Clemens August of Bavaria

Clemens August of Bavaria.

Clemens August of Bavaria (German: Clemens August von Bayern) (17 August 1700 – 6 February 1761) was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty of Bavaria and Archbishop-Elector of Cologne.

Biography

Clemens August (Clementus Augustus) was born in Brussels, the son of Elector Maximilian II Emanuel of Bavaria and Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska and the grandson of King John III Sobieski of Poland. His family was split during the War of the Spanish Succession and was for many years under house arrest in Austria; only in 1715 did the family become re-united.

His uncle Joseph Clemens, Elector and Archbishop of Cologne, saw to it that Clemens August received several appointments in Altötting, the Diocese of Regensburg, and at the Prince-Provostry of Berchtesgaden, and he soon received papal confirmation as Bishop of Regensburg, and later of Cologne.

As Archbishop of Cologne, he was one of the Electors, a Prince-Bishop of Münster, Hildesheim, and Osnabrück, and a Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

Clemens August, who mostly sided with the Austrian Habsburg-Lorraine side during the War of the Austrian Succession, personally crowned his brother Charles VII emperor at Frankfurt in 1742. After Charles's death in 1745, Clemens August then again leaned toward Austria.

He died in Festung Ehrenbreitstein in 1761. In March 1761, shortly after his death, Pope Clement XIII rejected the succession of Clemens August's brother Cardinal John Theodore of Bavaria as Archbishop and Prince-Elector of Cologne since the pope entertained some doubt on John Theodore's "moral conduct". This was the end of the reign of the Wittelsbach in Cologne after 178 years of continuous rule.

Cultural legacy

Clemenswerth Palace near Sögel built as a hunting lodge for Clemens August

Clemens August patronised the arts; among others he ordered to build the palaces of Augustusburg and Falkenlust in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, listed on the UNESCO cultural world heritage list, and the church of St Michael in Berg am Laim in Munich.

Illegitimate children

Clemens August and his mistress Mechthild Brion had a daughter:

• Anna Marie zu Löwenfeld (1735–1783) ∞ Franz Ludwig Count of Holnstein (1723–1780), son of Clemens August's brother Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor

References

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.

External links

• A tour of Augustusburg Palace on Youtube

Clemens August of Bavaria House of Wittelsbach Born: 1700 Died: 1761
Catholic Church titles
Regnal titles
Preceded by Joseph Clemens of Bavaria	Prince-Bishop of Regensburg 1716–19	Succeeded by Johann Theodor of Bavaria (German)
Preceded by Franz Arnold von Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht (German)	Prince-Bishop of Paderborn 1719–61	Succeeded by Wilhelm Anton von der Asseburg (German)
	Prince-Bishop of Münster, Burgrave of Stromberg and Herr of Werth 1719–61	Succeeded by Maximilian Friedrich von Königsegg-Rothenfels
Preceded by Joseph Clemens of Bavaria	Prince-Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Arch-Chancellor of Italy and Duke of Westphalia 1723–61
	Prince-Bishop of Hildesheim 1723–61	Vacant Title next held by Friedrich Wilhelm of Westphalia (German), 1763–89
Preceded by Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (Protestant)	Roman Catholic Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück 1728–61	Vacant Title next held by Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (Protestant, 1764–1802)
Catholic Church titles Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Preceded by Ludwig Franz of Palatinate-Neuburg 1732–1761 Hochmeister Succeeded by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine