Konstanz Favorite Tips by Kathrin_E Top 5 Page for this destination

Konstanz's Past as Seat of a Bishop

Favorite thing: Already in the 6th century Konstanz became the seat of a Bishop. From the middle ages to the early 19th century the diocese was the biggest in Central Europe. It extended from the Black Forest and Swabia far south into Switzerland to the Gotthard mountains.

The city of Konstanz managed to obtain more and more privileges and independence. A free imperial city for a short time, it then became property of Austria. The Bishop's power was limited to the cathedral and its surroundings and some buildings in town. The city introduced the reformation in 1527 and drove the Bishop away. The new episcopal residence was installed on the opposite bank of the lake in Meersburg, where a new palace was built in the 18th century.

The Secularization of 1802/03 was the end of the Bishop's government. The property of the diocese was taken over by the Electorate of Baden. The city stayed Austrian - the territorial borders within the city must have been extremely complicated to sort out - but with the peace treaty of Preßburg/Bratislava in late 1805 the Austrian territory also became property of Baden and the problem was solved.

The Bishopric ceased to exist in 1821: To simplify the cooperation of politics and religion, the borders of the dioceses were changed to correspond with the borders of the territories. The Grandduchy of Baden was covered by the new Archdiocese of Freiburg which was established in 1827 after lengthy negotiations with Rome. The diocese of Konstanz was administered by Ignaz von Wessenberg who after the death of the old Bishop had been elected his successor by the cathedral chapter but not confirmed. Wessenberg hoped to become the first Archbishop of Freiburg but failed - instead Bernhard Boll, the former abbot of Salem, got the job. The former cathedral in Konstanz has since then been just the parish church of the city.

Fondest memory: The Münster Church, the cathedral of the diocese, is the most striking remain of the Bishopric of Konstanz. The gothic church (photos 1 and 2) contains treasures of art from the middle ages to modern times and is a 'must' to see. A lot has already been written about it, thus no separate tip here.

Several other buildings once belonged to the diocese and tell of its history. Around Münster square some canons' residences (curiae) are still standing, like the one of Canon von Roll (photo 3) .

Wessenberg Palace (photo 4) opposite the Münster church was the residence of Ignaz von Wessenberg, the interim administrator of the diocese, which he kept even after his application for the Archbishopric of Freiburg had failed. The baroque palace is now a museum.

The provost of the cathedral and his offices occupied a pretty renaissance building bclose to the Rhine (photo 5).