The
Bishopric of Worms, or
Prince-Bishopric of Worms, was an ecclesiastical principality of the
Holy Roman Empire. Located on both banks of the
Rhine around
Worms just north of the union of that river with the
Neckar, it was largely surrounded by the
Electorate of the Palatinate. Worms had been the seat of a bishop from Roman times. From the High Middle Ages on, the prince-bishops secular jurisdiction no longer included the city of Worms, which was an
Imperial Free City and which became officially Protestant during the Reformation. The prince-bishops however retained jurisdiction over the Cathedral of Worms inside the city.