The Archdiocese of Salzburg () is a Latin rite archdiocese of the Catholic Church, based in Salzburg, Austria. It serves as the leading diocese of the ecclesiastical province of Salzburg and is one of two Austrian archdioceses, alongside the Archdiocese of Vienna.
During the late medieval and early modern periods, the Archbishops of Salzburg held the title of prince-archbishops within the Holy Roman Empire, governing the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg—a distinct polity that lasted until 1803. That year, it was secularized and became the Electorate of Salzburg, ending the archbishops' temporal authority.
History The earliest evidence for Christianity in the area of Salzburg is the establishment of a religious community at or near Juvavia by a follower of Severinus of Noricum, a priest named Maximus. He and his followers were killed by invading Herulians in 477.Acta Sanctorum Januarius , Tomus I (Antwerp: Joannes Meursius 1643), p. 458. He is called a martyr by Matthäus Rader, though the date of his death is not known. The only contemporary notice of him occurs in the "Life of Saint Severinus" by Eugippius, who calls him a priest, not a bishop.Acta Sanctorum, p. 462, column 1, § 32. Matthäus Rader, Bauaria sancta, Volume 1 (Raphael Sadeler 1615), p. 32: "Fidem facit [Eugippius] de presbytero, non episcopo, syllabus Episcoporum Salisburgensium, in quo nullum de Maximo verbum. Nec plura, quod meminerim, de hoc leguntur, nisi in hypogaeo...." Rupert Pogensperger, Die Einsiedelei des heiligen Maximus zu Salzburg, , Salzburg: Duyle, 1844, pp. 9-12: "Um diese Zeit kam ein Priester mit Namen Maximus hieher nach Juvavia, welcher wahrscheinlich ein Schüler des heil. Severin war." The notion that he was a bishop derives from a Renaissance inscription in the crypt of the cathedral.Acta Sanctorum Januarius Vol. 1, p. 458.
Establishment of the diocese
In 739, Boniface, the "Apostle to the Germans," divided Bavaria into four dioceses, one of which was situated at Salzburg. Boniface appointed the abbot Joannes of S. Peter's monastery in Salzburg as its bishop. The "Liber confraternitatum" of S. Peter's gives a list of Joannes' predecessors as abbot: the first was Hrodpertus, who was bishop and abbot; then Anzogolus, who was abbot; Vitalis, who was bishop and abbot; Savolus; who was abbot; Izzo, who was abbot; Florbrigis, who was bishop and abbot; and Joannes.W. Levison, "Vita Hrodberti episcopi Salisburgensis," , in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores Rerum Merovingicarum, Vol. 6 (Hannover & Leipzig: Hahn 1913), p. 144.
After the creation of the diocese, the bishops continued to live in the monastery of S. Peter, until the 12th century.Levison, p. 144. On 24 September 774, Bishop Vigilius (745–784) dedicated a new church, dedicated to Bishop Hrodpertus, as his cathedral, and transferred the remains of the saint to it. The monks of S. Peter performed the religious services in S. Hrodpertus as though they were canons of the cathedral.Brackmann, p. 46. Levison, p. 144. Archbishop Conrad created a separate Chapter of canons for the cathedral of S. Hrodpertus in 1122; the archbishop's arrangements were confirmed by Pope Calixtus II on 19 February 1123, and by Pope Honorius II on 30 April 1125, who ordered the use of the Rule of S. Augustine.Brackmann, p. 47; 48 no. 2. The Rule of S. Augustine (Canons Regular of S. Augustine) was in effect until Pope Leo X cancelled it on 22 September 1514, at the request of Archbishop Matthaeus Lang: Hansiz, Germania sacra Vol. 2, p. 579; Brackmann, p. 47.
On 20 April 798, at the order of Charlemagne, Pope Leo III named Salzburg a metropolitan archdiocese, with the suffragan diocenses Passau, Ratisbon, Freising, Säben-Brixen, and Neuburg. He sent Bishop Arno the pallium.Brackmann, Germania pontificia, p. 4 and p. 8 nos. 7 and 8. Hansiz, Germania sacra Vol. 2, pp. 6-7.
In 1070–1072, Archbishop Gebhard created the diocese of Gurk out of part of Carinthia. In 1075, Pope Gregory VII pointed out that the archbishop had not yet assigned appropriate decimae to the new diocese.Brackmann, pp. 4, 123-124; 125 no. 2: "a Gregorio YII admonitus, novae dioecesis terminos minime constituit et decimas episcopo debitas sibi retinuit, ita ut Gurcensis episcopus archiepiscopi tantum vicarius esset." The boundaries of the diocese of Gurk were finally delimited in 1131 by Archbishop Conrad, and the decima tax assigned in 1144.Brackmann, p. 124.
On 28 February 1163, Pope Alexander III appointed Archbishop Eberhard of Salzburg his legate for the German kingdom (Legatum in regno Teutonico).Hansiz, II, pp. 273-274, quoting the papal bull.
Archbishop Adalbert and Frederick Barbarossa
Archbishop Adalbert (Vojtěch) was the third son of Vladislaus II, Duke and King of Bohemia, and Gertrude of Babenberg, Duchess of Bohemia, the daughter of Leopold III, Margrave of Austria. Elected in the autumn of 1168, he was enthroned on 1 November, and on 16 March 1169 consecrated a bishop by the Patriarch of Aquileia, and on 23 March Cardinal Conrad von Wittelsbach presented him with the pallium which had been sent by Pope Alexander.Fischer, pp. 51-52. Brackmann, p. 31, no. 101. In the schism which had begun at the papal election of 1159, Adalbert took the side of Alexander III against the minority of imperialist cardinals who elected Cardinal John of Struma as antipope Calixtus III (1168–1178). When the archbishop appeared as summoned at the diet of Babenberg on 8 June 1169, the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa refused to receive him, and at the beginning of August invaded the territory of Salzburg."Cronica Magni presbyteris Richerspergensis," sub anno 1169, in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Tomus XXVII (Hannover: Hahn 1861), p. 490: "Iam enim imperator firmaverat faciem suam adversum ecclesiam Salzburgensem, et ut exequeretur quod diu mente conceperat, venit in partes Bawariae, et sic Salzburg in principoi mensis Augusti, propositum haben vastare et dissipare totum epsicopatum, si quis restitisset." Henricus Archidiaconus, "Historia calamitatum ecclesiae Salsiburgiensis,", p. 1543. On 28 January 1171, Pope Alexander wrote to the king of Bohemia and to the duke of Austria, urging them to come to the aid of the archbishop, who was being harassed by the schismatics.Brackmann, pp. 32-33, nos. 103-105. In 1172, on 20 February, the emperor held a diet at Salzburg, to which the archbishop was not invited; he appeared anyway, but did not receive a friendly welcome from the emperor. The bishop of Gurk and the Provost, Dean and Chapter of Salzburg informed the pope that Frederick was pressuring them to elect a different archbishop of Salzburg.Brackmann, p. 34, nos. 109-110. In 1173, Barbarossa attacked both Austria and Bohemia, and deposed Archbishop Adalbert's father and uncle Henry II, Duke of Austria."Cronica Magni presbyteris Richerspergensis,", sub anno 1172, p. 497 sub anno 1773, p. 498. Hansiz (1729), Germaniae sacræ: Archiepiscopatus Salisburgensis Tomus II, pp. 288-291.
On 26 May 1174, Frederick Barbarossa held another diet in Ratisbon, attended by nearly all the important men in Germany, and by all the suffragan bishops of Salzburg, except the Bishop of Freising. Archbishop Adalbert and his uncle Henry, Duke of Austria, were present. The stated purpose of the meeting was to decide on the tenure of the diocese of Salzburg by Adalbert. A motion to depose the archbishop was presented by Richerius, the bishop-elect of Brixen, and agreed to by all the leaders of the kingdom except Duke Henry of Austria. At the emperor's command, the assembly elected Heinrich, the Prior of Berchtesgaden, as the new archbishop."Cronica Magni presbyteris Richerspergensis," sub anno 1174, in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Tomus XVII (Hannover: Hahn 1861), p. 498. Adalbert's father, the king of Bohemia had died the previous January. On 8 September 1174, Pope Alexander voided all the actions of the diet against Adalbert, and declared Heinrich intrusus.Bruckmann, p. 35-36, no. 114
Archbishop Adalbert of Bohemia was deprived of the diocese of Salzburg by Pope Alexander III on 9 August 1177, to win the favor of the Emperor.Meiller (1866), Regesta episcorum Salisburgensium inde ab anno MCVI usque ad annum MCCXLVI, p. 128, citing the "Continuatio Claustroneoburgensis Tertia", in Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scroptorum Tomus IX (Hannover: Hahn 1851), p. 631: "Albertus Salzpurgensis archiepiscopus...canonice electus et consecratus, et ab ipso apostolico pluribus epistolis confirmatus, ob gratiam et favorem imperatoris ab eodem papa ecclesia sua privatus est...." Brackmann, p. 39, no. 130. Archbishop-elect Heinrich was named bishop of Brixen, on the instigation of the emperor. Cardinal Conrad of Mainz was appointed archbishop of Salzburg.Meiller (1866), p. 129.
Adalbert was restored to his diocese on 19 November 1183, ex praecepto Imperatoris.Meiller (1866), Regesta episcorum Salisburgensium inde ab anno MCVI usque ad annum MCCXLVI, p. 143. Pope Lucius III confirmed him in all his rights and privileges in a bull of 3 December 1184.Brackmann, p. 43, no. 142.
Pope Innocent IV and the See of Salzburg In 1246 (or 1247), Pope Innocent IV issued a decree inhibiting all the cathedral Chapters in Germany from electing a new bishop to a vacant see without consultation with the pope and obtaining his consent.Élie Berger, Les registres d'Innocent IV Vol. 1 (Paris: Thorin 1884), p. 361: "... praesertim cum universis capitulis cathedralium ecclesiarum Alamanie tam per nostras literas quam per dilectum filium [Philippum] Ferrariensem electum, Apostolice Sedis legatum, ne ipsis ecclesiis, cum eas vacare contingeret, pastores eligere absque nostro consilio et assensu presumerent, duxerimus inhibendum...." He was well aware that a number of German bishops were supporters of Frederick II, and that, when their sees fell vacant, it was imperative to supply them with successors loyal to the papacy. Archbishop Eberhard of Salzburg had been a supporter of Frederick since 1240, and when he died on 1 December 1246,Eubel I, p. 432. Pope Innocent was prepared to act, but the Chapter had already unanimously elected Philippus, the son of Duke Bernhard von Kärnten and grandson of King Ottokar I of Bohemia, Provost of Vyšehrad. Innocent paid no attention to their presumption.Fischer, pp. 58-59. On 25 February 1247, he wrote to the Chapter of Salzburg that he had appointed the Provost of Fritzlar, Burcardus, to the post of archbishop of Salzburg,Burger, Les registres d'Innocent IV, p. 361, no. 2436. and he consecrated him with his own hands. Hansiz II, p. 345. Unfortunately, Archbishop Burcardus died during his journey from Avignon to Salzburg, at Salmannsweiler im Breisgau, at the end of July or beginning of August 1247.Fischer, p. 59.