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In the Holy Roman Empire, the German language term Hochstift (plural: Hochstifte) referred to the territory ruled by a bishop as a prince (i.e. prince-bishop), as opposed to his diocese, generally much larger and over which he exercised only spiritual authority. Hochstift. The lands ruled by a bishop as a prince (as opposed to his diocese). In the case of an archbishop: Erzstift. In the case of a prelate: Stift. Joachim Whaley, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, Oxford University Press, 2012, volume 2, Glossary of German terms and other terms. The terms prince-bishopric (Fürstbistum, or simply Bistum) and ecclesiastical principality are synonymous with Hochstift. Erzstift and Kurerzstift referred respectively to the territory ( prince-archbishopric) ruled by a prince-archbishop and an elector-archbishop while Stift referred to the territory ruled by an imperial abbot or abbess, or a Prince-abbot or abbess. Stift was also often used to refer to any type of ecclesiastical principality.
Hochstift is a compound with hoch ("high") used for a prince-bishopric, meaning literally a "high ranking donation fund".Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch: 33 vols. (1854–1871), vol. 10 'H–Juzen', Leipzig: Hirzel, 1877, col. 1634, reprint: Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv; No. 5945), 1984. . Whereas Erzstift, a compound with Erz… ("archi…"), was the corresponding expression for a prince-archbishopric.Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch: 33 vols. (1854–1971), vol. 3 'E–Forsche', Leipzig: Hirzel, 1862, col. 1099, reprint: Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv; No. 5945), 1984. . For the three of Cologne ( Kurköln), Mainz ( Kurmainz) and Trier ( Kurtrier), which were simultaneously archbishoprics the corresponding term is Kurerzstift (electorate-archbishopric). The adjective pertaining to Stift as a territory is stiftisch (of, pertaining to a prince-bishopric; prince-episcopal).Victor Dollmayr, Friedrich Krüer, Heinrich Meyer and Walter Paetzel, Deutsches Wörterbuch (started by the Brothers Grimm): 33 vols. (1854–1971), vol. 18 'Stehung–Stitzig', Leipzig: Hirzel, 1941, col. 2896, reprint: Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv; No. 5945), 1984. . As a compound, the term Stift today usually takes the copulative "s" when used as a preceding compound,Victor Dollmayr, Friedrich Krüer, Heinrich Meyer and Walter Paetzel, Deutsches Wörterbuch (started by the Brothers Grimm): 33 vols. (1854–1971), vol. 18 'Stehung–Stitzig', Leipzig: Hirzel, 1941, col. 2874, reprint: Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv; No. 5945), 1984. . such as in Stiftsadel (vassal nobility of a prince-bishopric), Stiftsamtmann (=official of a Stift), Stiftsmann (plural: Stiftsleute; =vassal tenant of an estate of a StiftVictor Dollmayr, Friedrich Krüer, Heinrich Meyer and Walter Paetzel, Deutsches Wörterbuch (started by the Brothers Grimm): 33 vols. (1854–1971), vol. 18 'Stehung–Stitzig', Leipzig: Hirzel, 1941, cols. 2897seq., reprint: Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv; No. 5945), 1984. .), Stiftssasse (=subject/inhabitant of a prince-bishopric), Stiftsstände (=estates of a prince-bishopric as a realmVictor Dollmayr, Friedrich Krüer, Heinrich Meyer and Walter Paetzel, Deutsches Wörterbuch (started by the Brothers Grimm): 33 vols. (1854–1971), vol. 18 'Stehung–Stitzig', Leipzig: Hirzel, 1941, col. 2900, reprint: Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv; No. 5945), 1984. .), or Stiftstag (diet of the estates of a prince-bishopric).
Specific prince-bishoprics were often called Hochstift/Erzstift X, as in Hochstift Augsburg or in Erzstift Bremen, with stiftbremisch meaning of/pertaining to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, as opposed to stadtbremisch (of/pertaining to the city of Bremen). By contrast, the spiritual entities, the dioceses, are called Bistum ("diocese") or Erzbistum ("archdiocese") in German. The difference between a Hochstift/Erzstift and a Bistum/Erzbistum is not always clear to authors so that non-scholarly texts often translate Hochstift or Erzstift incorrectly simply as diocese/bishopric or archdiocese/archbishopric, respectively.
The prince-bishop, elected by the canons of the cathedral chapter and often belonging to the high nobility, typically enjoyed imperial immediacy; he wielded the same authority over his principality as any secular prince, such as a duke or a margrave, over his. He had seat and vote at the Imperial Diet.
From a high of more than 40 in the late Middle Ages, the number of Hochstifte (including archbishoprics) was down to 26 by the late 18th century. None was created for nearly four centuries, between the Golden Bull of 1356 and the conversion of the Princely Abbey of Fulda to a bishopric in 1752. All remaining Hochstifte were secularized during the Napoleonic Wars in the early years of the 19th century, and none remained at the time of the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, except Breslau whose residual territorial authority was abolished by Prussia in 1810.
Some Austrian and Bavarian bishoprics such as Chiemsee, Gurk, Lavant and Seckau had no territorial authority and are therefore not included in the list, even though they participated in Imperial diets.
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