Lucas Watzenrode the Younger
Encyclopedia
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (sometimes Watzelrode and Waisselrod; ; ; Thorn
, 30 October 1447 – 29 March 1512, Thorn) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermeland) and patron to his nephew, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
.
, son of the merchant Lucas Watzenrode the Elder
(1400–62). He studied at Jagiellonian University
and at Cologne
and Bologna
.
After his sister Barbara and her husband Niklas Koppernigk died about 1483, Lucas cared for their four children, Katharina, Barbara, Andreas and Niklas, the last of whom would become known as astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
.
, had, with the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) come under the protection of the King of Poland. Based on that treaty, the Polish King claimed the right to appoint the Bishop—a right that he exercised in his kingdom. Neither the Warmia chapter, however, nor their newly-elected bishop, Nicolaus von Tüngen
(1467–89), acknowledged the King's right to do so.
Poland contested von Tüngen's election, and this led to the War of the Priests
(1467–79) and the First Treaty of Piotrków Trybunalski (1479), by which the chapter was obliged to seek consensus with the Polish king. The Bishopric of Warmia was made suffragan to the Archbishopric of Riga, then headed by Archbishop Michael Hildebrand.
d by Pope Innocent VIII
against the explicit wishes of King Casimir IV Jagiellon
, who would have preferred that one of his sons, Frederic, become Bishop of Warmia. Watzenrode resisted, and when Casimir died in 1492 and was succeeded by John I Albert
, Watzenrode could finally establish the exemption of the Bishopric from Riga. With the Second Treaty of Piotrków Trybunalski (1512), later bishops accepted a limited influence of the Polish King on elections. The Holy See
considered the Bishopric exempt until 1992, when it was made an archbishopric, which by its nature is exempt.
Watzenrode, a successful organizer of his territory's internal affairs, resided at Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński)
. He reorganized the cathedral school and planned to found a university at Elbing (Elbląg)
. He argued that the Teutonic Order had fulfilled its mission in the Baltic region, by then converted to Christianity, and proposed sending the Order to more heathen regions. The Ottoman Empire
was an ongoing threat and had taken over large parts of Europe, and the Bishop suggested that the Order "do battle with the Turks
."
The Bishopric was exposed to repeated armed attacks by the Teutonic Order, which attempted to regain the territory. Poland sought to rescind the Prince-Bishopric's autonomy, hoping to force the surrender of its prerogatives to the Polish crown. In this area of conflict, Watzenrode guarded the interests of Warmia
and maintained friendly relations with Poland. He was a long-time opponent of the Teutonic Knights, and shortly after his death it was rumored that he had been poisoned by them.
nun. Watzenrode sent the brothers Nicolaus (Copernicus
) and Andreas to study at the Kraków Academy and in Italy (Bologna
, Padua
, Ferrara
). After his studies, Copernicus assisted his uncle in administrative matters and was his closest advisor as well as his personal physician.
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger died in Thorn (Toruń)
during his return from an official journey.
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, 30 October 1447 – 29 March 1512, Thorn) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermeland) and patron to his nephew, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
.
Early life
The family and its name stemmed from the Silesian village of Weizenrodau ("wheat uprooting"). Watzenrode was born in Thorn (Toruń)Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, son of the merchant Lucas Watzenrode the Elder
Lucas Watzenrode the Elder
Lucas Watzenrode the Elder was a merchant in the Hanseatic Prussian city of Thorn , father of Bishop Lucas Watzenrode the Younger, and grandfather of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.-Life:...
(1400–62). He studied at Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
and at Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
and Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
.
After his sister Barbara and her husband Niklas Koppernigk died about 1483, Lucas cared for their four children, Katharina, Barbara, Andreas and Niklas, the last of whom would become known as astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
.
Historic background
The Bishopric of Warmia, previously part of the Monastic State of the Teutonic KnightsMonastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
, had, with the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) come under the protection of the King of Poland. Based on that treaty, the Polish King claimed the right to appoint the Bishop—a right that he exercised in his kingdom. Neither the Warmia chapter, however, nor their newly-elected bishop, Nicolaus von Tüngen
Nicolaus von Tüngen
Nicolaus of Tüngen was bishop of Warmia from 1467 until 1489....
(1467–89), acknowledged the King's right to do so.
Poland contested von Tüngen's election, and this led to the War of the Priests
War of the Priests
The War of the Priests was a drawn-out dispute with Poland over the independence of the Royal Prussian Prince-Bishopric of Ermland . The Second Treaty of Thorn that had been sealed in 1466 at Toruń affected also the Bishopric of Warmia, which claimed to have received Prince-Bishopric status a...
(1467–79) and the First Treaty of Piotrków Trybunalski (1479), by which the chapter was obliged to seek consensus with the Polish king. The Bishopric of Warmia was made suffragan to the Archbishopric of Riga, then headed by Archbishop Michael Hildebrand.
Bishop
This agreement was somewhat vague, as shown in the 1489 election of the next bishop, Lucas Watzenrode, who was mitreMitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
d by Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...
against the explicit wishes of King Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....
, who would have preferred that one of his sons, Frederic, become Bishop of Warmia. Watzenrode resisted, and when Casimir died in 1492 and was succeeded by John I Albert
John I Albert of Poland
John I Albert was King of Poland and Duke of Głogów .-Life:John was the third son of Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland, and Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Albert II of Germany. As crown prince, he distinguished himself by his brilliant victory over the Tatars at Kopersztyn...
, Watzenrode could finally establish the exemption of the Bishopric from Riga. With the Second Treaty of Piotrków Trybunalski (1512), later bishops accepted a limited influence of the Polish King on elections. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
considered the Bishopric exempt until 1992, when it was made an archbishopric, which by its nature is exempt.
Watzenrode, a successful organizer of his territory's internal affairs, resided at Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński)
Lidzbark Warminski
Lidzbark Warmiński is a town in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the capital of Lidzbark County.- History :The town was originally an Old Prussian settlement known as Lecbarg until being conquered in 1240 by the Teutonic Knights, who called it Heilsberg...
. He reorganized the cathedral school and planned to found a university at Elbing (Elbląg)
Elblag
Elbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
. He argued that the Teutonic Order had fulfilled its mission in the Baltic region, by then converted to Christianity, and proposed sending the Order to more heathen regions. The Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
was an ongoing threat and had taken over large parts of Europe, and the Bishop suggested that the Order "do battle with the Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
."
The Bishopric was exposed to repeated armed attacks by the Teutonic Order, which attempted to regain the territory. Poland sought to rescind the Prince-Bishopric's autonomy, hoping to force the surrender of its prerogatives to the Polish crown. In this area of conflict, Watzenrode guarded the interests of Warmia
Warmia
Warmia or Ermland is a region between Pomerelia and Masuria in northeastern Poland. Together with Masuria, it forms the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship....
and maintained friendly relations with Poland. He was a long-time opponent of the Teutonic Knights, and shortly after his death it was rumored that he had been poisoned by them.
Family
Watzenrode looked after his orphaned two nephews and two nieces. Katharina married businessman and city councilor Barthel Gertner, while Barbara became a BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nun. Watzenrode sent the brothers Nicolaus (Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
) and Andreas to study at the Kraków Academy and in Italy (Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
, Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
, Ferrara
University of Ferrara
The University of Ferrara is the main university of the city of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. In the years prior to the First World War the University of Ferrara, with more than 500 students, was the best attended of the free universities in Italy...
). After his studies, Copernicus assisted his uncle in administrative matters and was his closest advisor as well as his personal physician.
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger died in Thorn (Toruń)
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
during his return from an official journey.
See also
- Bishops of WarmiaBishops of WarmiaThis is a list of Bishops and Prince-Bishops of the Diocese of Warmia The Bishopric was founded in 1243 as the Bishopric of Ermland, one of four bishoprics of Teutonic Prussia. In 1356 it became an Imperial Prince-Bishopric under Emperor Charles IV, and from 1512 until the 20th century it was an...
- Bishopric of WarmiaArchbishopric of WarmiaThe Prince-Bishopric of Warmia was a semi independent ecclesiastical state, a Prussian bishopric under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Riga that was a protectorate of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights and a protectorate of Kingdom of Poland, later part of the Polish-Lithuanian...
- Lucas Watzenrode the ElderLucas Watzenrode the ElderLucas Watzenrode the Elder was a merchant in the Hanseatic Prussian city of Thorn , father of Bishop Lucas Watzenrode the Younger, and grandfather of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.-Life:...
- Nicolaus CopernicusNicolaus CopernicusNicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....