Adolph Wolff von Metternich

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Family coat of arms

Adolph Wolff von Metternich zur Gracht (* 1553 in Erftstadt , Liblar , Schloss Gracht ; † June 2, 1619 in Speyer ) was a German nobleman , canon in the diocese of Speyer and court master of Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria .

Origin and family

He came from the noble family of Wolff von Metternich and was the son of the Bliesheim bailiff Hieronymus Wolff von Metternich (1519–1592) and his wife Katharina von Buschfeld . His younger brother Wilhelm Wolff von Metternich (1563–1636) belonged to the Jesuit order and served for many years as the rector of the Jesuit college in Speyer .

Live and act

Family coat of arms on a cope in the Speyer Cathedral Treasure (around 1690)

Adolph Wolff von Metternich became domicellar in Speyer in 1579 and traveled from there to Rome in late 1580 . Here he entered the Collegium Germanicum and studied from 1581 to 1584. The brother Wilhelm also came there in 1583 as Speyer canon, stayed until 1587 and then entered the Jesuit order, renouncing his Speyer benefices.

Adolph returned to Speyer and took part in a meeting of this body for the first time as cathedral chapter on April 21, 1585 . In 1586 he was promoted to provost of St. Guido Monastery and later also cathedral custodian .

Metternich became one of the most zealous reformers in the spirit of the Council of Trent . In addition to the dean of the cathedral, Andreas von Oberstein , he was the only canon of Speyer to be ordained a priest. He celebrated Holy Mass every day , preached often, heard confessions and often confessed himself, was very charitable and distinguished himself by an exemplary way of life. His heart's desire to become a Jesuit was not fulfilled. The Father General, Claudio Acquaviva , thought it better that Wilhelm Wolff von Metternich continue to work as cathedral chapter in the recovery of the Speyer Church and support the reforms that are necessary there. Instead, he accepted him as a quasi associate member, so that he enjoyed all the rights and merits of the order without being a formal member. In 1586 and 1589, Bishop Eberhard von Dienheim sent him to Pope Sixtus V on diocese matters ; on August 17, 1590 he donated to the poisoned Margrave Jacob III. von Baden-Hachberg gave the final sacraments and stood by him until his death.

Around 1590, Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria appointed the Speyer canon as court master to his sons Philipp and Ferdinand, who were destined for the clergy . In 1592 and 1593 he stayed with them in Rome, where they studied. After Prince Ferdinand became coadjutor of his uncle Ernst of Bavaria as elector and archbishop of Cologne in 1595 , Metternich accompanied him there and guided him in spiritual matters in the rank of privy councilor . At that time, the young Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria wrote to Speyer - where people were indignant about the long absence of the canon - he urgently needed Metternich because he should be "constantly in front of his eyes like a mirror".

In 1598 Adolph Wolff von Metternich was back in Speyer. From then on, his nephew Johann Adolf Wolff von Metternich zur Gracht (1592–1669), later educator of the two sons of Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria, lived with him for school education .

On October 31, 1603, the Speyer cathedral chapter elected Adolph Wolff von Metternich as dean of the cathedral . This happened at the request of the deceased predecessor Andreas von Oberstein (1533-1603), whose most zealous co-reformer had been Metternich. In his spirit, he continued his new office. Together with his brother Wilhelm von Metternich, the rector of the local Jesuit college, he made a powerful contribution to the church renewal in the diocese of Speyer a . a. he also founded a Corpus Christi brotherhood.

Coat of arms cope of the great-nephew Johann Wilhelm Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht (1624–1694), Provost of Mainz , in the Speyer Cathedral Treasury , Palatinate History Museum , Speyer

In his home country he was involved in the reconstruction of the Frauenthal Marienkapelle , to which he also donated a golden chalice in 1609. Another precious gold goblet from the prelate, which he once donated to the Speyer Cathedral, is currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York . It bears the dedication inscription on a plate in its foot : ADOLPHUS WOLFF DICTUS METTERNICH DECANUS SPIRENSIS ANNO 1608 .

From 1615 Adolph von Metternich was ailing and died on June 2, 1619; he was buried in the (no longer existing) cloister of the Speyer Cathedral . The traditional epitaph calls him a father of the poor, a role model for the clergy, as well as the light and good spirit of the Church of Speyer , and it praises his piety, erudition, persuasiveness and wisdom .

After his death, the brother and Jesuit Wilhelm Wolff von Metternich became the main family reference person for the aforementioned nephew Johann Adolf, who was orphaned from 1605 onwards.

The great-nephew Hermann Werner Wolff von Metternich zur Gracht (1625–1704) officiated as Prince-Bishop of Paderborn , his brother Johann Wilhelm Wolff von Metternich von Metternich zur Gracht (1624–1694), as provost of the cathedral in Mainz , Paderborn and Münster .

literature

  • Ludwig Stamer : Church history of the Palatinate , Part 3, Volume 1, pp. 132-134, Pilger Verlag Speyer, 1954
  • Johann Friedrich Schannat : Eiflia illustrata or geographical and historical description of the Eifel , Volume 2, 1st section, p. 563, Aachen, 1829; (Digital scan)
  • Christian von Stramberg, Anton Joseph Weidenbach: Memorable and useful Rheinischer Antiquarius , III. Department, Volume 13, p. 205, Koblenz, 1867; (Digital scan)
  • Karl Bosl: Bosl's Bavarian Biography , Volume 1, p. 268, Pustet Verlag, Regensburg, 1983, (digital view)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Family genealogical website
  2. ^ Andreas Steinhuber : History of the Kollegium Germanicum Hungaricum in Rome , Volume 1, p. 238, Herder Verlag, Freiburg, 1906; (Detail scan)
  3. ^ Hanna Stommel: Johann Adolf Wolff called Metternich zur Gracht ; (Article as PDF document)
  4. ↑ Website with a picture of the New York chalice
  5. ^ Website of another object for sale in the art trade, with reference to the history of the Metternich chalice in New York
  6. ^ Gudrun Gersmann, Hans-Werner Langbrandtner: Adlige Lebenswelten im Rheinland: Annotated Sources of the Early Modern Age , Volume 3 of: Writings of the United Adelsarchive in the Rhineland eV , Böhlau Verlag, Cologne, 2009, p. 217 u. 218, ISBN 3412202517 ; (Digital scan)
  7. ^ Karl Stommel: Johann Adolf Freiherr Wolff called Metternich zur Gracht: from Landritter to Landhofmeister, a career in the 17th century , Rheinland-Verlag, 1986, ISBN 3792709198 , p. 64; (Detail scan)
personal data
SURNAME Metternich, Adolph Wolff von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Metternich zur Gracht, Adolph Wolff von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German nobleman, canon in the diocese of Speyer and court master of Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria
DATE OF BIRTH 1553
PLACE OF BIRTH Erftstadt , Liblar , Gracht Castle
DATE OF DEATH June 2, 1619
Place of death Speyer