The 'Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek' (; ;
Low German: ''Bisdom Ösel-Wiek''; contemporary ) was a semi-independent
Roman Catholic prince-bishopric in what is now
Saare and
Lääne counties of
Estonia.
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.
Bishops and Prince-Bishops
★ Gottfried,
1228–
29, still living in 1257
★ ''Vacant''
★ Heinrich I,
1234–
60?
★
Hermann I de Becheshovede (Buxhoevden),
1262–
85?
★ Heinrich II,
1290–
94
★ ''Vacant''
★ Konrad I
1297?–
1307?
★ ''Vacant''
★ Hartung,
1310–
21, died
1323
★ Jakob,
1322–
37
★ Hermann II Osenbrügge (de Osenbrygge),
1338–
62
★ Konrad II,
1363–
74
★ Heinrich III,
1374–
81
★ ''Vacant''
★ Winrich von Kniprode,
1385–
1419
★ Kaspar Schuwenflug,
1420–
23
★ Christian Kuband,
1423–
32
★ Johannes I Schutte,
1432–
38
★ Ludolf Grove,
1439–
58 (in Ösel and
Dagö,
1449–
57) with
★ Johann II Creul (Kreuwel),
1449–
57 (in Wiek)
★ ''Vacant''
★ Jodokus Hoenstein,
1460–
71
★ Peter Wetberch,
1471–
91
★ Johannes III Orgas (Orgies),
1491–
1515
★ Johannes IV Kyvel (Kievel),
1515–
27
★ Georg von Tiesenhausen,
1527–
30
★ Reinhold Buxhoevden,
1532–
41, died
1557
★ Johannes V von Münchhausen,
1542–
60
★
Magnus of Livonia (also Prince of
Denmark and
Duke of Holstein),
1560–
72 (
Protestant bishop, died
1583)