Prince-Bishopric of Liège | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 980–1789 1791–1792 1793–1795 | |||||||||
 Flag  Coat of arms | |||||||||
 The Prince-Bishopric of Liège around 1350. | |||||||||
| Status | Ecclesiasticstate of theHoly Roman Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Liège | ||||||||
| Common languages | Latin andOld French, becomingFrancien (French),Walloon andGerman[1] | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||||||
| Government | Elective principality | ||||||||
| Prince-Bishop | |||||||||
• 340s–384 | Saint Servatius (first bishop, atTongeren) | ||||||||
• approximately 670–700 | Saint Lambert (atMaastricht) | ||||||||
• 972–1008 | Notker (first prince-bishop) | ||||||||
• 1792–1794 | François-Antoine-Marie de Méan (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Creation of diocese | 340s | ||||||||
• Secular powers obtained | 980 | ||||||||
• PurchasedLordship of Bouillon | 1096 | ||||||||
• AnnexedCounty of Loon | 1366 | ||||||||
• AcquiredCounty of Horne | 1568 | ||||||||
| 1789–1791 | |||||||||
| 1795 | |||||||||
• Concordat accepts dissolution of Bishopric | 10 September 1801 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Belgium France Germany Netherlands | ||||||||
ThePrince-Bishopric of Liège orPrincipality of Liège[2] was aRoman Catholicecclesiastical principality of theHoly Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-dayBelgium. It was anImperial Estate, so thebishop of Liège, as its prince, had a seat and a vote in theImperial Diet.[3] The Prince-Bishopric of Liège should not be confused with theDiocese of Liège, which was larger and over which the prince-bishop exercised only the usual responsibilities of a bishop.
The bishops ofLiège acquired their status asprince-bishops between 980 and 985 when BishopNotker of Liège, who had been the bishop since 972, received secular control of theCounty of Huy fromEmperor Otto II.
From 1500, the prince-bishopric belonged to theLower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle. Its territory included most of the present Belgian provinces ofLiège andLimburg, and some exclaves in other parts of Belgium and the Netherlands.
The ecclesiastical state briefly became a republic (theRepublic of Liège) from 1789 to 1791, before reverting to a prince-bishopric in 1791. The role of the bishop as prince permanently ended when the state was annexed by France in 1795. In 1815 the territories it had held became part of theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands, and in 1830 they were within the part of that kingdom which split off to becomeBelgium.
The principality ruled by the bishops of Liège was never part of theSeventeen Provinces or the Spanish and AustrianSouthern Netherlands, but from the 16th century onwards its politics were strongly influenced by thedukes of Burgundy and later theHabsburgs.
In 1559 its 1,636parishes were grouped into eightarchdeaconries, and twenty-eight councils,chrétientés (deaneries). The most important cities (bonnes villes) of the bishopric were: Liège,Beringen,Bilzen,Borgloon,Bree,Châtelet,Ciney,Couvin,Dinant,Fosses-la-Ville,Hamont,Hasselt,Herk-de-Stad,Huy,Maaseik,Peer,Sint-Truiden,Stokkem,Thuin,Tongeren,Verviers,Visé andWaremme.
The city ofMaastricht fell under thejoint jurisdiction of the prince-bishop of Liège and theduke of Brabant (later theStates-General of the United Provinces). The second city of the prince-bishopric thus kept its special status throughout theancien régime.
The large diocese of the medieval bishops was, until 1559, much larger than the princedom which was in their possession. However, the princely domain was gradually enlarged by donations and by acquisitions. In the 10th century, the bishops receivedsecular lordship over thecounty of Huy, which lay within thediocese. BishopNotker (972–1008) and his successors are thus referred to as princes within theHoly Roman Empire. This situation continued until theFrench Revolution, and throughout that period of nearly eight centuries the Prince-Bishopric of Liège succeeded in maintaining a level of autonomy, though it remained under the emperor. This virtual independence was owed largely to the ability of its bishops, who on several occasions played an important part in international politics, being strategically positioned betweenFrance andGermany.[citation needed]
Throughout the Middle Ages, the prince-bishopric was further expanded with thelordship of Bouillon in 1096 (ceded to France in 1678), the acquisition of thecounty of Loon (French:Looz) in 1366 and thecounty of Horne in 1568.
Notker, the founder of the principality, also rebuilt the cathedral of St Lambert, as well as the episcopal palace. He was also involved in other building activities in the city, which flourished under his rule (churches of St Paul, St. John the Evangelist, Sainte-Croix and St Denis). This bishop also strengthened the parochial organization of the city. He was one of the first church leaders to spread the observance ofAll Souls' Day, which he authorized for his diocese. Under Notker's administration, following up on the work of Heraclius, educational institutions in Liège flourished. With these two bishops (andWazo) "The schools of Liège were, in fact, at that time one of the brightest literary foci of the period". In the 11th century the city was indeed known as theAthens of the North. "Liège for more than a century occupied among the nations a position in regard to science which it has never recovered". Subsequent bishops, Balderic of Looz (1008–1018),Wolbodo (1018–1021), Durandus (1021–1025), Reginard (1025–1038), Nitard (1038–1042), the learnedWazo, and Theoduin (1048–1075), valiantly sustained the heritage of Notker. The schools formed many brilliant scholars, and gave the Catholic Church popesStephen IX andNicholas II. The diocese also supplied theUniversity of Paris with a number of important doctors —William of Saint-Thierry,Gerard of Liège andGodfrey of Fontaines.Alger of Liège (1055–1131) was an important intellectual of the period. He was first appointed deacon ofchurch of St Bartholomew and finally retired at the monastery ofCluny.
In the reign ofHenry of Verdun (1075–1091) a tribunal was instituted (tribunal de la paix) to prevent war and enforce thePeace of God.Otbert (1091–1119) increased the territory of the principality by purchasing theLordship of Bouillon. He remained faithful to emperorHenry IV, who died as his guest. Henry of Namur (1119–1121) was venerated as a martyr. During the administration ofAlexander of Juliers (1128–1134) thepope, theemperor andSt Bernard of Clairvaux visited Liège. The episcopate ofRaoul of Zachringen was marked by the preaching of the reformerLambert le Bègue, who is credited with founding theBéguines.
Albert of Louvain was elected Bishop of Liège in 1191, butEmperor Henry VI, on the pretext that the election was doubtful, gave the see to Lothair of Hochstadt. Albero's election was confirmed by the pope but in 1192, shortly after he took office, he was assassinated by three German knights atReims. It is probable that the emperor was privy to this murder but Albero was canonized. In 1195, Albert de Cuyck (1195–1200) formally recognized thepolitical franchise of the people of Liège. During the 12th century, the cathedralchapter, along with the bishop, assumed a more important role in the history of the principality.
The struggles between the upper and lower classes, in which the prince-bishops frequently intervened, developed through the 13th and 14th centuries, and culminate in the 15th century in the pillage and destruction of the episcopal city. In the reign of Robert of Thourotte (1240–1246),Saint Juliana — a nun ofCornillon Abbey — was led by certain visions to the project of having a feast established in honour of theBlessed Sacrament. After much hesitation, the bishop approved of her idea but death prevented the institution of the feast. The completion of the work was left to a formerprior of theDominicans in Liège,Hugh of Saint-Cher, who returned to the city as papal legate. In 1252 Hugh made the feast of theBlessed Sacrament an obligation throughout his diocese. John of Troyes, who, after having been archdeacon at Liège, was elected pope asUrban IV, encouraged the observance of the feast ofCorpus Christi in the whole Church. Another archdeacon of Liège became pope under the nameGregory X and deposed the unworthy Henry ofGueldres (1247–1274). ThePeace of Fexhe, signed in 1316 during the reign ofAdolph II de la Marck (1313–1344), regulated the relations between the prince-bishop and his subjects. Nevertheless, internal discord continued and the episcopate of Arnold ofHorne (1378–1389) was marked by the triumph of the popular party. In 1366, thecounty of Loon was annexed to the bishopric.
Upon the death ofLouis of Male,count of Flanders, in 1384, the Low Countries began their unification within theBurgundian Netherlands. Though the principality was still nominally independent, theDukes of Burgundy have had an increasing influence on its government.Louis of Bourbon (1456–1482) was placed on the throne of Liège by the political machinations ofPhilip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. The population resisted Burgundian rule leading to theLiège Wars, the destruction ofDinant in 1466, and of Liège in 1468 byCharles the Bold, marking the ending of democratic ascendancy in the principality.
Charles V completed the union of theSeventeen Provinces in the 1540s, and unofficially also controlled the principality.[4] He nominatedÉrard de La Marck (1505–1538) who brought a period of restoration. Erard was an enlightened protector of the arts. It was he who commenced the struggle against theProtestant reformers, which his successors carried forth, especially Gerard of Groesbeeck (1564–1580). With the object of assisting in this struggle,Paul IV, byBull (Super Universi, 12 May 1559), created new bishoprics in theLow Countries. The new bishoprics were created largely at the expense of the diocese of Liège; many of its parishes were given to the new dioceses ofRoermond,'s-Hertogenbosch,Namur,Mechelen andAntwerp. The number of deaneries in the diocese of Liège was reduced to 13.
Liège formed the last link in the chain of Habsburg allies that made up the so-calledSpanish Road, a military corridor between Spanish-controlledLombardy and theSpanish Netherlands. Completely encircled by Spanish territory, Liège was protected by treaties of neutrality which permitted the passage of Spanish troops through the prince-bishop's territory provided that they spent no more than two nights in one place. The importance of the prince-bishopric to Habsburg military logistics in theEighty Years War prompted Spanish intervention foiling a Dutch invasion in 1595.[5]
Most of the bishops in the 17th century were foreigners, many of them holding several bishoprics at once. Their frequent absences gave free scope for those feuds of theChiroux and theGrignoux to whichMaximilian Henry of Bavaria (archbishop of Cologne, 1650–1688) put a stop by the Edict of 1681. In the middle of the 18th century the ideas of the Frenchencyclopedists began to be received at Liège; Bishopde Velbrück (1772–1784), encouraged their propagation and thus prepared the way for the 1789Liège Revolution. Partially connected with the French Revolution, a protest against the absolutist rule of prince bishopCésar-Constantin-François de Hoensbroeck developed into the Liège Revolution. At the beginning of 1791, the revolution was crushed by troops on the orders of the Holy Roman Empire.
The prince-bishopric was dissolved in 1795, when it was annexed byFrance. Its territory was divided amongst the départements ofMeuse-Inférieure,Ourthe, andSambre-et-Meuse.
Media related toPrince-Bishopric of Liège at Wikimedia Commons| Prince-bishops |  | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince-abbots | |||||||
| Secular | |||||||
| Counts /Lords |
| ||||||
| Cities | |||||||
1 from 1648 2 until 1648 3 without seat inImperial Diet ? status uncertain Circles est. 1500:Bavarian,Swabian,Upper Rhenish,Lower Rhenish–Westphalian,Franconian,(Lower) Saxon
| |||||||
