortable" | Arms
! style="width: 10%;" | Name
! style="width: 10%;" | Rank
! style="width: 20%;" class="unsortable" | Local name(s)
! style="width: 10%;" | Years under Polish crown or offshoots
! style="width: 10%;" | Modern<br />nation
! style="width: 30%;" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Kammin.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Cammin|Wolin/Kamień]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|pl|Biskupie Księstwo Kamieńskie}}<br />{{langx|de|Hochstift Cammin}} <!-- Kashubian? -->
| 1140-1181
| {{POL}}<br />(temporal and diocesan territory)<br />{{DEU}}<br />(diocesan territory only)
| Established 1140 in the Polish Duchy of Pomerania. Since 1181 part of HRE. {{lang|de|Reichsfreiheit}} obtained 1248 from and lost 1544 again to [[Duchy of Pomerania]]. Secularized in 1650, to Brandenburg [[Province of Pomerania (1653–1815)|Province of Pomerania]]
|-
! [[File:Aaron (Gloger).jpg|25px|alt=]]<br>[[File:Księstwo siewierskie COA.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kraków|Kraków]] ([[Duchy of Siewierz]])
| Bishopric
| {{langx|pl|Księstwo Siewierskie}}
| 1443-1791
| {{POL}}
| [[Wenceslaus I, Duke of Cieszyn]], sold a [[Duchy of Siewierz]] to the [[Bishop of Kraków]] [[Zbigniew Cardinal Oleśnicki]] for 6,000 silver [[Groschen]] in 1443. This tiny duchy had its own laws, treasury and army. In 1790, the [[Great Sejm]] took over the Duchy of Siewierz to the State Treasury and incorporated it directly into the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]].
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Lebus.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Lebus|Lebus]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|pl|Diecezja lubuska}}<br />{{langx|de|Bistum Lebus}}
| 1124-1248/1372
| {{DEU}}<br />{{POL}}
| Established 1124 in Poland, 1248-1372 disputed and 1372 ultimately lost to HRE. 1372-1454 [[lands of the Bohemian Crown|fief of the Bohemian crown]], seated in {{lang|de|[[Fürstenwalde]]}} since 1385; {{lang|de|Reichsfreiheit}} ostensibly since 1248, but challenged by [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]. Continued by [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] Lutheran administrators after Protestant Reformation in 1555 until secularization in 1598.
|-
! [[File:Wappen Bistum Ermland.png|40px|alt=]]
| [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia|Warmia]]
| Bishopric
| {{langx|pl|Biskupie Księstwo Warmińskie}}<br />{{langx|de|Fürstbistum Ermland}}
| 1466-1772
| {{POL}}<br />(temporal and diocesan territory)<br />{{LIT}}<br />{{RUS}}<br />(diocesan territory only)
| Established as a part of the State of the Teutonic Order (see above) by Papal legate [[William of Modena]] in 1243, with princely title documented in the [[Golden Bull of 1356]]. Incorporated into the [[Poland during the Jagiellon dynasty|Jagiellon kingdom of Poland]] in 1466 and re-established as an autonomous prince-bishopric under the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Polish crown]] in 1479. It was ultimately abolished in the course of the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] annexation in 1772 during the [[First Partition of Poland]].
|-
! [[File:EBBreslauCOA.svg|40px|alt=]]<br>[[File:POL księstwo nyskie COA.svg|25px|alt=]]
| [[Bishopric of Wrocław|Wrocław]] ([[Duchy of Nysa]])
| Bishopric
| {{langx|pl|Księstwo Nyskie}}<br /> {{langx|de|Fürstentum/Herzogtum Neisse}}<br> {{langx|cs|Niské knížectví}}
| 1201-1335/1348
| {{POL}}<br />{{CZE}}<br />(temporal and diocesan territory)<br />{{DEU}}<br />(diocesan territory only)
| Ceded 1335/1348 to Lands of the Bohemian Crown (part of HRE). After dissolution of the HRE, secularized in 1810 (Prussian part) and in 1850 (Austrian part), but the princely title continued until 1951, elevated to archbishopric 1930
|}

=== England ===
==== Durham ====
{{Main|County Palatine of Durham}}
The [[Bishop of Durham|bishops of Durham]], while not sovereign, held extensive rights usually reserved to the English, and later British, monarch within the county palatine of Durham. In 1075 [[Walcher]], the bishop of Durham, was allowed to purchase the earldom of Northumbria; this marked the beginning of the bishops' temporal powers, which expanded during the Middle Ages before being gradually curbed from the sixteenth century onwards.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dugdale |first1=Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mgoHAAAAQAAJ&dq=walcher+purchase+earldom&pg=PA689 |title=England & Wales Delineated (Curiosities of Great Britain). |last2=Burnett. |first2=William |date=1830 |pages=689 |language=en}}</ref> Except for a brief period of suppression during the [[English Civil War]], the bishopric retained some temporal powers until it was abolished by the [[Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836]], when its powers returned to the Crown.<ref name="Britannica">[[wikisource:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Durham (county)|"Durham"]]. Encyclopædia Britannica. 11th Ed. Vol 8.</ref><ref>{{cite book |date=1836 |title=The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eFk0AQAAMAAJ&q=bishop+of+durham+++temporal+Powers+by+Palatine++Act+1836&pg=PA130 |publisher=His Majesty's Statute and Law Printers|page=130}}</ref> The last institution of the palatinate, its [[Court of Chancery of the County Palatine of Durham and Sadberge|court of chancery]], was abolished in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Courts Act 1971, c. 4 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/23/section/41/enacted |access-date=8 June 2023 |website=legislation.gov.uk}}</ref>

==== Other English Prince-bishoprics ====
{{Main|Isle of Ely|Hexhamshire}}
* The [[Isle of Ely]] was a [[Liberty (division)|royal liberty]], and between 1109 and 1535 a county palatine, with traces of the bishop's princely status remaining until 1837.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Pugh |editor-first1=Ralph Bernard |editor-link1=Ralph Pugh |title=A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 4 |date=2002 |orig-date=1953 |publisher=Victoria County Historiy / British History Online |location=London |pages=4–8 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol4 |access-date=14 April 2022}}</ref>
* [[Hexhamshire]] was a county palatine under the [[Archbishop of York]] from at least the 14th century until 1572; prior to that, it was a royal liberty.

=== France ===
From the tenth century civil wars on, many bishops took over the powers of the local count, as authorised by the king. For example, at Chalons-sur-Marne the bishop ruled the lands {{Convert|20|km|abbr=on}} around the town, while the Archbishop of Rheims demarcated his territory with five fortresses of Courville, Cormicy, Betheneville, Sept-Saulx and Chaumuzy.<ref>{{cite book |first=Rosamond |last=McKitterick |first2=Paul |last2=Fouracre|first3=David |last3=Luscombe|first4=Timothy |last4=Reuter|first5=David |last5=Abulafia|first6=Jonathan |last6=Riley-Smith|first7=C. T. |last7=Allmand|first8=Michael |last8=Jones |title=The New Cambridge Medieval History: Volume 4, C.1024-c.1198, Part 2 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_New_Cambridge_Medieval_History_Volum/cUl53tLtFukC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA531&printsec=frontcover  |date=1995 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0521414113 |pages=531–532}}</ref>
A number of French bishops did hold a noble title, with a tiny territory usually about their seat; it was often a [[prince]]ly title, especially Count but also Prince or Baron, including actual seigneurial authority and rights.<ref name=nor/> Indeed, six of the twelve original [[Pairie]]s (the royal vassals awarded with the highest precedence at Court) were episcopal: the [[Archbishop of Reims]], the [[Bishop of Langres]], and the [[Bishop of Laon]] held a [[Duke|ducal]] title, the bishops of [[Bishop of Beauvais|Beauvais]], [[Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne|Chalôns]], and [[Bishop of Noyon|Noyon]] had [[Count|comital]] status. They were later joined by the [[Archbishop of Paris]], who was awarded a ducal title, but with precedence over the others.<ref name=nor/><ref name=ed/> 

France also counted a number of prince-bishops formerly within the Holy Roman Empire such those of Besançon, Cambrai, Strasbourg, Metz, Toul, Verdun, and Belley. The bishops of Arles, Embrun, and Grenoble also qualify as princes of episcopal cities. The bishop of Viviers was Count of Viviers and Prince de Donzère. The bishop of Sisteron was also Prince de Lurs, the title of count was held by the Archbishop of Lyons, and the bishops of Gap, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, Vienne and Die were Seigneurs of their cities.

Never part of the empire were Lisieux, Cahors, Chalon-sur-Saône, Léon, Dol and Vabres whose bishops were also counts. Ajaccio was Count of Frasso. The bishops of Sarlat, Saint-Malo (Baron de Beignon) and of Luçon were Barons and Tulle was Viscount of the city. The bishop of Mende was governor and count, Puy held the title Count of Velay, Quimper was Seigneur of the city and Comte de Cornouailles, Valence was Seigneur and Count of the city. Montpellier's bishop was Count of Mauguio and Montferrand, Marquis of Marquerose and Baron of Sauve, Durfort, Salevoise, and Brissac. The bishop of Saint-Claude was Seigneur of all the lands of Saint-Claude. The bishops of Digne (Seigneur and Baron), Pamiers (co-Seigneur), Albi, Lectoure, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Papoul, Saint-Pons, and Uzès were Seigneurs of the cities.<ref name="ed">{{cite book |last1=Edmond Biré |title=Histoire et littérature |date=1895 |publisher=E. Vitte |pages=52–53 |edition=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Augustin Sicard |title=L'ancien clergé de France: Les évêques avant la Révolution Volume 1 of L'ancien clergé de France |date=1893 |pages=44–45}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Le correspondant, Volume 155|publisher=Bureaux du Correspondant|year=1889|pages=210–211}}</ref><ref name="nor">{{cite book |last1=Norman Ravitch |title=Sword and Mitre Government and Episcopate in France and England in the Age of Aristocracy |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sword_and_mitre/JCyLDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA54&printsec=frontcover |date=2019 |publisher=de Gruyter |isbn=9783111359540 |pages=54–56}}</ref>

=== Portugal ===
From 1472 to 1967, the bishop of [[Coimbra]] held the [[Count|comital]] title of Count of [[Arganil Municipality|Arganil]], being thus called "bishop-count" ({{langx|pt|Bispo-Conde}}). The use of the [[count|comital]] title declined during the 20th century since [[Portugal]] has become a republic and nobility privileges have ceased to be officially recognized, and was ultimately discontinued.

=== Montenegro ===
{{Further|Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro}}
The [[eparchy of Cetinje|bishops of Cetinje]], who took as the [[Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro|Prince-Bishops of Montenegro]] the place of the earlier secular (Grand) [[Voivode]]s in 1516, had a unique position of [[Slavic peoples|Slavonic]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] prince-bishops of [[History of Ottoman Montenegro|Montenegro]] under [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] suzerainty.<ref>{{lang|sr-Latn|[[Sima Milutinović Sarajlija]]}}: [http://www.njegos.org/past/sarajlija.htm#_Toc483545799 ''MONTENEGRO led by its Bishops''] from {{lang|sr|Историја Црне Горе}} (''The History of Montenegro'', 1835) {{in lang|sr}}</ref> It was eventually secularized and became ruled by hereditary princes and ultimately [[King of Montenegro|Kings of Montenegro]] in 1852, as reflected in their styles:
* first {{lang|sr-Latn|Vladika i upravitelj Crne Gore i Brda}} ("Bishop and Ruler of Montenegro and the Highlands")
* from 13 March 1852 ([[New Style]]): {{lang|sr-Latn|Po milosti Božjoj  knjaz i gospodar Crne Gore i Brda}} ("[[By the grace of God]] Prince and Sovereign of Montenegro and the Highlands")
* from 28 August 1910 (New Style): {{lang|sr-Latn|Po milosti Božjoj kralj i gospodar Crne Gore}} ("By the grace of God, King and Sovereign of Montenegro")

== Contemporary ==
The [[Bishop of Urgell]], Catalonia, who no longer has any secular rights in Spain, remains ''ex officio'' one of two [[co-princes of Andorra]], along with the French head of state (currently its [[President of the French Republic|President]])<ref name="andorramania.com"/><ref name="Royal Central"/>

== Modern informal usage ==
The term has been used by Episcopalians in North America to describe modern bishops with commanding personalities usually of previous generations.<ref name=ATVM>{{cite web|title=Duncan's Final Interview as Archbishop|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATPDweJYiL8&feature=youtu.be&list=PL7p2AAcz9AHhPIOE0_aK0JbpNuzvpEime&t=546| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ATPDweJYiL8| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|publisher=AnglicanTV Ministries|date=June 19, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> One such individual was Bishop [[Horace W. B. Donegan]] of whom Episcopal [[suffragan bishop]] [[Robert E. Terwilliger]] said "We often say that Bishop Donegan is the last prince bishop of the church because in his graciousness, in his presence, in his total lack of any crisis of identity, we have seen what a bishop is; and we know that it is a kind of royalty in Christ."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Apostolic Ministry|author=Robert E. Terwilliger|date=1973|url=http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/reterwilliger/apostolic1973.html}}</ref>

Anglican Archbishop [[Robert Duncan (bishop)|Robert Duncan]] expressed his view that the pastoral changes "in the 1970s was a revolution in reaction to those prince bishops – they had all this authority, they had all this power." So systems such as the Commission on Ministry system in the Episcopal Church "was to replace an individual's authority with a committee's authority."<ref name=ATVM/>

== See also ==
* [[Crown-cardinal]]
* [[Lord Bishop]]
* [[Lords Spiritual]]
* [[Nobles of the Church (Kingdom of Hungary)]]
* [[Political Catholicism]]
* [[Prince-abbot]]
* [[Prince-Provost]]
* [[Prince of the Church]]
* [[Temporal power (papal)|Temporal power]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources ==
* Westermann, {{lang|de|Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte}} (in German)

== External links ==
* [[Catholic Encyclopaedia]]
* [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/military/17cen/muenster1661.html The Prince-Bishop of Münster]
* [http://www.buxhoeveden.net/index.php?link=2 Albert of Buxhoeveden, Prince-Bishop of Livonia]
* [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/peerage.htm#twelve Heraldica.org - here French peerage]
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/ WorldStatesmen] search under each present country

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[[Category:Catholicism in the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:History of Catholicism in Germany]]
[[Category:Ecclesiastical titles]]
[[Category:Heads of state]]
[[Category:Prince-bishops| ]]
[[Category:Prince-bishoprics| ]]
[[Category:Bishops by type]]
[[Category:Noble titles]]
[[Category:Christianity in the Holy Roman Empire]]