prince bishopric · Scandinavia and the Baltic

Bishopric of Culm

1243 CE – 1466 CE · capital Löbau

One of the four Prussian dioceses set up in 1243, ruling the land of Löbau and passing under the Polish crown in 1466.

Origins

In 1243 the papal legate William of Modena divided conquered Prussia into four dioceses: Culm, Pomesania, Warmia and Samland. Culm covered the Chełmno land, which Konrad of Masovia had granted to the Teutonic Order, and the bishop received a third of the diocese as his own territory, chiefly around Löbau.

Rule and society

The bishops' cathedral stood at Culmsee (Chełmża), while they resided at the castle of Löbau. The cathedral chapter was incorporated into the Teutonic Order in the 13th century, tying the bishopric closely to the Order's state. Chełmno law, granted in the Culm charter of 1233, became the model for town and land rights across Prussia.

Decline and legacy

During the Thirteen Years' War, the Prussian estates rebelled against the Order, and the Second Peace of Thorn in 1466 placed the Chełmno land under the Polish crown as part of Royal Prussia. The bishops became Polish senators, and the diocese continued as a church province.

Lineage

Bishopric of CulmKingdom of Poland (1385-1569) 1385 CE – 1569 CE

Connections (1)

More states of Scandinavia and the Baltic →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bishopric of Culm. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-culm
MLA
“Bishopric of Culm.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-culm. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bishopric of Culm.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-culm.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bishopric of Culm’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-culm (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻