Establishment

The See of Bamberg was established by Henry II in 1002. Henry had inherited some land in the area from his father, Bavarian Duke Henry the Quarreller, and afterwards he gave this land to his wife Kunigunde as a wedding gift. While Henry II was a genuinely pious man who cared about the church, much of the reasoning behind this action of establishing the bishopric was political. As is evident in his policies, Henry used the church to bolster his political power as Emperor and to show his authority over the Church.

The area around Bamberg had been settled by the Wends, a western Slavic tribe. These people were seen as barbaric, so Henry established the bishopric there in an attempt to Germanize the area, in addition to his display of control. The Bishop of Würzburg, who had previously held control over that area, was not pleased by the new organization of the church, but the establishment took place nonetheless, showing the power that Henry had over the Church.