The Bishop of Basel in Istein and Schliengen
25 February 2025
The prince-bishopric (Furstbistum) of Basel (not to be confused with the diocese (religious power) of the bishopric stretched over areas in present-day France, Switzerland and Germany from the year 1,000 until the French invasion in 1792. It was one of the largest and most powerful bishoprics north of the Alps.
Not only the grandeur of Basel, Porrentruy (from 1529) and Arlesheim (from 1678) testify to this, but also places in present-day France and Germany. The bishop was a loyal ally of the Habsburgs (unlike the bishop of Constance!), and various possessions, castles, and residential palaces of the bishop and his allies were their residences or defensive locations for centuries.
Istein
The French King Louis XIV (1638-1715) was the first Frenchman to curtail this power. However, his countryman Napoleon (1769-1821) did it much more thoroughly and decisively, ending the secular power of the bishop (and the Holy Roman Empire).
Schliengen and the castle Entenstein of the bishop
Nevertheless, reminders of the extended stay of the Basel bishop can still be seen in several places in Germany, for example, in Schliengen, Altingen, Mauchen, Steinenstadt, Istein, and Huttingen (Baden-Württemberg), which were for centuries possessions of the prince-bishopric of Basel.
(Source and further information: Schliengen; Istein (Gemeinde Efringen-Kirchen)
Istein, the Isteiner Klotz and Fort Istein with the St. Veits-Kapelle
