Franz Xaver von Neveu
Franz Xaver Freiherr von Neveu (1749–1828) was the last Prince-Bishop of Basel, reigning from 1794 to 1803.[1] After the Prince-Bishopric of Basel was mediatised to the Margraviate of Baden in 1803, Neveu remained Bishop of Basel, though without exercising temporal power, until his death in 1828.
Biography[edit]
Franz Xaver von Neveu was born in Birseck Castle on 26 February 1749, the son of Franz Karl Ignaz Freiherr von Neveu and his wife Maria Sophia Reuttner von Weyl.[2]
He served as a page in the court of Simon Nikolaus Euseb von Montjoye-Hirsingen, Prince Bishop of Basel, at Porrentruy, and then spent 1762-69 studying at the Jesuit gymnasium in Porrentruy.[2] In 1769, he began his studies at the University of Strasbourg.[2]
At Strasbourg, he was ordained as a priest on 15 March 1777.[3] In 1789, he became a canon (Domizellar) of Basel Münster.[2] He became a member of the cathedral chapter on 28 January 1792.[2] The French Revolution spread into the Prince-Bishopric of Basel, with French troops entering the prince-bishopric in April 1792.[2] Neveu and the rest of the cathedral chapter fled to Arlesheim, then to Freiburg im Breisgau.[2]
On 2 June 1794 the cathedral chapter elected Neveu to be the new Prince-Bishop of Basel, with Pope Pius VI confirming his appointment on 12 September 1794.[3] At the time of his election, the northern portion of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel had already been incorporated into the Rauracian Republic in December 1792. As such, Neveu's temporal authority only extended to Bellelay Abbey, Moutier-Grandval Abbey, Erguel, Orvin, Biel, La Neuveville, and Schliengen.[2]
The Treaty of Campo Formio (18 October 1797) awarded the French First Republic a free hand in Switzerland, and on 14 December 1797 French troops occupied the remainder of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel.[2] In 1803, this southern portion of the prince-bishopric was mediatised to the Margraviate of Baden, and Neveu lost the last of his temporal power over the prince-bishopric.[2] He remained Bishop of Basel until his death.[2]
He died in Offenburg on 23 August 1828.[2]
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