Bishop of Gurk

The Bishop of Gurk is the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk, which was established by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg, in 1072, as the first suffragan bishop in the Duchy of Carinthia.

Initially performing only the functions of an archiepiscopal vicar, or auxiliary bishop, the bishops of Gurk did not receive a small episcopal territory until 17 July 1131, when Archbishop Conrad of Salzburg defined the boundaries of the diocese.Jaksch I, pp. 97-103, no. 61. The bishops of Gurk were elevated to the rank of prince-bishops by Emperor Frederick III on 15 December 1460,Marian Fidler, Geschichte der ganzen österreichischen, weltlichen und klösterlichen Klerisey beyderley Geschlechts ... Aus den Sammlungen ... Josephs Wendt von Wendtenthal (etc.): Das Innerösterreich. , Vol. 3, part 5 (Sonnleithner, 1783), pp. 503-507. Joseph Chmel, Regesta chronologico-diplomatica Friderici III, Romanorum imperatoris. (Regis IV), , (Wien: C. Gerold's Sohn, 1859), p. 384. however, this title remained honorific and did not involve any immediate statehood. In the course of the Josephinist reforms in 1783, the bishops' see was relocated to the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt and the diocese significantly enlarged.

List of Bishops Bishops of Gurk (until 1460)

Günther von Krappfeld (1072 - 1090)Günther: Schroll, p. 9. Berthold von Zeltschach (1090 - 1106)Berthold: Schroll, pp. 9-10. (1106 - 1131)Hildebold: Schroll, pp. 10-11. Roman (I) (1131 - 1167)Roman died on 3 or 4 April 1167. Schroll, p. 11. Heinrich (I) (1167 - 1174)Heinrich was still bishop-elect on 30 August 1168, when he subscribed a diploma of Archbishop Conrad of Salzburg. On 6 July 1174 at Ratisbon, Heinrich subscribed a diploma of Frederick Barbarossa. Ankershofen, Urkunden-Regesten (Fortsetzung), p. 45, no. 415; p. 10, no. 461. Roman II von Leibnitz (1174 - 1179)Bishop Roman was the son of Eberhard von Leibnitz, and a relative by blood of his predecessor, Bishop Roman. He was Provost of the cathedral of Gurk, and was elected by the clergy and confirmed by Pope Alexander III, who ordered the patriarch of Aquileia to consecrate him a bishop. On 2 June 1176, Pope Alexander appointed him Vicar of the diocese of Salzburg. In a document of 21 July 1178, he states that he had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He died in 1179, probably on 17 August. Jaksch I, pp. 229, no. 289; 231, no. 365; 233, no. 308. Schroll, p. 12. Cf. Ankershofen (1849),Urkunden-Regesten zur Geschichte Kärntens (Fortsetzung)., pp. 42-43, no. 408, dated 11 August 1167, and issued by Bishop Roman at Gurk. Hermann von Ortenburg (1179 - 1180)Hermann was the son of Graf Otto von Ortenburg, and had been Archdeacon of Gurk. He was elected by the cathedral Chapter. His election was not confirmed, however, by Archbishop Conrad von Wittelsbach, who was graviter motus; he besieged Hermann in the episcopal residence in Salzburg. Hermann resigned the bishopric on 31 August 1180. Jaksch I, pp. 233-234, no. 309; 235, no. 311. Schroll, pp. 12-13. Dietrich von Albeck (1180 - 1194) (von Kellnitz)Brother of the crusader Poppo von Albeck, Dietrich had been Provost of Gurk. He was appointed bishop by Archbishop Conrad von Wittelsbach of Salzburg, and consecrated by the archbishop on 2 February 1180. The papal legates, Cardinal Petrus of Frascati and Cardinal Petrus de Bono of S. Susanna, approved the appointment of Dietrich by the archbishop. He participated in the siege of Bishop Hermann in July and August 1180. He resigned in 1194, having become paralyzed by an illness (According to the "Annals of S. Rudbert of Salzburg", citied by Jaksch, he was suffering from paralysis and resigned: "Dietricus Gurcensis episcopus ex nimia infirmitate desperatus episcopatum resignat."), and died on 3 March. Jaksch I, p. 235, no. 312; 237-238, no. 314, 316; 267, no. 359. Schroll, p. 13. Wernher (1194 - 1195)Wernher had been Provost of Klosterneuberg. He was appointed bishop of Gurk by Archbishop Adalbert of Salzburg. Bishop Wernher died on 21 December 1195. Jaksch I, pp. 267-269, nos. 360-364. Schroll, p. 13. Ekkehard (1196 - 1200)Ekkehard had been Provost of Maria Saal. He was already bishop of Gurk by 16 January 1194. He died on 23 April 1200. Jaksch I, p. 269, no. 365, 366; 280, no. 379. Schroll, pp. 13-14. Walther Truchsess von Waldburg (1200 - 1213) (von Vatz)Walther was the uncle of Archbishop Eberhard of Salzburg. He was still bishop-elect in 1202. Andreas von Meiller, Regesta Archiepiscoporum Salisburgensium inde ab a. 1106 usque ad a. 1246, , Wien: Gerold, 1866, p. 176. Bishop Walther died on 18 January 1213: Eubel I, p. 269. Schroll, p. 14. Otto (1214)Otto had been Provost of the cathedral of Salzburg. He was elected bishop of Gurk in May or June 1214, but was already dead on 30 June 1214, still bishop-elect. Schroll, p. 14. Eubel I, p. 269. Heinrich von Pettau (1214 - 1217)Heinrich had been Provost of Maria Saal. He was elected bishop in September 1214. He died on 7 September 1217. Eubel I, p. 269. Schroll, p. 15. Ulschalk (1217 - 1220)He had previously been a canon of Gurk. Bishop Udalschalk's resignation was accepted by Pope Honorius III on 4 December 1220, principally because of increasing blindness, "quod cum corpore senescente debilitata sint et debilitentur iugiter membra tua et praesertim visus tuus caligantibus oculis sit adeo diminutus." He died on 22 May 1231. Eubel I, p. 270, note 2. Schroll, pp. 15; 42-43. Ulrich (I) (1221 - 1253)On 15 January 1222, Pope Honorius III ratified the election of Bishop Ulrich, which had already been confirmed by the archbishop of Salzburg. Eubel I, p. 270. P. Pressutti, Regesta Honorii Papae III, , Vol. 2 (Rome: Typographia Vaticana 1895), p. 32, no. 3731. On 21 July 1237, Bishop Ulrich was in his 17th year as bishop of Gurk: Jaksch II, p. 21, no. 554. He issued another document on 22 April 1238. He died at the end of December 1253. Schroll, p. 16. Dietrich von Marburg (1253 - 1278)Dietrich was a canon of the cathedral of Gurk. He is attested as bishop on 31 May 1254. Bishop Dietrich died on 12 November 1278. Schroll, pp. 16-17. Johann von Ennsthal (1279 - 1281)Ennsthal had been Bishop of Chiemsee (1274–1279). He was nominated bishop of Gurk by Archbishop Friedrich of Salzburg, and transferred by Pope Nicholas III. He died on 22 or 25 or 26 July 1281. Schroll, p. 17. Eubel I, p. 270. Konrad von Lupburg (1282) (declined election)Conrad was Dean of the cathedral of Regensburg. He was elected by the Chapter of Gurk and approved by the archbishop of Salzburg. But, on 17 June 1282, Pope Martin IV voided the election, since he had reserved the appointment of the bishop to himself. He then appointed Conrad on his own papal authority, and ordered the Chapter to show him due reverence. Conrad, however, declined the election. Schroll, pp. 17; 40-42. F. Olivier-Martin, Les registres de Martin IV (Paris: Fontemoing 1901), p. 65, no. 174; p. 142, no. 340. Hartnid von Lichtenstein-Offenberg (1283 - 1298)Considering the death of Bishop Johann von Ennsthal and the refusal of Conrad von Lupburg, leaving the diocese without a leader for too long, on 11 May 1283 Pope Martin IV authorized the Chapter of Gurk to proceed to the election of a suitable person as bishop. Hartnid (Hertrudus), Provost of the collegiate church at Virgilienberg and Archdeacon of Kärnten, was elected on 19 July 1283. He died on 28 November 1298. F. Olivier-Martin, Les registres de Martin IV (Paris: Fontemoing 1901), p. 142, no. 340. Schroll, p. 18. Eubel I, p. 270. Heinrich von Helfenberg (1299 - 1326)Heinrich had been a canon of Salzburg and Bishop of Lavant (1291–1299). He was chosen by the cathedral Chapter and approved by Archbishop Conrad von Vonstorf of Salzburg. His transfer from Lavant to Gurk was authorized by Pope Boniface VIII on 13 April 1299. He died in February 1326. Schroll, pp. 18-19. Georges Digard, Les registres de Boniface VIII , Vol. 2, fasc. 5 (Paris: E. Thorin 1890), p. 379, no. 2991. Eubel I, pp. 270, 298. Gerold von Friesach (1326 - 1333)Gerold, born in Friesach: was the Vicedominus of Salzburg and Provost of Friesach. He appears as bishop of Gurk on 4 April 1326. He erected and endowed the collegiate chapter of S. Nicholas in Strassburg. He died in Friesach on 9 (or 7) December 1333. Schroll, p. 19. Eubel I, p. 270. Lorenz von Brunne (1334 - 1337) (von Grimming)Bishop Lorenz died in Avignon, on 5 August 1337, where he was serving as envoy of the archduke of Austria. Schroll, pp. 19-20. Konrad von Salmansweiler (1337 - 1344)The appointment of Bishop Lorenz had been reserved by the papacy. On 1 October 1337, Pope Benedict XII appointed Abbot Conrad of the Cistercian monastery of Salem in Konstanz. He died in December 1344. Schroll, p. 20. J.-M. Vidal, Benoit XII (1334-1342): lettres communes , Volume 1 (Paris: A. Fontemoing, 1903), p. 381, no. 4089. Eubel I, p. 270. Ulrich von Wildhaus (1345 - 1351)Ulrich von Weisseneck: Schroll, pp. 20-21. Paul von Jägerndorf (1352 - 1359)Paul von Praunspeck: Schroll, pp. 21-22. Johann von Platzheim-Lenzburg (1359 - 1364)On 12 June 1359, Pope Innocent VI had to write an apology to the Emperor Charles IV and Duke Rudolph of Austria, who had nominated Johann von Platzheim, the duke's chancellor and secretary, to the bishopric of Freising, after the pope had already appointed Paul von Jägerdorf. Emil Werunsky, Auszüge aus den Registern der Päpste Clemens VI. und Innocenz VI. zur Geschichte des Kaiserreichs unter Karl IV., , (Innsbruck: Wagner, 1885), p. 141. Johann had been a canon of the Capitular church of Zovingen (Konstanz). He was appointed by Pope Innocent VI on 16 October 1359, to the seat left vacant by the transfer of Paul von Jägerndorf to Freising. Johann was consecrated bishop in May or June 1360. He was transferred to the diocese of Brixen on 14 February 1364. He died on 6 August 1374. Schroll, p. 22. Eubel I, pp. 148 with note 7; 270 with note 9. Johann von Töckheim (1364 - 1376)Johann von Töckheim had been Provost of S. Adalbert in Güör (Hungary) and Bishop of Tini (Knin, Istria) from 1357 to 1363, and was Court Chaplain of King Louis I of Hungary. From 1363 to 1365, he was Landeshauptmann (royal governor) of Kärnten. He was appointed Bishop of Gurk by Pope Urban V on 6 March 1364. In 1365, he was one of the prelates who were papal delegates at the elevation of the church of S. Stephen in Vienna to the status of collegiate church. He died on 29 February 1376. Schroll, pp. 22-23. Eubel I, pp. 270, 486. Johann von Mayrhofer (1376 - 1402)Mayrhofer had been the first Provost of S. Stephen, Vienna. On the death of Bishop Johann, Archbishop Pilgrimus von Puchheim of Salzburg proposed to the Chapter of Gurk: Eckhard von Pernek, Johann von Neuberg, and Provost Albert of Gurk. The dukes of Austria proposed Johann von Mayrhofer. He was confirmed as bishop by 20 July 1376, and on 19 August was granted the privilege by Pope Gregory XI of being consecrated bishop by whomever he wished. From 1386 to 1393, he was tutor/guardian of the sons of Count Mainhard of Gurk. He died on 30 January 1402. Anton von Perger, Der Dom zu Sanct Stephan in Wien, , (Triest: Verlag der Literarisch-Artistischen Abth. des Österreichischen Lloyd, 1854), pp. 82-83. Schroll, p. 23. Eubel I, p. 270 with note 10. Konrad von Hebenstreit (1402 - 1411) Ernst Auer (1411 - 1432)Bishop Ernst died on 27 March 1432. Eubel II, p. 162, note 1. Lorenz von Lichtenberg (1432 - 1436) (Antibishop)Lorenz had been appointed by Archbishop Johann von Reisberg of Salzburg. Eubel II, p. 162, note 1. Schroll, pp. 24-25. Johann V Schallermann (1433 - 1453)Schallermann resigned the diocese between September and 5 November 1453. Eubel II, p. 162. Schroll, pp. 25-26. Ulrich IV Sonnberger (1453 - 1460)

Prince-Bishops of Gurk (1460 - 1787)

Ulrich (IV) Sonnberger (1460 - 1469)