He was the son of Margrave
Frederick V of Baden-Durlach and his second wife Eleonore of Solms-Laubach. He was the godson of King
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. He was baptized as Gustav Adolph and raised in the
Lutheran faith. As a Major General in the Swedish army, he fought against Poland during the
Second Northern War. After traveling through France and Italy and a lengthy stay in Rome, he converted to
Catholicism on 24 August 1660 in the
Franciscan Hermolsheim monastery in
Mutzig in the Lower
Alsace. He took the name of Bernhard Gustav, in honor of the Margrave
Bernhard II. In 1663, the joined the Venetian army and fought in the
Turkish War. A year later, he fought in the
battle of St. Gotthard. In 1665, he laid down his arms, entered the
Benedictine Rheinau Abbey and received minor orders. In 1666, he was appointed
coadjutor of the
prince-bishop of
Fulda. In 1668, he also became coadjutor of
Kempten Abbey. In 1671, he became Prince-Bishop in Fulda and coadjutor in the
Michaelsberg Abbey in
Siegburg. On 24 August 1671,
Pope Clement X made him
cardinal of
Santa Susanna. In 1676, he participated in the
conclave that elected
Pope Innocent XI. He died on 26 December 1677 in
Hammelburg and was buried there. == References ==