Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg
Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg | |||||||||
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| 1165–1598 | |||||||||
Episcopal territories, about 1535 | |||||||||
| Status | State of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Brandenburg an der Havel Ziesar (residence) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Brandenburgisch, Polabian | ||||||||
| Religion | Catholic until the 1530s, then Lutheran | ||||||||
| Government | Elective monarchy, ruled by the bishop holding the see, elected by the cathedral chapter or, exceptionally, appointed by the Pope, or ruled by a regent | ||||||||
| Prince-Bishop, or Regent | |||||||||
• 1173–1179 | Prince-Bishop Sigfrid I | ||||||||
• 1421–1459 | Prince-Bishop Stephan | ||||||||
• 1560–1569 | Regent John George | ||||||||
• 1569–1571 | Regent Joachim Frederick | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Diocese founded and restored | 948 1161 | ||||||||
• Territorial reign est. | 1165 | ||||||||
• De facto supremacy of Electoral Brandenburg | 1373 | ||||||||
• Electors privileged to choose candidates for the see | 1447 | ||||||||
• Secularised as part of Electoral Brandenburg | 1571 | ||||||||
• Legal dissolution | 1598 | ||||||||
| Currency | rixdollar | ||||||||
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The Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg (German: Hochstift Brandenburg) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the 12th century until it was secularized during the second half of the 16th century. It should not be confused with the larger Diocese of Brandenburg (Latin: Dioecesis Brandenburgensis) established by King Otto I of Germany in 948, in the territory of the Marca Geronis (Saxon Eastern March) east of the Elbe river. The diocese, over which the prince-bishop exercised only spiritual authority, was a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg, its seat was Brandenburg an der Havel.