AUGSBURG
AUGSBURG
vated many churches and monasteries laid waste in
the wars of the Franks and Bavarians, and during
the incui-sions of the Avari; he built the first cathe-
dral of Augsburg in honour of the Most Blessed
Virgin; and obtained from the Emperor Charlemagne
an exact definition of Ids diocesan limits. His ju-
risdiction extended at that time from the lUer east-
ward over the Lech, north of the Danube to the Alb,
and south to the spurs of the Alps. Moreover, va-
rious estates and villages in the \allej' of the Danube,
and in the TjtoI, belonged to the diocese. Among
the bishops of the following period a certain number
are especially prominent, either on account of the
offices they filled in the Empire, or for their personal
qualifications; thus Witgar (8S7-S7), Chancellor and
.A.rchchaplain of Louis the German; Adalbero (887
-910), of the line of the Counts of DiUingen, confi-
dant and friend of Emperor Arnulf, who entrusted
Adalbero with the education of his son, the German
King Louis the Child, distinguished for generosity
to the monasteries. The See of Augsburg reached
the period of its greatest splendour under St. Ulrich
(923-973); he raised the standard of training and
disciphne among the clergy by the reformation of
existing schools arid the establishment of new ones,
and by canonical visitations and synods; he provided
for the poor, and rebuilt decayed churches and mon-
asteries. During the incursion of the Hungarians
and the siege of Augsburg (955), he sustained the
courage of the citizens, compelled the Hungarians to
withdraw, and contributed much to the decisive vic-
torj- on the Lechfeld (955). He built churches in hon-
our of St. Afra and St. John, founded the nionasterj'
of St. Stephen for Benedictine nuns, and undertook
three pilgrimages to Rome. The diocese suffered
much during the episcopate of his successor, Henry I
(973-982), for he sided with the foes of Emperor
Otto II, and remained for several montlis in prison.
After his liberation he renounced his former views
and bequeathed to his church his possessions at Gei-
senhausen. The diocese attained great splendour
under Bishop Bruno (1006-29), brother of Em-
peror Henry II; he restored a number of ruined
monasteries, founded the church and college of St.
Maurice, placed Benedictine monks in the collegiate
church of St. Afra, and added to the episcopal pos-
sessions by the gift of his own inheritance of Strau-
bing. Under Bishop Henrj' II (104 7-63), the guardian
of Henry IV, the diocese secured the right of coinage
and was" enriched by many donations; under Embrico
(or Emmerich, 1063-77) "the cathedral was dedicated
(1065), and the canonicate and church of St. Peter
and St. Felicitas were built. During the last years
of this episcopate occurred the quarrel of Emperor
Heru^'IV with the papacy in which Embrico took the
imperial side and only temporarily yielded to the papal
legate. The struggle continued under his successors;
four anti-bishops were set up in opposition to Siegfried
II (1077-96). Hermann, Count von ^■ohburg (1090
or 1097-1132) supported with treachery and cunning
his claim to the see he had purchased, violently perse-
cuted the Abbot of St. Afra, and expelled him from
the city. Only after the conclusion of the Concordat
of Worms (1122) did Hermann obtain the confirma-
tion of the pope and relief from excommunication.
The political disturbances resulting from the dissen-
sions between the popes and the German emperors
reacted on the Church of Augsburg. There were
short periods of rest, during which ecclesiastical life
received a forward impulse, as, for instance, under
Bishop Walther II, Count Palatine von Dillingen
(1133-52), under whom the possessions of the dio-
cese were again consolidated and increased by his
own inheritance; under UdaLskalk (11S4-1202), who
with great ceremony placed the recently discovered
bones of St. I'lrich in the new church of Sts. Ulrich
and Afra. These day.s of peace alternated with
periods of conflict into which the Bishops of Augsburg
were drawn, often against their will, in their capacity
as Princes of the Empire, and the life of the Church
accordingly suffered decline. I'nder Siboto von Lech-
feld (1227-47) monasteries of the newly founded men-
dicant orders were first established in Augsburg. A
celebrated member of the Franciscans was David of
Augsburg, and of the Dominicans, Albertus Magnus
of Lauingen. Additional causes of conflict were the
troubles that arose between the Bishops of Augsburg
and the city authorities. During the struggles be-
tween the popes and emperors, Augsburg, like other
large cities throughout the greater part of Germany,
attained enormous wealth, owing to the industrial and
commercial activity of the citizens. From time to
time efforts were made to restrict as much as possible
the ancient civil rights of the bishops and their
stewards, and even to abrogate them entirely. From a
state of discontent the citizens passed to open violence
imder the Bishop Hartmann von DiUingen (1248-86),
and wnmg from the bishops many municipal liberties
and advantages. A characteristic instance is the con-
firmation by Emperor Rudolph of Habsburg at the
Reichstag held in Augsburg (1276) of the Stadibuch,
or municipal register, containing the ancient customs,
episcopal and municipal rights, etc., specified in detail;
on the same occasion Augsburg was recognized as a
Free City of the Empire. Hartmann bequeathed to
the Church of Augsburg his paternal inheritance,
including the town and castle of Dillingen. Peace
reigned under the succeeding bishops, of whom
Frederick I (1.309-31) acquired for his see the castle
and stronghold of Fiissen; Ulrich II, von Schoneck
(1331-37). and his brother Henr>- III (1337-48)
remained faithful to Emperor Louis the Bavarian;
Markward I, von Randeck (1348-65), again redeemed
the mortgaged property of the diocese, and by the
favour of Emperor Charles IV was made Patriarch
of Aquileia (1365), New dissensions between the
Bishop and the city arose under Burkhard von EUer-
bach (1373-1404), whose accession was marked by
grave discord growing out of the overthrow of the
Patrizicr. or aristocratic government, and the rise in
municipal power of the crafts or guilds. Irritated by
Burkhard's support of the nobility in their struggle
with the Swabian cities, the inliabitants of Augsburg
plundered the dwellings of the canons, drove some
of the clergj' from the city (1381), destroyed, after
a short interval of respite (13SS), the episcopal strong-
hold, the deanerj', and the mint, and became almost
completely independent of the bishop. Burkhard
proceeded with great energj' against the heresy of
the Wyclifites who had gained a foothold in Augs-
burg, and condemned to the stake fixe persons who
refused to abjure. After the death of Eberhard II
(1404-13), a quarrel arose in 1413 because the city
of Augsburg declined to recognize the lawful Bishop,
Anselm von Nenningcn (1413-23), and set up in
opposition Friedrich von Grafeneck who had been
presented by Emperor .Sigismund. This trouble
was settled Ijy Pope Martin V, who compelled both
bishops to resign, and on his own authority replaced
them by Peter \ on Schauenberg, Canon of Bamberg
and Wurzburg (1423-69).
Peter was endowed by the Pope with extraordinarj' faculties, made cardinal and legate a latere for all Germany. He worked with zeal and energj' for the reformation of his diocese, held sjTiods and made episcopal visitations in order to raise the decadent moral and intellectual life of the clergv-; he restored the discipline and renewed the fallen splendour of many monasteries, canonries, and collegiate churches. He completed the rebuilding of the cathedral in Gothic style, consecrated it in 1431, and in 1457 laid the cornerstone of the new church of Sts. Ilrich and Afra. Succeeding prelates carried on the refor- mation of the diocese with no less solicitude and zeal.
