Ferdinand von Furstenberg, Furstbischof von Paderborn und Munster: Friedensfurst und Guter Hirt (review)

This work is the result of a collaboration among a variety of scholars interested in the life and work of the seventeenth-century prelate, Ferdinand von Fürstenberg (1626–1683), which led to an exhibition at the Historical Museum in Marstall and the former residence of the Prince-Bishops of Paderborn at Neuhaus. The book, however, is much more than an accompaniment to these exhibitions. It contains essays of considerable significance for scholars of church history, art history, historical preservation, and philology (p. 11). It consists of twenty-nine chapters, divided into six sections, dealing with biography, pastoral and political affairs, patronage of the arts and learning, the residence at Neuhaus, the high altar of the former Jesuit church in Paderborn, and a simple directory for the various exhibitions. The contributors include some of the best-known scholars in this particular field, including Helmut Lehrkamp, Karl Hengst, Alwin Hanschmidt, and Roland Pieper, as well as impressive contributions by two members of the Fürstenberg family, Michael and Wennemar, and the appearance of the work of younger scholars.

A comparison of two seemingly related articles proves instructive. Helmut Lehrkamp, Director of the State Archives in Münster and the author of a three-volume history of the Fürstenberg family, provides us with an informative sketch of the immediate family of the Prince-Bishop, "Ferdinand von Fürstenberg und seine Familie" (pp. 43–52). This article is easy to read and digest, and helps place the major character in context. The next article, "Ferdinand von Fürstenberg, Familiengeschichtlich betrachtet" (pp. 53–78), is by Heinrich Josef Deisting, also an archivist and a genealogist. After a brief introduction in which he notes the importance of family connections, Deisting gives the reader twenty-three pages listing the descendants of Ferdinand's great-grandfather over seven generations up to the date of Ferdinand's death in 1683. This essay will be of interest only to genealogists.

An interesting article is that by Hans Jürgen Brandt and Karl Hengst, "Der erste Pastor im Bistum bin ich! Die geistliche Zentralbehörden unter Ferdinand von Fürstenberg" (pp. 155–182), which discusses in some detail the care taken by the Prince-Bishop in selecting his auxiliary bishops, vicars general, and other officials with an enduring concern for pastoral care. An aspect of the career of this prelate not often encountered in the literature is covered in the article "Die römischen Jahre Ferdinands von Fürstenberg" (pp. 79–110) by Michael von Fürstenberg. This covers the time Ferdinand spent in the Eternal City, his relationship with Pope Alexander VII, and his connections with many of the leading clerical, artistic, and intellectual figures of the period 1652–1661. Alexander VII appears again in an article by Jörg Ernesti (pp. 311–332) as the inspiration, patron, and model for Fürstenberg. Additional articles throw light on the Prince-Bishop's work as a poet, a collector, and a patron of the arts and artists.

Any book containing the contributions of several dozen authors is bound to be somewhat uneven in quality, utility, and even readability. This is no exception, although there are no clear losers in the assembly. There is something here for anyone interested in German history, church history, art history, or what the Germans so felicitously call Geistesgeschichte during the seventeenth century.