Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen

Who was Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen?

Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen was the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg from 1609 to 1622 and Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1617 to 1622.

Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen was born in Oberlauda, today a district of Lauda-Königshofen, on August 12, 1575.

He became a canon of Bamberg Cathedral in 1593, upon the resignation of an older brother. He was ordained as a priest on December 22, 1601. He became the dean of Comburg in 1604. He played a role in the formation of the Catholic League, under the leadership of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, on July 10, 1609.

He was appointed Prince-Bishop of Bamberg on July 21, 1609, with Pope Paul V confirming the appointment on November 4, 1609. He was consecrated as a bishop by Wolfgang von Hausen, Prince-Bishop of Regensburg, on February 2, 1610. As Prince-Bishop of Bamberg, he sought to curb the growth of Protestantism in the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg, inviting the Jesuits to assume an important role in education in Bamberg. He also conducted a witch-hunt in the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg in 1612–13 and in 1617–18, which saw approximately 300 witches burned at the stake in this period.

He was appointed Prince-Bishop of Würzburg on October 5, 1617, with Pope Paul V confirming the appointment on February 10, 1618. This created a personal union between the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg and the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg.