Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek

Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek
	Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek
	Bisdom Ösel–Wiek (nds); Ecclesia Osiliensis (la)
	Prince-Bishopric of Terra Mariana
	Coat of arms
	The Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, shown (red, upper left, across the Estonian mainland and the islands of Dagö (Hiiumaa) and Ösel (Saaremaa)) within the Livonian Confederation, 1260
Capital	Leal (Lihula); Perona (Vana-Pärnu); Hapsal (Haapsalu); Arensburg (Kuressaare)
Languages	Low German, Estonian
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Government	Principality
Prince-Bishop
Historical era	Middle Ages
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Lääne_County#History
	Saare_County#Ancient_Saare_county_Osilia
Danish Estonia
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)

The Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek (Estonian: Saare-Lääne piiskopkond; German: Bistum Ösel–Wiek; Low German: Bisdom Ösel–Wiek; contemporary Latin: Ecclesia Osiliensis) was a semi-independent Roman Catholic prince-bishopric in what is now Saare, Hiiu and Lääne counties of Estonia.

History

The bishopric was created as a state of Holy Roman Empire on 1 October 1228, by Henry, King of the Romans. One of the five members of the Livonian Confederation, the seat of the bishop was successively Leal (Lihula), Perona (Vana-Pärnu), Hapsal (Haapsalu), and the castle of Arensburg (Kuressaare) on the island of Ösel (Saaremaa); the cathedral and chapter remained in Hapsal. Administratively the state was divided into two bailiwicks (advocaciae, Vogteien). The bishop was also the lord of the Teutonic Order over its fiefs on the bishopric's territory.

The principality ceased to exist in 1560 when its last prince-bishop, Johannes V von Münchhausen, sold it to Denmark. King Frederick II of Denmark's brother Magnus, Duke of Holstein, was elected bishop on 13 May 1560, despite being Lutheran. Denmark ceded Wiek (Lääne County) to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in exchange for parts of Ösel belonging to the Livonian Order. Later Ösel became a Danish possession.

Gottfried, 1228–1229, still living in 1257
Vacant
Heinrich I, 1234–1260
Hermann I de Becheshovede (Buxhoevden), 1262–1285?
Heinrich II, 1290–1294
Vacant
Konrad I 1297?–1307?
Vacant
Hartung, 1310–1321
Jakob, 1322–1337
Hermann II Osenbrügge (de Osenbrygge), 1338–1362
Konrad II, 1363–1374
Heinrich III, 1374–1381
Vacant
Winrich von Kniprode, 1385–1419
Caspar Schuwenflug, 1420–1423
Christian Kuband, 1423–1432
Johannes I Schutte, 1432–1438
Johannes II Creul (Kreuwel), 1439 de jure – 1457 (de facto since 1449 in Wiek as the younger Bishop) with
Ludolf Grove, 1449–1458 (de facto 1439, since 1449 in Saaremaa and Dagö as the older Bishop)
Jodokus Hoenstein, 1458–1471
Peter Wetberg, 1471–1491
Johannes III Orgas (Orgies), 1492–1515
Johannes IV Kyvel (Kievel), 1515–1527
Georg von Tiesenhausen, 1528–1530
Reinhold von Buxhoeveden, 1532–1541, died 1557
Johannes V von Münchhausen, 1542–1560
Magnus of Livonia (also Prince of Denmark and Duke of Holstein), 1560–1572 (Protestant bishop, died 1583)