FAQs

Was the Bibra family important?
The family was one of the leading families in Franconia (northern part of Bavaria) from the mid-1400s to the late 1500s. Siebmachers Wappenbuch of 1605, lists the family as the most important family of Franconia under the rank of Freiherr (Baron). By 1600 most of the family died off without heirs partially due to the plague and the number of family members who took church positions. After the death of Heinrich von Bibra in 1602, the Prince- Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn seized most of the family?s lawsuit. From 1602 on there were many important members of the family but the family itself never recovered the leading position it previously had.  

My brother has pointed out that if the Bibras ruled all of Franconia (which it didn?t), no one would ever had heard of them.  Point well taken.

Why don?t you include photos of the inside of Bibra castles?
I would be happy to but would want permission prior to doing so.

Why is the site in English rather than German & English?
My German is insufficient to do the job adequately.

Who was the most important member of the family? Most famous?
The most famous member today judging by the internet is Ernst. Historically, one would expect Prince-Bishop Lorenz of W?rzburg or Prince-Abbot, Prince-Bishop Heinrich of Fulda to be the most important. It is possible to argue that Lorenz? role in meeting Martin Luther and recommending him to his eventual principal backer Friedrich the Wise may have significantly changed the world. At the 1985 Bibra Reunion, the speech by Otto-Siegfried von u. zu Bibra made the argument that Kilian von Bibra was the most important member of the family.

Why is almost all the information about males?
The information of female members historically is limited.  There have been Prioresses.

What about recent members of the family?
There have been recent members of the family that are noteworthy however, for now, I prefer to focus on the historical aspects of the family.

Do you have higher resolution versions of graphics and photos?
Yes (mostly), please contact me (Carl von Bibra) at bibra@compuserve.com.