The German Mediatisation is the name of the process of secularisation and mediatisation which occurred in Germany during and after the Napoleonic Wars. "Secularisation" is the process of removing temporal authority from spiritual leaders, such as Bishops, Abbots, and Abbesses. "Mediatisation" is the process of annexing one states' territory but leaving the annexed states' rulers with specific rights and privileges. The secularisation of the states in Germany was complete in 1803. The mediatisation occurred from 1806 - 1815. The states mediatised before the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine (July 12, 1806), or those ruled by states which did not have a seat in the College of Princes or one of the four Benches of Counts, are not considered amongst the "Mediatised Houses".
The Secularisation[]
In 1797 Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the combined forces of the Holy Roman Empire, and by the Treaty of Campo Formio (1801) annexed all lands west of the Rhine River. It was the responsibility of the Holy Roman Emperor to compensate many now stateless nobles with new lands, and the only lands to give were those held by ecclesiastical states. With France's insistence, the Reichstag in 1803 officially secularised all of the ecclesiastical states and redistributed their lands amongst the nobles of Germany.
List of Secularised States[]
Name | Type | Recipient |
---|---|---|
Alsace and Burgundy | Bailiwick | - |
Augsburg | Bishopric | Bavaria |
Baindt | Abbey | Aspremont-Lynden |
Bamberg | Bishopric | Bavaria |
Basel | Bishopric | - |
Berchtesgaden | Provostry | Salzburg |
Besançon | Archbishopric | - |
Brixen | Bishopric | Austria |
Buchau | Abbey | Thurn and Taxis |
Burtscheid | Abbey | - |
Buxheim | Abbey | Ostein and Goltstein |
Buxheim: Pless | - | Wartenberg |
Chur | Bishopric | - |
Coblenz | Bailiwick | - |
Cologne | Archbishopric | Arenberg and Hesse-Darmstadt |
Constance (Konstanz) | Bishopric | Baden |
Cornelimünster | Abbey | - |
Corvey | Bishopric | Nassau-Orange |
Eichstätt | Bishopric | Bavaria |
Elchingen | Abbey | Bavaria |
Ellwangen | Provostry | Württemberg |
Essen | Abbey | Prussia |
Freising | Bishopric | Bavaria |
Fulda | Bishopric | Nassau-Orange |
Gandersheim | Abbey | Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |
Gengenbach | Abbey | Baden |
Gernrode | Abbey | Anhalt |
Gutenzell | Abbey | Törring-Gutenzell |
Heggbach | Abbey | Waldbott von Bassenheim |
Herford | Abbey | Prussia |
Hildesheim | Bishopric | Prussia |
Irsee | Abbey | Bavaria |
Kaisersheim (Kaisheim) | Abbey | Bavaria |
Kempten | Abbey | Bavaria |
Liège (Lüttich) | Bishopric | - |
Lübeck | Bishopric | Oldenburg |
Mainz | Archbishopric | Hesse-Darmstadt and Nassau-Weilburg |
Marchthal | Abbey | Thurn and Taxis |
Münster | Bishopric | Prussia, Arenberg, Salm-Salm, Salm-Kyrburg and Berg |
Neresheim | Abbey | Thurn and Taxis |
Niedermünster in Regensburg | Abbey | Prince-Primacy |
Obermünster in Regensburg | Abbey | Prince-Primacy |
Ochsenhausen | Abbey | Metternich-Winneburg |
Ochsenhausen: Tannheim | - | Schaesberg |
Ochsenhausen: Winterrieden | - | Sinzendorf |
Odenheim and Bruchsal | Abbey | Baden |
Osnabrück | Bishopric | Hannover |
Paderborn | Bishopric | Prussia |
Passau | Bishopric | Bavaria |
Petershausen | Abbey | Baden |
Prüm | Abbey | Denmark |
Quedlinburg | Abbey | Prussia |
Regensburg | Bishopric | Prince-Primacy |
Roggenburg | Abbey | Bavaria |
Roth | Abbey | Wartenberg |
Rottenmünster | Abbey | Württemberg |
St Emmeran in Regensburg | Abbey | Prince-Primacy |
St George in Isny | Abbey | Quadt-Isny |
St Ulrich and St Afra in Augsburg | Abbey | Bavaria |
Salmannsweiler (Salem) | Abbey | Baden |
Salzburg | Archbishopric | Salzburg |
Schussenried | Abbey | Sternberg and Manderscheid, Nesselrode-Reichenstein and Sickingen |
Söflingen | Abbey | Bavaria |
Speyer | Bishopric | Baden |
Stablo-Malmedy | Abbey | - |
Strasbourg | Bishopric | Baden |
Thorn | Abbey | - |
Trent (Trento) | Bishopric | Austria |
Trier | Archbishopric | - |
Urspring | Abbey | Württemberg |
Weingarten | Abbey | Nassau-Orange |
Weissenau | Abbey | Sternberg and Manderscheid |
Weissenburg | Provostry | - |
Werden-Helmstädt | Abbey | Prussia |
Wettenhausen | Abbey | Bavaria |
Worms | Bishopric | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Würzburg | Bishopric | Bavaria |
Zwiefalten | Abbey | Württemberg |
The Teutonic Order and the Knights of St. John were not "secularised". The Electors of Cologne, Mainz and Trier kept their votes despite being secularised. Those without recipients were either annexed to France or Switzerland by 1801.
Mediatised Free Cities[]
In 1803, the Free and Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire were also abolished and annexed to other states, with the exceptions of Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck, Augsburg, Nuremberg and Frankfurt. Of these, Augsburg was mediatised to Bavaria in 1805, Nuremberg in 1806, Frankfurt to the Prince-Primacy in 1806, and Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck to France in 1810. Frankfurt, Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck were later restored at the Congress of Vienna.
List of Mediatised Cities[]
Name | Recipient |
---|---|
Aachen | - |
Aalen | Württemberg |
Biberach | Baden |
Bopfingen | Bavaria |
Buchau | Thurn and Taxis |
Buchhorn (Friedrichshafen) | Bavaria |
Cologne | - |
Dinkelsbühl | Bavaria |
Dortmund | Nassau-Orange |
Esslingen | Württemberg |
Friedberg in der Wetterau | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Gengenbach | Baden |
Giengen an der Brenz | Württemberg |
Goslar | Prussia |
Heilbronn | Württemberg |
Isny | Quadt-Isny |
Kaufbeuren | Bavaria |
Kempten | Bavaria |
Leutkirch | Bavaria |
Lindau | Bretzenheim |
Memmingen | Bavaria |
Mühlhausen | Prussia |
Nordhausen | Prussia |
Nördlingen | Bavaria |
Offenburg | Baden |
Pfullendorf | Baden |
Ravensburg | Bavaria |
Regensburg | Prince-Primacy |
Reutlingen | Württemberg |
Rothenburg ob der Tauber | Bavaria |
Rottweil | Württemberg |
Schwäbisch Gmünd | Württemberg |
Schwäbisch Hall | Württemberg |
Schweinfurt | Bavaria |
Speyer | - |
Überlingen | Baden |
Ulm | Bavaria |
Wangen | Bavaria |
Weil der Stadt | Württemberg |
Weissenburg im Nordgau | Bavaria |
Wetzlar | Prince-Primacy |
Wimpfen | Bavaria |
Windsheim | Bavaria |
Worms | - |
Zell am Harmersbach | Baden |
Those without recipients were annexed to France in 1801.
The Mediatisation[]
In 1806 the Holy Roman Empire was abolished, and Napoleon Bonaparte had created the Confederation of the Rhine in its stead. As an incentive to join the confederation, states which joined were granted permission to mediatise neighbouring states. Further mediatisations occurred in 1807 with the creation of the Kingdom of Westphalia, when Napoleon annexed northwestern Germany to enforce the Continental Blockade in 1810, and further mediatisations took place at the Congress of Vienna in 1814/5. Those houses which were mediatised became known as the "Mediatised Houses".
Compare the list of Mediatised States with the Mediatised Houses.
List of Mediatised States[]
Name | Date | Recipient |
---|---|---|
Anhalt-Bernburg-Hoym | 1806 | Nassau-Weilburg |
Arenberg (Aremberg) | 1810 | France |
Aspremont-Lynden | 1806 | Württemberg |
Auersperg | 1806 | Austria and Baden |
Bentheim-Bentheim and Steinfurt | 1806 | Berg |
Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda | 1806 | Berg |
Bentinck | 1810 | France |
Boyneburg-Bömelberg | 1806 | Salm-Kyrburg |
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | 1807 | Westphalia |
Castell-Castell | 1806 | Bavaria |
Castell-Rüdenhausen | 1806 | Bavaria |
Colloredo-Mansfeld | 1806 | Austria, Prince-Primacy and Württemberg |
Croÿ-Dulmen | 1806 | Arenberg |
Dietrichstein | 1806 | Württemberg |
Erbach-Erbach | 1806 | Bavaria, Hesse-Darmstadt and Württemberg |
Erbach-Furstenau | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Erbach-Schönberg | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Esterházy von Galántha | 1806 | Bavaria |
Fugger-Babenhausen | 1806 | Austria and Bavaria |
Fugger-Glött | 1806 | Bavaria |
Fugger-Kirchberg-Weissenhorn | 1806 | Württemberg |
Fugger-Kirchheim | 1806 | Bavaria |
Fugger-Norndorf | 1806 | Bavaria, and Württemberg |
Fürstenberg | 1806 | Austria, Baden, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Württemberg |
Giech | 1806 | Austria |
Grävenitz | 1806 | Berg |
Harrach | 1806 | Austria |
Hesse-Cassel | 1807 | Westphalia |
Hesse-Homburg | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Hohenlohe-Bartenstein | 1806 | Württemberg |
Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen | 1806 | Württemberg |
Hohenlohe-Jagstberg | 1806 | Württemberg |
Hohenlohe-Kirchberg | 1806 | Württemberg |
Hohenlohe-Langenburg | 1806 | Württemberg |
Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst | 1806 | Bavaria and Württemberg |
Isenburg | 1814 | Austria, Hesse-Darmstadt and Prussia |
Isenburg-Büdingen | 1806 | Isenburg |
Isenburg-Meerholz | 1806 | Isenburg |
Isenburg-Wächtersbach | 1806 | Isenburg |
Kaunitz-Rietberg | 1807 | Westphalia |
Khevenhüller-Metsch | 1806 | Austria |
Königsegg-Aulendorf | 1806 | Württemberg |
Kuefstein-Greillenstein | 1806 | Austria |
Leiningen (Leiningen-Hartenburg) | 1806 | Baden, Bavaria and Hesse-Darmstadt |
Leiningen-Alt-Westerburg | 1806 | Berg and Hesse-Darmstadt |
Leiningen-Billigheim | 1806 | Baden |
Leiningen-Neudenau | 1806 | Baden |
Leiningen-Neu-Westerburg | 1806 | Berg and Nassau-Weilburg |
Leyen | 1814 | Austria, Baden and Prussia |
Lobcowicz (Lobkowitz) | 1806 | Bavaria |
Looz-Corswarem | 1806 | Berg |
Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenburg | 1806 | Baden, Berg, Bavaria, Hesse-Darmstadt, Prince-Primacy and Württemberg |
Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | 1806 | Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt and Prince-Primacy |
Metternich-Winneburg | 1806 | Württemberg |
Nassau-Orange | 1806 | Baden, Berg and Württemberg |
Neipperg | 1806 | Austria |
Nesselrode-Reichenstein | 1806 | Nassau-Weilburg |
Orsini and Rosenberg | 1806 | Austria |
Ortenburg | 1806 | Würzburg |
Ostein | 1806 | Bavaria |
Öttingen-Spielberg | 1806 | Bavaria and Württemberg |
Öttingen-Wallerstein | 1806 | Bavaria and Württemberg |
Pappenheim | 1806 | Austria and Bavaria |
Platen-Hallermund | 1805 | Prussia |
Plettenberg-Lenhausen | 1806 | Württemberg |
Plettenberg-Wittem | 1806 | Württemberg |
Pückler and Limpurg | 1806 | Austria and Bavaria |
Quadt-Isny | 1806 | Württemberg |
Rechberg and Rothenlöwen | 1806 | Austria and Württemberg |
Rechteren-Limpurg-Speckfeld | 1806 | Bavaria |
Salm-Horstmar | 1806 | Berg |
Salm-Kyrburg | 1810 | France |
Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck | 1806 | Baden and Württemberg |
Salm-Reifferscheid-Hainsbach | 1806 | Baden and Württemberg |
Salm-Reifferscheid-Krautheim | 1806 | Baden and Württemberg |
Salm-Rhinegrafenstein and Grehweiler | 1806 | Berg |
Salm-Salm | 1810 | France |
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | 1806 | Berg and Hesse-Darmstadt |
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohnstein | 1806 | Prussia and Württemberg |
Schaesberg | 1806 | Württemberg |
Schlitz genannt von Görtz | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Schönborn-Wiesentheid | 1806 | Bavaria |
Schönburg-Penig-Vorderglauchau-Wechselburg | 1740 | Austria and Saxony |
Schönburg-Rochsburg-Hinterglauchau | 1740 | Saxony |
Schönburg-Waldenburg | 1740 | Austria and Saxony |
Schwarzenberg | 1806 | Austria, Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg |
Sickingen | 1806 | Austria |
Sinzendorf | 1806 | Austria and Bavaria |
Solms-Braunfels | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt, Prussia and Württemberg |
Solms-Laubach | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Solms-Hohensolms-Lich | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt, Prussia and Württemberg |
Solms-Rödelheim-Assenheim | 1806 | Hesse-Cassel and Hesse-Darmstadt |
Solms-Wildenfels | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Stadion-Thannhausen | 1806 | Bavaria |
Stadion-Warthausen | 1806 | Württemberg |
Starhemberg | 1806 | Austria |
Sternberg and Manderscheid | 1806 | Austria and Württemberg |
Stolberg-Rossla | 1806 | Hesse-Darmstadt |
Stolberg-Stolberg | 1806 | Prussia |
Stolberg-Wernigerode | 1807 | Hesse-Darmstadt (1806) and Westphalia (1807) |
Thurn and Taxis | 1806 | Baden, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Württemberg |
Törring-Gutenzell | 1806 | Württemberg |
Trautmansdorf-Weinsberg | 1806 | Austria and Baden |
Waldbott von Bassenheim | 1806 | Bavaria, Nassau-Weilburg and Württemberg |
Waldburg-Waldsee | 1806 | Württemberg |
Waldburg-Wurzach | 1806 | Württemberg |
Waldburg-Zeil | 1806 | Württemberg |
Waldeck-Limpurg | 1806 | Württemberg |
Wallmoden-Gimborn | 1806 | Berg, Mecklenberg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
Wartenberg | 1806 | Württemberg |
Wied-Neuwied | 1806 | Nassau-Weilburg and Prussia |
Wied-Runkel | 1806 | Berg, Nassau-Weilburg and Prussia |
Windisch-Grätz-Eglofs | 1806 | Austria and Württemberg |
Wurmbrand-Stuppach | 1806 | Austria |