Electorate and Archbishopric Mainz

Mainz

	Mainz – Electorate and Archbishopric former country of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation to 1803 fully sovereign 1806 dissolved

	Contents:
	Flag Coat of Arms Meaning/Origin of the Flag Numbers and Facts History Origin of the Country's Name

Flags:

Flagge Fahne flag Kurfürstentum Erzbistum Mainz Electorate Archbishopric Mainz

flag of the Archbishopric of Mainz,
Source: World Statesmen

Flagge Fahne flag Mainz

flag of Mainz City

Source: Wikipedia (D)

Coat of Arms:

Wappen coat of arms Kurfürstentum Erzbistum Mainz Electorate Archbishopric Mainz

coat of arms of the Archbishopric of Mainz

Source: Wikipedia (D)

Meaning/Origin of the Flag:

Originally the coat of arms showed the patron of the city, the St. Martin. About 1300 the saint was supplemented by a wheel and a little later they only used the wheel in silver on a red background. The wheel should go back to Archbishop Willegis, who wanted in this way to express his pride for his simple descent. His father was a wheelwright. The flag of the archbishopric was a scutcheo flag, a plain red flag with a silver wheel in the middle.

When the city and the archdiocese separated administratively, the city of Mainz took over two wheels – connected with a small cross – in its own coat of arms.

In the time of the Napoleonic French occupation (1797–1813) the wheel was initially banned, but later admited, even by color inversion and supplemented by three golden bees (symbol of the House of Bonaparte)

Source: Wikipedia (D), Alles in Einem

Numbers and Facts:

Area:
ca. 386 square miles

Capital:
Mainz (Mayence)

History:

Ancient · settlement by Celtic tribes, and later by Germans from the tribe of the Treverians
58–51 B.C. · the region becomes conquered by Roman troops and comes to the province of Germania Superior
12 B.C. · foundation of the legion camp "Mogontiacum" by Drusus
89 A.D. · Mogontiacum is the capital of the province Germania Superior
346 · Mogontiacum is seat of a bishop
408 · Mogontiacum is conquered by the Vandals, Alans and Swabians and looted, the Roman history ends
782 · Mainz becomes levied to an Archbishopric (also called the archdiocese, seat of an archbishop, the first diocese in the province of a Catholic church, where the archbishop resides)
965 · the Archbishop of Mainz becomes Archchancellor and Elector (right to elect the German king)
from 11th century · aevelopment of a for independence striving civil community
1244 · Mainz becomes a "free city", i.e. the rule of the princes is terminated and the city is subordinated only and directly to the German king
1462 · End of the "free city", Mainz becomes the electoral residence
1792 · French troops occupy Mainz, the archbishop fled the city
1793 · founding of the Republic of Mainz under French sovereignty
July 1793 · siege and conquest by Prussian troops
1797 · French troops occupy Mainz again, "Mayence" becomes the capital of a French department
1803 · the German Mediatisation (Reichsdeputationshauptschluss) ends the Electorate of Mainz, but the elector remains Archchancellor and went to Regensburg
1806 · end of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation under the pressure of Napoléon, the emperor resigns, the elector exempts hisself from his imperial duties and becomes prince-primate of the Rhine Confederation, irrevocable end of the Electorate of Mainz
1815 · Congress of Vienna, reorganization of Europe after the Napoleonic era, Mainz comes to the Grand Duchy of Hesse(-Darmstadt)
1821 · re-erection of the diocese of Mainz, but without territorial sovereignty
1866 · Fratricidal War of Prussia against Austria, Hesse-Darmstadt and Hesse-Kassel are on the side of Austria and defeat, Hesse-Darmstadt has to cede the cities of Mainz and Worms to Prussia
30th of August in 1947 · foundation of the Country of Rhineland-Palatinate by decision of the Allies, from territories of the south of the Prussian Rhine Province, to date Bavarian Palatinate, and western of Rhinbe River placed regions of Hesse (Rheinhessen)
1950 · Mainz becomes the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate

Source: Wikipedia (D), Atlas zur Geschichte, Discovery '97, World Statesmen

Origin of the Country's Name:

The name of the city of Mainz has its roots in the name of the Roman legion camp "Mogontiacum", what can be translated as "Land of Mogon". Mogon was a Celtic god. Over time the name was shortened and became more and more modified: Moguntia, Mogancia, Magancia, Moguntie, Magonta, Magontie, Meginze, Menze, Meynce, Meintz, Maintz. In the time of the Napoleonic French occupation (1797–1813) the city was officially renamed in Mayence.

Source: Wikipedia (D)