The bishop of Konstanz rules the largest diocese of the Empire but a small temporal: his city on the Rhine at the outflow of Lake Constance, the old episcopal foundation of Bischofszell in the Thurgau, and estates confirmed to the church by Barbarossa's charter of 1155.
His real weight in 1200 comes from his person: Diethelm of Krenkingen is also abbot of Reichenau and one of Philip of Swabia's chief counsellors.
Who holds it
- Name
- Diethelm of Krenkingen
- Title
- Bishop of Konstanz (and abbot of Reichenau)
- Since
- 1189 (abbot of Reichenau since 1169)
- Confidence
- high
Of the barons of Krenkingen; abbot of Reichenau from 1169, bishop of Konstanz from 1189, holding both until 1206. One of Philip's chief counsellors (campaign notes). His time at Reichenau is remembered as the abbey's last flowering before its decline.
What it holds
- Konstanz: the bishop's city lordship and cathedral
- Bischofszell in the Thurgau: the chapter of St Pelagius founded by Bishop Salomo I in the 9th century, with the bishop's manor, church and castle (first named in 1155)
- Estates confirmed by Frederick I's charter of 1155, the first general confirmation of the see's possessions
- The abbey of Reichenau, held by the same man in personal union (see the Reichenau card)
How it was acquired
Old episcopal property confirmed in 1155. Most of the later prince-bishopric (Meersburg, Markdorf, Gottlieben, Kaiserstuhl and the Hegau offices) comes in the 13th century or later (Kaiserstuhl bought in 1294).
How things stand that morning
Diethelm holds the city, Bischofszell and the Reichenau. He is Philip's man and among the most trusted of his counsellors.
Wealth
Konstanz's market at the lake crossing; tithes of a huge diocese; the lake shipping.
Threats
- The citizens of Konstanz
- St Gallen and the Thurgau lords
- The cost of serving Philip
Advocates and rivals
The Staufen, dukes of Swabia, whom Diethelm serves; the abbey of St Gallen beyond the Thurgau; the citizens of Konstanz; the counts of Kyburg and the lesser lords of the Thurgau.
Places of note
- Konstanz cathedral: Seat of the bishop
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The 1155 confirmation, Bischofszell and Diethelm's double office are attested; the see's other estates in 1200 are not placed. Arbon and Meersburg are left off because their status in 1200 is not pinned in the sources consulted.
On the map: Only the city and Bischofszell are drawn; the see's scattered estates are not placed for 1200.
Primary sources for Empire
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Marbach (compiled to 1238, the section on 1198 to 1210 written in the early 13th century). Alsatian annals on the Staufen side of the Upper Rhine. Read online
- Annals of Reiner of Saint James, Liège, Reiner of Liège (1197 to 1230, kept year by year). Contemporary annals kept inside Liège. Read online
- Chronicle of Burchard of Ursberg, Burchard of Ursberg (about 1229 to 1230, reworked by Conrad of Lichtenau). Written a generation later by a fierce partisan of the Staufen and a critic of Innocent III. Read online
- Chronicle of Otto of St Blasien, Otto of St Blasien (about 1209 to 1210). A Swabian continuation of Otto of Freising written from the Staufen side. Read online
- Chronicle of Reinhardsbrunn; Chronicle of St Peter's, Erfurt (Erfurt chronicle in the 13th century; Reinhardsbrunn compilation about 1340 to 1349 from older annals). The two Thuringian chronicles. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. Read online
- Royal Chronicle of Cologne (in stages from about 1175 to about 1250; the section on 1198 to 1220 written soon after the events). The fullest German narrative of the throne war from the Welf and Cologne side. Read online
- Chronicle of Hainaut, Gislebert of Mons (about 1195 to 1196). Ends in 1195, so it has no 1200 entries, but it is the indispensable background for Flanders and Hainaut: the career of Count Baldwin V of Hainaut (VIII of Flanders), his union of the two counties, the settlement with Philip over Artois, the rights, castles, fiefs and vassals of Hainaut listed by a man who ran its chancery, and the youth of Baldwin IX, who held both counties in 1200. Read online
8 more in the sources library for The Rhineland, the Low Countries and the Swiss Lands.
Sources and studies
- Hochstift Konstanz (dewiki.de, mirror of de.wikipedia)
- Bischofszell (dewiki.de, mirror of de.wikipedia)
- Kloster Reichenau (dewiki.de, mirror of de.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.