Philip of the Palatinate

Philip of the Palatinate
Prince Bishop Philip of the Palatinate (portrait from circa 1526)
Noble family	House of Wittelsbach
Father	Philip the Upright
Mother	Margaret of Bavaria, Electress Palatine
Born	5 July 1480 Heidelberg
Died	5 January 1541 (aged 60) Freising

Philip of the Palatinate (German: Philipp von der Pfalz; 5 July 1480, Heidelberg – 5 January 1541, Freising) was Prince-Bishop of Freising (1498–1541) and Naumburg (1517–1541). He was a member of the house of Wittelsbach, and the son of Elector Palatine Philip the Upright and Margaret of Bavaria. Among 14 children, he was the second oldest son. Several contemporary portraits of him are known.

Bishop of Freising

Philip defended the diocese of Freising successfully in the turmoil of the German Peasants' War. He managed to keep the Bavarian dukes out of the policy of the bishopric. He initiated many construction projects and is buried in the Freising Cathedral.

Bishop of Naumburg

In 1512, he was appointed Coadjutor of bishop John III of Naumburg. After John died, Philip was appointed Bishop of Naumburg as well. He stayed in Naumburg for ten months. After that, his primary residence was again in Freising, while Naumburg was mostly ruled by administrators. As he enjoyed the good will of the House of Wettin, he took a moderate attitude towards Martin Luther. After the death of Frederick III and the emerging resistance of the Naumburg and Zeitz citizenship, Philip moved to the Catholic camp and paid no more visits to Naumburg. He was tired of ruling and tried to find a successor to the bischopric of Naumburg.

References

• Heinz Wießner: Das Bistum Naumburg 1 - Die Diözese 2, in: Max-Planck-Institut für Geschichte (ed.): Germania Sacra, NF 35.2, Die Bistumer der Kirchenprovinz Magdeburg, Berlin/New York, 1998. p. 951-965.