John III of the Palatinate

John III of the Palatinate (7 May 1488 in Heidelberg – 3 February 1538) was the 48th Archbishop of Regensburg. He reigned from 1507 until his death. Background John III of the Palatine was a member of the House of Wittelsbach. His father was Elector Palatine Philip; his mother was Margaret of Bavaria. His brothers included George, who was Bishop of Speyer and Henry, who was bishop of Utrecht, Freising and Worms. Reign As a younger son, John III was destined from a young age for a career in the clergy. Nevertheless, he received little education on religious matters. He proved a capable administrator, but never took religious vows, so technically he was diocesan administrator rather than archbishop. There were riots in Regensburg between 1511 and 1513. These were triggered by the deaths of Sigmund von Rohrbach. He had been imperial captain; this office was increasingly used as a favour for favorites of the emperor. This meant the imperial captains were frequently absent, and decision they had to take were delayed. Emperor Maximilian I awarded the office to the knight Thomas Fuchs von Schneeburg. The riots led to the creation of a council from the ranks of the city's leading citizens. This council announce that they would investigate the problem. However, some members intended to take revenge on the emperor's appointees. After mediation by John III, a more conservative City Council was installed, who managed to halt the revolution. An imperial commission then punished the leaders of the unrest.