Prince-Bishopric of Strasbourg


The Prince-Bishopric of Strassburg was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the 13th century until 1803. During the late 17th century, most of its territory was annexed by France; this consisted of the areas on the left bank of the Rhine, around the towns of Saverne, Molsheim, Benfeld, Dachstein, Dambach, Dossenheim-Kochersberg, Erstein, Kästenbolz, Rhinau, and the Mundat. The annexations were recognized by the Holy Roman Empire in the Treaty of Ryswick of 1697. Only the part of the state that was to the east of the Rhine remained; it consisted of areas around the towns of Oberkirch, Ettenheim, and Oppenau. The remaining territory was secularized to Baden in 1803.