Bishopric/Principality of Halberstadt

The Bishop of Halberstadt began exercising secular authority over his territory in the 10th century. As such, it belonged to Ecclesiastical Germany. Initially, it consisted roughly of the territory of what became Kreise Halberstadt and Osterwieck. It expanded its sovereignty to the Oschersleben area in the 11th century, but did not assert full administrative control until 1545. In the 14th century, it absorbed the territory of the former Ascanian principality of Aschersleben. Finally, it absorbed the territory of the Regenstein portion of the County of Regenstein-Blankenburg in 1599, but did not assert full administrative control over most of it until 1670.

 

This website provides results for the Bishopric of Halberstadt beginning in 1566, when the first Protestant bishop was ordained. In 1648, as a result of the Peace of Westphalia, the Bishopric was secularized as the Principality of Halberstadt in personal union with Brandenburg (as part of Hohenzollern Germany). In 1701, it was formally incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia. (I add Brandenburg to the simplified country name between 1648 and 1701 to recognize the personal union. The incorporation into Prussia, however, supercedes the personal union, so I drop Brandenburg from the country name. “Prussia” then replaces Hohenzollern Germany as the nation rather than becoming or being added to the country name.) After the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806, Halberstadt was assigned to the Kingdom of Westphalia, a Napoleonic client state.

 

The first of the two lists below reflects subdivisions over which the Bishop of Halberstadt exercised sovereignty and administrative responsibilities. The second reflects subdivisions of the Principality of Halberstadt that would meet the same criteria if Halberstadt had not been in personal union with Brandenburg. Thus, subdivisions assigned directly to Brandenburg, but administered by Halberstadt, are excluded, as are subdivisions administered by other parties.