Von Bibra

Detail of bronze coat of arms by Peter Vischer

Map of Grabfeld showing localities with strong Bibra family ties

Epitaph of Bernhard and Sibylle von Bibra at Irmelshausen

Grave of Friedrich Kaspar von Bibra (1681-1750) in Höchheim

Burg Bibra

Brennhausen

Castle at Schwebheim in 1870 engraving

Adelsdorf in 1870 engraving

Irmelshausen

For other Bibra entries, go to Bibra disambiguation page The von Bibra family was one of the leading families in Franconia (northern part of Bavaria) from the mid 1400's to about 1600. Siebmachers Wappenbuch of 1605, lists the family as the most important family of Franconia under the rank of Freiherr. By 1600 most of the family died off without heirs partially due to the Bubonic plague and the number of family members who took church positions. After the death of Heinrich von Bibra in 1602, the Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn seized most of the family’s assets as part of the counter reformation resulting in a 79 year lawsuit. The lawsuit was eventually settled with the family receiving all the properties except Burgwallbach but without income during the suit. From 1602 on there were many important members of the family but the family itself never recovered the leading position it previously had.

Prominent Members of the Family

An aristocratic German (Franconian) family (Uradel:very old Nobility) which among its members were:

• August von Bibra (1808-1894) general manager of the Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas
• Conrad von Bibra , Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Duke in Franconia (1490-1544)
• Ernst von Bibra (1806 † 1878), naturalist and author
• Eve von Bibra living actress and singer active in Australia
• Heinrich von Bibra, Prince-Bishop, Prince-Abbot of Fulda (1711-1788) was Prince-Bishop from (1759-1788)
• Lorenz von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Duke in Franconia (1459-1519)
• Nikolaus von Bibra, 1200's Erfurt monk, unknown if connected to von Bibra family. Listed under theology and satire, he wrote under the pseudonym Occultus Erfordernis and his satirical work is called Carmen Satiricum.
• Wilhelm von Bibra (*1442 † 1490), Lorenz’ half brother, Papal emissary,

Riemenschneider Patronage

The tomb of Lorenz von Bibra by Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 - July 7, 1531) in the Würzburg Dom (cathedral) is one of Riemenschneider's most famous works. Lorenz also commissioned Riemenscheider to do the tomb of his predecessor, Rudolf von Scherenberg. In Bibra the family commissioned Riemenschneider to do the Altar of the Apostles, Altar of the Church Fathers, Altar of the Annunciation, Carving of St. Kilian, a crucifix, and an epithet of Hans von Bibra (Lorenz’ father). Kilian von Bibra also commissioned a work by Riemenscheider other than at Bibra. 

Localities Associated with Family

The family seat is Bibra near Meiningen. Adelsdorf, Aroldshausen (by Jüchsen), Aubstadt, Brennhausen, Bramberg, Breuberg (Welkershausen by Meiningen), Burgwallbach, Dörfleshof (between Aubstadt and Ottelmannshausen), Unter- & Ober- Euerheim, Gemünda (by Seßlach), Geroda, Gleicherwiesen, Höchheim, Irmelshausen, Kleinbardorf, Neubrunn (Thuringia), Oselce (Czech Republic), Roßrieth (by Mellrichstadt), Schnabelwaid, Schwarza (Thuringian Forest), Schwebheim, Trappstadt, Walldorf (by Meinigen) and Weisendorf are some of the estates, castles, manner houses, and villages that at one time or under came under Bibra control. The family was closely associated with Kloster Rohr (just north of Meiningen) during the 1300s and with Henneberg Kloster Veßra in the 1400s. The castles Bibra, Irmelshausen and Brennhausen remain tied to the family. Irmelshausen and Brennhausen are two of the most picturesque water castles in Franconia and are frequently featured in calendars and books. Burg Bibra is reportedly the longest continuously owned castle by a family in Thuringia having been the family since records of its existence including through the East Germany period. Bibra Lake, a suburb of Perth, Australia is named after Benedict von Bibra who in the summer of 1843 bought land there.

Coat of Arms of Municipalities

The Bibra coat of arms is incorporated into several municipalities.

Gemeinde Adelsdorf	Gemeinde of Aubstadt	Former Gemeinde (now village) Bibra
Village of Gleicherwiesen	Gemeinde Höchheim	Village of Steinach an der Saale

References

German

• RHEINHOLD ALBERT: Chronik der Gemeinde Sulzdorf an der Lederhecke. (2 Volumes, zus. 860 S.) hrsg. von der Gemeinde Sulzdorf a. d. L., Verlag Frankenschwelle (Hildburghausen) Pages. 515 - 534. 1994. This is the most thorough source on Brennhausen.
• MARINA VON BIBRA, Heinrich VIII. - Fürstbischof von Fulda. In: Gerhard Pfeiffer (Hg.), Fränkische Lebensbilder, Bd. 4, Würzburg 1971, 213-229;
• WILHELM FRHR. VON BIBRA, Geschicte der Familie der Freiherrn von Bibra, 1870;
• WILHELM FRHR. VON BIBRA, Beiträge zur Familien Geschichte der Reichsfreiherrn von Bibra, Ernster Band (vol. 1), 1880;
• WILHELM FRHR. VON BIBRA, Beiträge zur Familien Geschichte der Reichsfreiherrn von Bibra, Zweiter Band (vol. 2), 1882;
• WILHELM FRHR. VON BIBRA, Beiträge zur Familien Geschichte der Reichsfreiherrn von Bibra, Dritter Band (vol. 3), 1888;
• A. GNAU, Das kirchliche Wirken Heinrich VIII. von Bibra, Fürstbischofs von Fulda (1759-1788), in: Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins der Diözese Fulda 6 (1902) 12-19;
• JOHANN EBERHARD VON KAISER, Regierungsgeschichte des jetztigen Fürsten-Bischofs Heinrich des VIII. zu Fulda im Grundriße, Vornehmlich in Hinsicht der innern Landes-Anstalten und Verbesserungen, in: Patriotisches Archiv für Deutschland 2 (1785) 1-102;
• HANS KARLINGER, Die Kunstdenkmäler von Bayern, III, 13. Bezirksamt Königshofen. - Munich, 1915 (Reprint Munich, 1983, ISBN 3-486-50467-3)
• WERNER KATHREIN, Bibra, Heinrich, in: Erwin Gatz (Hg.), Die Bischöfe des Heiligen Römischen Reiches 1648-1803, Berlin 1990, 29f.;
• JOSEF LEINWEBER, Die Fuldaer Äbte und Bischöfe, Frankfurt a.M. 1989, 159-163;
• MICHAEL MÜLLER, Fürstbischof Heinrich von Bibra und die katholische Aufklärung im Hochstift Fulda (1759-88). Wandel und Kontinuität des kirchlichen Lebens, Fulda 2005;
• FRANZ SAYN-WITTGENSTEIN, Schlosser in Franken : Residenzen Und Landsitze Im Frankischen, 1974 ISBN-10: 3406035752 ISBN-13: 9783406035753;
• MARTIN STINGL, REICHFREIHEIT UND FÜRSTENDIENST DIE DIENSTBEZIEHUNGEN DER BIBRA 1500 BIS 1806, Verlag Degener & Co, 1994, 341 pages, ISBN 3-7686-9131-4;
• WERNER WAGENHÖFER, Die Bibra: Studien und Materialien zur Genealogie und zur Besitzgeschichte einer fränkischen Niederadelsfamilie im Spätmittelalter, Verlag Degener & Co, 1998, 699 pages, ISBN 3-7686-9147-0;
• ALFRED WENDEHORST, Das Bistum Würzburg: Teil 3. Die Bischofsreihe von 1455 -1617, 1978, ISBN 3-11-007475-3;
• PETER ADOLPH WINKOPP, Beiträge zur Lebensgeschichte Heinrich des achten Fürstbischofen zu Fulda, welcher am 25. September 1788 das Zeitliche mit dem Ewigen verwechselte, in: Der neue deutsche Zuschauer 1 (1789) 93-102.134-144;
• KLAUS WITTSTADT, Der Bibliotheksgründer Fürstbischof Heinrich VIII. von Bibra (1759-1788), in: Artur Brall (Hg.), Von der Klosterbibliothek zur Landesbibliothek. Beiträge zum zweihundertjährigen Bestehen der Hessischen Landesbibliothek Fulda (Stuttgart 1978) 269-293;
• F. ZWENGER, Heinrich v. Bibra. Fürstbischof von Fulda, in: BuBl 4 (1923) 139f., 143f., 148 [Weitgehend auf Wilhelm von Bibra beruhend];

English

• JULIEN CHAPUIS, Tilman Riemenschneider: Master Sculptor of the Late Middle Ages, National Gallery London Publications, October 11, 1999, ISBN-10: 0300081626 ISBN-13: 978-0300081626
• LOIS NYMAN AND GRAEME VON BIBRA, THE VON BIBRA STORY, Foot & Playsted Pty. Ltd., Launceston, Australia, 1996, ISBN 0-9597188-1-8;
• ERNST VON BIBRA Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants 1995 Translation of Die narkotischen Genussmittel und der Mensch Translated by Hedwig Schleiffer, Forward by Martin Haseneier and extensive technical notes by Jonathan Ot, an ethnobiologist- ISBN 0-89281-498-5;
• HILLAY ZMORA, State and nobility in early modern Germany: The knightly feud in Franconia 1440-1567, Cambridge University Press, 1997 (hardback), 2002 (paperback), ISBN 0 521 56179 5;

External links

• Heinrich von Bibra School
• University of Texas biography on AUGUST LUDWIG KARL GEORG FRIEDRICH VON BIBRA, (1808-1894), general manager of the Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas
• Web site devoted to Bibra related topics