prince bishopric · Germany and Central Europe

Prince-Bishopric of Chur

1170 CE – 1526 CE (approx.) · capital Chur

Alpine church state ruled by the bishops of Chur, one of the oldest sees north of the Alps, whose temporal power was broken by the leagues of Graubünden.

Origins

A bishop of Chur is recorded in 451, making it one of the oldest dioceses north of the Alps. Carolingian and Ottonian kings granted the bishops immunities, tolls and lands in Rhaetia, controlling routes to the Alpine passes. In 1170 Emperor Frederick Barbarossa raised the bishop to the rank of an imperial prince, giving the church a recognised secular principality.

Rule and society

The bishops governed estates in the Rhine valley, the Engadine and the Vinschgau from their court in Chur, with officials in castles along the pass roads. Romansh, German and Lombard dialects were all spoken in their lands. To resist episcopal power, the subjects formed the League of God's House in 1367, which later joined the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions in the Three Leagues.

Decline and legacy

The Ilanz Articles of 1524 and 1526 stripped the bishop of most secular authority and handed it to the communes of the Three Leagues. The bishops kept a few rights and the title of prince until 1803, and the Catholic diocese of Chur continues today.

Lineage

Prince-Bishopric of ChurThree Leagues 1471 CE – 1799 CE

Connections (1)

Prince-Bishopric of Chur was part of Holy Roman Empire1170 CE – 1526 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Prince-Bishopric of Chur. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/prince-bishopric-of-chur
MLA: “Prince-Bishopric of Chur.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/prince-bishopric-of-chur. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Prince-Bishopric of Chur.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/prince-bishopric-of-chur.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Prince-Bishopric of Chur’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/prince-bishopric-of-chur (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻