Amt and Stadt Wildeshausen

WIldeshausen was founded in the 9th century and became the home of the Alexanderstift monastery and later the focus of an Amt. It was ruled by a junior Oldenburgian line until 1270, when it became an exclave of the Archbishopric of Bremen. (I render the country name as Bremen-Stade to distinguish it from the Imperial City of Bremen, which I call simply “Bremen”.) Over the years, administrative rights were purchased by the Bishopric of Münster and the County of Hoya until the former conquered the Amt outright in 1523, when the database starts. Bremen-Stade did not win the Amt back until 1634, with the help of Sweden.

 

After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the archbishopric was secularized as the Duchy of Bremen in personal union with Sweden. Admininstrative responsibilities for Amt Wildeshausen, however, were given to an illegitimate son of the King, who was the Count of Wasaburg) making the country name Bremen-Wasaburg—still part of Swedish Germany). In 1675, the Bishop of Mūnster took over administrative responsibilities (Bremen-Münster) and in 1699, they shifted to the Electorate of Hannover (Bremen-Hannover). In 1715, Hannover became sovereign over the entire Duchy of Bremen, moving Amt Wildeshausen to British Germany.

 

In 1803, the Amt was awarded to the Duchy of Oldenburg (Oldenburgian Germany), where it remained until it was occupied by Napoleonic France in 1811. After the Napoleonic Wars, Amt Wildeshausen became part of the new Grand Duchy of Oldenburg