Prince-bishops · Bishopric of Verden · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Verden

The smallest of the Saxon prince-bishoprics.

The bishop is lord of Verden on the Aller and of the new castle of Rotenburg on the Wümme, built in 1195 against the archbishop of Bremen. The advocacy of the see has been in Welf hands since Henry the Lion, so Otto IV's family sits inside the bishop's own lordship.

Who holds it

Name
Rudolf I
Title
Bishop of Verden
Since
1189
Confidence
high

A former official of the imperial chancery, elected after Bishop Tammo's death on 7 December 1188. In 1195 he built the castle of Rotenburg on the Wümme as his residence and as a stronghold against Bremen; it became the bishops' permanent seat in the early 13th century. In 1197 he founded the house of Altkloster at Buxtehude. His side in the throne dispute is not pinned; his chancery past points to the Staufen. Dies 29 May 1205.

What it holds

  • Verden: the cathedral town; the bishops became princes of the Empire in 1180, after Henry the Lion's fall
  • Rotenburg on the Wümme: castle built in 1195 as residence and bulwark against Bremen
  • Scattered estates beyond the town

How it was acquired

Bishop Tammo (1180-1188) turned the bishop's temporalities into an imperial principality after 1180. Rotenburg was built in 1195.

How things stand that morning

Rudolf holds Verden and Rotenburg; the Welfs hold the advocacy.

Wealth

Small: the town market and the Aller crossing, estate revenues.

Threats

  • Bremen
  • Welf advocates who are also the family of a rival king

Advocates and rivals

The advocacy passed from the Billungs (1106) to Lothar of Süpplingenburg and then to Henry the Lion; it stayed with the Welfs until Bishop Iso bought the advocacy of the town and of the bishop's and chapter's estates in 1222. The archbishop of Bremen is the standing rival.

Places of note

  • Rotenburg: Episcopal castle of 1195

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Holder and Rotenburg are firm; the bishop's 1200 lands beyond the two places are not documented in the sources consulted. The English Wikipedia dates Iso's purchase of the advocacy to 1223, the Höfe und Residenzen handbook to 1222.

On the map: Two castle districts only; the scattered estates are not drawn.

Primary sources for Verden

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.

Sources and studies

  1. Verden, Bf.e von (Höfe und Residenzen im spätmittelalterlichen Reich)
  2. List of bishops, prince-bishops, and administrators of Verden (en.wikipedia)
  3. Prince-Bishopric of Verden (en.wikipedia)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.