Portrait: Johann I von Egloffstein
A prince-bishop as a military commander, travelling diplomat and founder of a university
Who was Prince-Bishop Johann I von Egloffstein? – This was the question posed to the staff of the Würzburg University Archives. The 2012 exhibition year marked the 610th anniversary of the founding of the University of Würzburg, a project he vigorously championed. What were Prince-Bishop von Egloffstein’s motives in founding the university? What challenges did he face? And what role did he play in imperial politics? A series of articles, featuring illustrations from the Fries Chronicle, traces his life’s journey and explores these questions.
Distinguished nobility from Franconian Switzerland:
the von Egloffstein family
The roots of this count’s family, which still exists today, stretch far back – to the year 1187, when the family was first mentioned in a document. At that time, the family belonged to the Imperial knighthood, which generally had its origins in the service nobility, the so-called ministerials. The ancestral seat was Egloffstein Castle in the Trubach Valley, from which the family takes its name, and which is situated in what is now the district of Forchheim. The family belongs to the ancient Frankish nobility and possessed extensive estates in Franconia – the family coat of arms is still adorned by a bear today.
Part 1: Johann von Egloffstein as a military commander
Part 2: Johann as Prince-Bishop of Würzburg and his ties to the Empire and the Curia
Part 3: Debts, tensions and conflicts in Würzburg
Part 4: Johann von Egloffstein, the travelling diplomat
Part 6: Medieval university studies
Part 7: Financial problems and decline
