Was the Bibra family important?
The family was one of the leading families in Franconia (northern part of Bavaria) from the mid 1400’s to the late 1500’s. 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 assets as part of the counter reformation resulting in the 79 year 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.
