Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg (November 10, 1547 - May 31, 1601), elector and archbishop of Cologne, was the second son of William, count of Waldburg, and nephew of Otto, cardinal bishop of Augsburg (1514-1573). November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... Events January 16 - Grand Duke Ivan IV of Muscovy becomes the first Tsar of Russia. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... Events February 8 - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, rebels against Elizabeth I of England - revolt is quickly crushed February 25 - Robert Devereux beheaded Jesuit Matteo Ricci arrives in China Bad harvest in Russia due to rainy summer Dutch troops drive Portuguese from Málaga Battle of Kinsale, Ireland Births... The Archbishopric of Cologne was one of the major ecclesiastical principalities of the Holy Roman Empire. ... The Bishop of Augsburg is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Augsburg in the Archdiocese of München und Freising / Munich. ...

Belonging thus to an old and distinguished Swabian family, he was born on the 10th of November 1547, and after studying at the universities of Ingolstadt, Perugia, Louvain and elsewhere began his ecclesiastical career at Augsburg. Subsequently he held other positions at Strassburg, Cologne and Augsburg, and in December 1577 was chosen elector of Cologne after a spirited contest. A Swabian is a native of Swabia, a place that is located in the south-west region of Germany. ... Ingolstadt is a city in the Federal State of Bavaria, Germany. ... Perugia is the capital city in the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the Tiber river, and the capital of the province of Perugia. ... Leuven in 2004 Leuven (Louvain in French, Löwen in German) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, of which it is the capital. ... Augsburg is a city in south-central Germany. ... Strasbourg townscape Strasbourg (German Straßburg, road to castle, Alsatian Strossburi) is the capital and principal city of the Alsace région of northeastern France. ... Cologne (German: (help· info) [kÅ“ln]; Kölsch: Kölle) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. ...

Gebhard is chiefly noted for his conversion to the reformed doctrines, and for his marriage with Agnes, countess of Mansfeld, which was connected with this step. After living in concubinage with Agnes he decided, perhaps under compulsion, to marry her, doubtless intending at the same time to resign his see. Other counsels, however, prevailed. The coat of arms of the Holy See The term Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, lit. ...

Instigated by some Protestant supporters he declared he would retain the electorate, and in December 1582 he formally announced his conversion to the reformed faith. The marriage with Agnes was celebrated in the following February, and Gebhard remained in possession of the see. This affair created a great stir in Germany, and the clause concerning ecclesiastical reservation in the religious peace of Augsburg was interpreted in one way by his friends, and in another way by his foes; the former holding that he could retain his office, the latter that he must resign. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Anticipating events Gebhard had collected some troops, and had taken measures to convert his subjects to Protestantism. In April 1583 he was deposed and excommunicated by Pope Gregory XIII; a Bavarian prince, Ernest, bishop of Liège, Freising and Hildesheim, was chosen elector, and war broke out between the rivals. Excommunication is religious censure which is used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ... Gregory XIII, born Ugo Boncompagni (January 7, 1502 – April 10, 1585) was pope from 1572 to 1585. ... The Free State of Bavaria  (German: Freistaat Bayern), with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... Liège (Dutch: Luik, German: Lüttich; before 1946, the citys name was written Liége, with the acute accent) is a major city located in the Belgian province of Liège, of which it is the capital. ... Freising is a city in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district Freising. ... The Bishopric of Hildesheim is a Roman Catholic diocese in Lower Saxony; it was founded in 815. ...

The cautious Lutheran princes of Germany, especially Augustus I, elector of Saxony, were not enthusiastic in support of Gebhard, whose friendly relations with the Calvinists were not to their liking; and although Henry of Navarre, afterwards Henry IV of France, tried to form a coalition to aid the deposed elector, the only assistance which he obtained came from John Casimir, administrator of the Palatinate of the Rhine. The inhabitants of the electorate were about equally divided on the question, and Ernest, supported by Spanish troops, was too strong for Gebhard. John Casimir, who acted as commander-in-chief, returned to th Palatinate in October 1583, and early in the following year Gebhard was driven from Bonn and took refuge in the Netherlands. The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... In an unadorned church, the 17th century congregation stands to hear the sermon. ... Henry IV of France (French: Henri IV de France; December 13, 1553–May 14, 1610), was the first of the Bourbon kings of France, reigning from 1589 until his death. ... The Palatinate (German: Pfalz), historically also Rhenish Palatinate (German: Rheinpfalz), is a region in south-western Germany. ... Bonn is a city in Germany (19th largest), in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the north of the Siebengebirge. ...

The electorate was soon completely in the possession of Ernest, and the defeat of Gebhard was a serious blow to Protestantism, and marks a stage in the history of the Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ...

Living in the Netherlands he became very intimate with Elizabeth's envoy, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, but he failed to get assistance for renewing the war either from the English queen or in any other quarter. Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Robert Dudley, by Nicholas Hilliard, 1576. ...

In 1589 Gebhard took up his residence at Strassburg, where he had held the office of dean of the cathedral since 1574. Before his arrival some trouble had arisen in the chapter owing to the fact that three excommunicated canons persisted in retaining their offices. He joined this party, which was strongly supported in the city, took part in a double election to the bishopric in 1592, and in spite of some opposition retained his office until his death at Strassburg. Gebhard was a drunken and licentious man, who owes his prominence rather to his surroundings than to his abilities.

References

• Max Lossen, Der kölnische Krieg (Gotha, 1882), and the article on Gebhard in band (vol.) viii. of the Allgemeine deutsche Biographie (Leipzig, 1878)
• Johann Heinrich Hennes, Der Kampf um das Erzatift Köln (Cologne, 1878)
• Leonard Ennen, Geschichte der Stadt Köln (Cologne, 1863-1880)
• Nuntiaturberichie aus Deutschland. Der Kampf um Koln, edited by J Hansen (Berlin, 1892)

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, a publication in the public domain. The 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1910-1911) is the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...