The see city of the bishops of Freising, on its hill above the Isar plain, with the market town below.
The bishop is one of the great landholders of Bavaria, with estates round Ismaning and Isen, in the Inn valley, in Austria and in Carniola, and lord of Munich since 1180.
Who holds it
- Name
- Otto II of Freising (bishop 1184-1220)
- Title
- Bishop of Freising
- Since
- 1184
- Confidence
- high
de.wikipedia (Freising; Geschichte Münchens)
Lord in 1200
The bishop of Freising, Otto II. The burghers never freed themselves from the bishop's rule.
Overlord
The king; the see is a Church map record.
How things stand that morning
The bishop's city on 1 January 1200, quiet so far as the sources show. Bishop Otto II is Staufen: he signed the Speyer declaration for Philip in person on 28 May 1199, as did the abbot of Tegernsee, Mangold of Berg.
Charter
Market and toll rights from Otto III in 996; town rights only in 1359.
Communities
The cathedral chapter, the Benedictines of Weihenstephan, the Premonstratensians of Neustift (founded about 1140), the bishop's ministeriales and household.
Militia
Not recorded.
Walls and castle
The fortified Domberg with the bishop's residence; the new Romanesque cathedral, rebuilt after the fire of 5 April 1159 in brick, is nearing completion (finished by 1205) with Barbarossa and Beatrix among its donors.
Trade and crafts
The bishop's market on the Isar; the town lives from the cathedral, the abbeys and the bishop's court. The bishop draws a third of Munich's revenues under the arbitration of 1158.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1200 (day not pinned)Bishop Otto II meets Duke Louis at Munich.Depends on: Peace between them. Stopped by: A quarrel over Munich.
Places of note
- Freising cathedral: Romanesque brick cathedral rebuilt after 1159.
Where the sources disagree
- The campaign notes do not list Freising in Part 9; the Speyer declaration of 28 May 1199 puts Bishop Otto II among Philip's princes.
Evidence: The cathedral and the town's status are well dated; the bishop's politics in 1199-1200 are not.
Primary sources for Bavaria
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 Schäftlarn and the Bavarian annals (12th and 13th centuries). Brief Bavarian annals. Read online
- The Austrian and Salzburg annals (kept in the 12th and 13th centuries, with continuations to the late 13th century). A family of monastic annals from Austria, Styria and Salzburg, printed together. 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
- Regesta Imperii V: calendar of the acts of Philip, Otto IV and Frederick II, 1198 to 1272 (calendar of documents of 1198 to 1272, published 1881 to 1901). A dated calendar of every known act of King Philip and King Otto IV, with the acts of popes and princes that bear on the Empire. Read online
- Bavarian monuments: the charters of the Bavarian monasteries and bishoprics (charters from the 8th century onward, published 1763 to 1916). The great charter series of Bavaria, arranged by monastery and bishopric. Read online
- Charter book of the bishops of Trent (compiled 1207 to 1218; documents from the 11th century onward; edited 1852). The cartulary of the prince-bishops of Trent. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.