Founder of the university and a stern ruler
Paris Lodron kept Salzburg out of the Thirty Years' War
Ambitious even as a child
Paris Lodron was born on February 13, 1586 at Noarna Castle in Trentino. He came from the noble family of the Counts of Lodron. The family worked purposefully towards a career in Salzburg. At the age of eleven he went to study theology in Trento, and later in Bologna. He completed his studies with the Jesuits in Ingolstadt in 1604.
He died on 15 December 1653 and was buried in Salzburg Cathedral.
A calculating misogynist
At the wish of Archbishop Mark Sittich, Paris von Lodron was elected the new Archbishop of Salzburg on 13 November 1619.
He was considered very strict towards women. For example, Paris Lodron had the then widowed Countess Maria von Raitenau de facto imprisoned in the Nonnberg monastery. He also took over the guardianship of her children. The Prince Archbishop allegedly did this not out of pure concern, but to lure the children away from rule over Gmünd. Paris Lodron is also believed to have imprisoned his widowed sister Barbara von Liechtenstein in the Nonnberg monastery from October 1651 against her will and despite her "miserable wailing and complaining".
Prince Archbishop Paris Graf von Lodron in chasuble, painted by an anonymous artist, 1638. (Salzburg Museum)
Part of the Law Faculty of Paris-Lodron-University (Tourismus Salzburg, Picture: Scheinast)
Pompous throne room of Residenz Palace (Picture: Helge Kirchberger Photography)
Father of the fatherland
Paris Lodron had considerable influence on the history of Salzburg. In 1622, he founded the University of Salzburg.
He began with the drainage of Itzlinger marsh. The main motive behind this was probably the outbreak of the plague in 1625. Salzburg today honours him as "Pater Patriae" – the father of the fatherland.
Averting involvement in war
Through a clever policy, he managed to keep his territory out of the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and to keep the peace in Salzburg. Nevertheless, the great hardship of the Thirty Years' War led to the uprising of the Fügen peasants (Zillertal) against their sovereign.
Paris Lodron was the only prince from Salzburg to be received by Ludwig I of Bavaria in Walhalla near Regensburg.
Construction projects
- Foundation of Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg
- Finalisation of Salzburg Cathedral
- Enhancement of Hohensalzburg Fortress
Paris von Lodron commissioned his master builder Santino Solari to construct the very latest in Venetian works of defence in the city and the surrounding lands. A defensive ring consisting of five large bastions was built around the 'New City' district. In the Old City, the escarpments of the Mönchsberg mountain were used as a natural defensive wall. The Müllner redoubt to the north connected the Old City to the left bank of the River Salzach. The Fortress Hohensalzburg was also upgraded with the latest military technology, particular its outworks.
(Picture: Altstadt Verband / Sajovic)
The coat of arms of Paris Lodron
The arms of the Lodron family have a silver lion on a red field with a knotted tail shaped rather like a pretzel.
The device was also used by the prince-archbishop.
This lion can frequently be seen on the city walls and on churches in Salzburg.
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