Summary: This article examines the conflict between Cardinal Nicolaus Cusanus (Nicholas of Cusa), prince-bishop of Brixen, and Duke Sigismund of Tyrol during the mid-fifteenth century. It argues that their struggle should be understood not simply through their personalities or competing religious and political loyalties, but as part of a broader conflict between ecclesiastical authority and the growing power of territorial rulers. Cusanus sought to restore the political independence of Brixen in order to pursue church reform, but lacked the local support and military resources needed to overcome Sigismund, whose position reflected the increasing strength of secular government in late medieval Europe.
Our thanks to the editors of Historical Reflections for their permission to republish this article. Top Image: Nicholas of Cusa depicted in a 15th-century painting by Meister des Marienlebens.
Nicholas Cusanus as Prince-Bishop of Brixen (1450-64): Historians and a Conflict of Church and State
By Brian A. Pavlac
Historical Reflections / Reflexions Historiques Vol.21 No.1 (1995)
Summary: This article examines the conflict between Cardinal Nicolaus Cusanus (Nicholas of Cusa), prince-bishop of Brixen, and Duke Sigismund of Tyrol during the mid-fifteenth century. It argues that their struggle should be understood not simply through their personalities or competing religious and political loyalties, but as part of a broader conflict between ecclesiastical authority and the growing power of territorial rulers. Cusanus sought to restore the political independence of Brixen in order to pursue church reform, but lacked the local support and military resources needed to overcome Sigismund, whose position reflected the increasing strength of secular government in late medieval Europe.
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Our thanks to the editors of Historical Reflections for their permission to republish this article. Top Image: Nicholas of Cusa depicted in a 15th-century painting by Meister des Marienlebens.
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