# Primas Germaniae

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{{Short description|Historical title of honor}}
{{more footnotes|date=January 2024}}

thumb|300px|Ecclesiastical provinces (archdioceses) in Central Europe, AD 1500
'''Primas Germaniae''' is a historical [title of honor](/source/title_of_honor) for the most important [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church) bishop (the [Primate](/source/Primate_(bishop))) in the [German](/source/Kingdom_of_Germany) lands. Throughout the history of the [Holy Roman Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire), it was claimed by the Archbishops of [Mainz](/source/Electorate_of_Mainz), [Trier](/source/Electorate_of_Trier), [Magdeburg](/source/Archbishopric_of_Magdeburg) and [Salzburg](/source/Prince-Archbishopric_of_Salzburg) alike. Actual prerogatives, however, were exercised by bishops holding the rank of an Apostolic ''[legatus natus](/source/Papal_legate)''. While Mainz, Trier and Magdeburg lost the primatial dignity upon the 1648 [Peace of Westphalia](/source/Peace_of_Westphalia) and the Napoleonic [Secularisation](/source/German_mediatization) in 1802, the Salzburg archbishops bear the title up to today.

==History==
A first ''[Concilium Germanicum](/source/Concilium_Germanicum)'' synod, in order to reform the Germanic bishoprics in the [Frankish Kingdom](/source/Francia), was summoned by the [Anglo-Saxon](/source/Anglo-Saxons) missionary [Boniface](/source/Saint_Boniface) in AD 742. When he received the [archiepiscopal](/source/Archbishop) title and the jurisdiction over the Diocese of Mainz three years later, he tried to establish Mainz as the see of an [ecclesiastical province](/source/ecclesiastical_province) (metropolis), rivalling with the [Irish](/source/Hiberno-Scottish_mission) bishop [Vergilius of Salzburg](/source/Vergilius_of_Salzburg). The Mainz bishopric was not elevated to an archdiocese until about 780; nevertheless, Boniface's successors ruled over the largest ecclesiastical province in Germany by far, held the office of a German [archchancellor](/source/archchancellor), and also were members of the [electoral](/source/Prince-elector) college voting for the [King of the Romans](/source/King_of_the_Romans) and [Emperor](/source/Holy_Roman_Emperor)-to-be.

Since about 900 the ''Primas Germaniae'' title is documented, held by the Archbishops of Mainz as the most important [metropolitan bishop](/source/metropolitan_bishop) and most noble Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, though it was never awarded officially.{{sfn|May|1995|pp=75–76}} Several archbishops made successful attempts to obtain the ''legatus natus'' title, such as [Willigis](/source/Willigis), [Adalbert of Saarbrücken](/source/Adalbert_I_of_Mainz), and [Conrad of Wittelsbach](/source/Conrad_of_Wittelsbach). They were, however, not able to enforce any political supremacy.

The Archbishop of Mainz remained ''[primus inter pares](/source/primus_inter_pares)'' of the German Prince-electors and chairman of the council of Prince-electors at the [Imperial Diet](/source/Imperial_Diet_(Holy_Roman_Empire)), holding the right to convoke and to preside over the convent to elect a new emperor. With the German mediatisation and the Final Recess of the Imperial Deputation (''Reichsdeputationshauptschluss'') of 1803, the Mainz electorate was abolished and its historic dignities were transferred to the newly established [Principality of Regensburg](/source/Principality_of_Regensburg), created for the former archbishop [Karl Theodor von Dalberg](/source/Karl_Theodor_Anton_Maria_von_Dalberg), who retained the ''Primas Germaniae'' title until his death in 1817.

The honorary title ''Primas Germaniae'' also was held by the most noble ecclesiastical member of the Council of the Princes at the Imperial Diet: 
first the [Archbishop of Magdeburg](/source/Archbishop_of_Magdeburg) until the see of Magdeburg was secularized in 1648; 
thereafter the [Archbishop of Salzburg](/source/Archbishop_of_Salzburg).

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
*{{Cite journal |last=May |first=Georg |date=1995-05-05 |title=Der Erzbischof von Mainz als Primas |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/ak/164/1/article-p76_5.xml |journal=Archiv für katholisches Kirchenrecht |volume=164 |issue=1 |pages=76–122 |doi=10.30965/2589045X-16401005 |issn=0003-9160|url-access=subscription }}

{{portal bar|Catholicism|Germany}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Archbishops of Mainz
Category:Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg
Category:Roman Catholic primates

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