Adalbert of Pomerania

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Adalbert († April 3 between 1160 and 1164) was the first bishop of Pomerania . The bishopric was Wollin . Before he took office, he was pastor at St. Peter's Church in Wollin, before that he was a monk of the Benedictine Abbey of Michelsberg Monastery in Bamberg and Chaplain Boleslaws III.

The Pomoranian language knowledge, he accompanied the Bishop Otto of Bamberg at the missionary journeys through Pomerania as an interpreter. When after the death of the Pomeranian apostle Otto von Bamberg, and still initiated by him, a separate diocese was founded in this country , still on Otto's recommendation and at the suggestion of Duke Ratibor I , since a cathedral chapter did not yet exist the assembled greats of the country were elected bishop in 1139. The Bamberg Abbey immediately ceded its rights and income in the areas to the left of the new diocese, which was excluded from any suffragan relationship and was solely subordinate to the Pope, with its seat in Wollin ( from 1176 in Cammin ), whose district was to coincide with the political borders of the former Pomerania Or from and Duke Ratibor I added talents on the right bank.

After his election, Adalbert went to Rome, where on October 14, 1140 his consecration and confirmation by a bull from Pope Innocent II took place. After returning to his district, which was by no means completely inwardly devoted to Christianity , Adalbert made it his business to ensure the consolidation of the new faith through pastoral activities, such as the founding of churches and the recruitment of clergy, supported by Duke Ratibor I. has been. He was forced to take part in the political fate of Pomerania when, in 1147, Bishop Heinrich Zdik von Olomouc came with his army of the cross, which had been gathered to convert or subjugate the supposedly still pagan Baltic states, as far as Stettin and besieged the city. Bishop Adalbert, in association with the city's most influential men, managed to avert the danger by pointing out that preaching, but not armed force, was necessary to strengthen the Christian faith in these countries. Through further negotiations Adalbert got it to the point that the crusaders withdrew completely.

In the period of calm that followed for his diocese, Adalbert again turned to pastoral work and on May 3, 1153, in association with Duke Ratibor I, founded the first monastery in Pomerania, Stolpe Monastery in Stolpe an der Peene at the point where in 1136 the duke's brother, Wartislaw I , was slain and a church was built in his memory. The new foundation was filled with monks from the Berge monastery near Magdeburg and all churches still to be built in this landscape were subordinated to him. Adalbert received the same support after Duke Ratibor I's death from his two nephews, Dukes Bogislaw I and Casimir I. His last act was the confirmation of the richly gifted Grobe Monastery near Usedom , which was still founded by Ratibor I on June 8, 1159 .

Adalbert's year of death cannot be precisely determined, he died on April 3 between 1160 and 1164.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl Gustav Fabricius : Studies on the history of the Wendish Baltic countries . Volume 2: The rule of the Dukes of Pomerania in Danzig and their outcome . Schneider, Berlin 1859, p. 25.
predecessor Office successor
- Bishop of Pomerania
1139–1160 / 1164 		Konrad I.
personal data
SURNAME Adalbert of Pomerania
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Adalbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION first bishop of Pomerania
DATE OF BIRTH 11th century or 12th century
DATE OF DEATH April 3, 1160 or April 3, 1161 or April 3, 1162