WI: Alternate Ecclesiastical Electorates in the HRE

What are some other options for ecclesiastical electorates in the Holy Roman Empire? I've seen Magdeburg posited as one. But could the pope designate the head of a princely-abbey (like say, Fulda) as an elector? Or for extra giggles (probably VERY unlikely though) an abbey like Quedlinburg/Essen/Lindau?
 
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The most obvious other Ecclesiastical Prince-Electors would IMHO be the other Prince-Archbishoprics within the ‘German’ Kingdom, so Salzburg and before the Reformation Magdeburg and Hamburg-Bremen.
 
The most obvious other Ecclesiastical Prince-Electors would IMHO be the other Prince-Archbishoprics within the ‘German’ Kingdom, so Salzburg and before the Reformation Magdeburg and Hamburg-Bremen.

Interesting. I see I typed "Marburg" but when I went to go check it was Magdeburg, so my apologies. Will fix.

I assume Salzburg will become a bone of contention between the rulers of Austria and Bavaria, no? Magdeburg between Brandenburg and Saxony. Bremen's enemies are likely to be the king of Denmark/duke of Holstein, right? Since I could imagine that all of these sovereigns would want it for a second/younger son as a way of securing the boy's future?
 
Iirc by the Hohenstaufens the role of the ecclesiastical electors were to be ArchChancellors for Italy, East Francia/Germany, and Middle Francia/Arles/Lotharingia.
The German post had more or less settled on Mainz; the Middle post was disputed by Trier (for Lotharingia) and Vienne (the primate bishop of the Kingdom of Arles); and the Italian post was variously on Aquileia, Besanzon, Cologne, Milan, Salzburg, and Vienne, depending on imperial relations with the Italian nobles and Popes.
With Italy becoming a battleground between Pope and Emperor, and the disintegration of former Lotharingia and its successor Arles, North Western Archbishops became a lot more "reliable" as Electors allowing Mainz, Trier, and Cologne, to secure it permanently.
 
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Basically a lot will depend on when the electorates are added and what function the Bishop-Electors perform or are supposed to perform.
 
Iirc by the Hohenstaufens the role of the ecclesiastical electors were to be ArchChancellors for Italy, East Francia/Germany, and Middle Francia/Arles/Lotharingia.
The German post had more or less settled on Mainz; the Middle post was disputed by Trier (for Lotharingia) and Vienne (the primate bishop of the Kingdom of Arles); and the Italian post was variously on Aquileia, Besanzon, Cologne, Milan, Salzburg, and Vienne, depending on imperial relations with the Italian nobles and Popes.
With Italy becoming a battleground between Pope and Emperor, and the disintegration of former Lotharingia and its successor Arles, North Western Archbishops became a lot more "reliable" as Electors allowing Mainz, Trier, and Cologne, to secure it permanently.

Interesting so Salzburg and Magdeburg are a go then?
Basically a lot will depend on when the electorates are added and what function the Bishop-Electors perform or are supposed to perform.

I was thinking perhaps in the Reformation, when Cologne is seized by the archbishop who turned Protestant. The emperor declares the electorate forfeit, but cannot actually dislodge von Waldburg. So they need to come up with a new episcopal electorate

I'm open to other suggestions for time and place. Perhaps a flare up between the pope and the emperor causes his Holiness to want to ensure that the next emperor is somewhat more subservient to Rome?
 
Interesting so Salzburg and Magdeburg are a go then?


I was thinking perhaps in the Reformation, when Cologne is seized by the archbishop who turned Protestant. The emperor declares the electorate forfeit, but cannot actually dislodge von Waldburg. So they need to come up with a new episcopal electorate

I'm open to other suggestions for time and place. Perhaps a flare up between the pope and the emperor causes his Holiness to want to ensure that the next emperor is somewhat more subservient to Rome?
With that circumstance I'd think Salzburg is in prime position to gain it.
 
With that circumstance I'd think Salzburg is in prime position to gain it.

Would it be unimaginable that it ends up in Westphalia type scenario where the emperor manages to oust Waldburg (or his eventual successors) from Cologne, after Salzburg has been created as an electorate. And then we end up with the question of whose electorate is it (as with Bavaria and the Palatinate?)
 
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