Alban of Mainz

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Alban von Mainz, fantasy representation from the 16th century.

Saint Alban of Mainz , lat. Albanus Mogontiacensis (* in Italy or on Naxos in Greece ; † around the year 406 in Mainz ) was a priest , missionary and martyr . Its life dates are very uncertain, but its existence is generally not in doubt.

Through Rabanus Maurus in his martyrology it is handed down that Alban was sent on a mission to Gaul by Ambrosius at the time of Emperor Theodosius I, together with his two companions Theonest and Ursus . They would have reinstated the deposed Bishop Aureus in Mainz , who, however, was slain a little later in an attack by the Vandals on the city in 406 (→ Rhine crossing from 406 ). During the same attack, Alban was taken by surprise while praying, and was beheaded.

During excavations in the south of the city of Mainz, a grave was found in a cemetery from late Roman times that is assigned to him.

Charlemagne built in honor of him and his third wife, Fastrada , who died in 794, the Albans monastery on the Albanschanze near Mainz, where the bishops of the city of Mainz were buried for a long time.

Since the 11th century, relics of St. Alban is venerated in Namur in the Saint-Aubain collegiate church . In 1083 the St. Alban's monastery was founded in Basel, which was abolished in 1529 as a result of the Reformation. In 1923 the St. Alban Monastery was founded in the St. Alban district of Dießen . In 2017, the Archdiocese of Freiburg dedicated the Freiburg student residence previously named after Alban Stolz to Alban von Mainz.

Legend

The legend after he had brought his severed head to the point where he wanted to be buried. This led him to Sankt Alban in Hörgertshausen in Upper Bavaria, where a large pilgrimage church was built for him in the middle of the Hallertau .

Remembrance day

In the Catholic Church is his memorial of 21st June .

Patron saint

Alban von Mainz is the patron saint

  • from Mainz
  • the farmers
  • against bad weather
  • Sore throat and headache
  • pest
  • epilepsy
  • Urinary tract disease

In addition to Mainz, he is also highly respected in Upper and Lower Bavaria.

iconography

St. Alban near Dießen am Ammersee

In iconography , Saint Alban of Mainz is represented with a sword and his head in his hands as attributes .

Due to the similarity of his death and the identical names, he is often confused with Saint Alban of England . So is z. B. Alban of England is shown on the coat of arms of Matrei in East Tyrol , although Alban of Mainz is actually the patron saint of the place.

Saint Alban of Mainz is depicted in the coat of arms of the large district town of Schkeuditz and the sword in the municipality of Hörgertshausen .

literature

Web links

Commons : Alban von Mainz  - Collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints - Alban von Mainz, accessed on February 14, 2017
  2. ↑ Information from the Diocese of Namur (French)
  3. ↑ Archdiocese gives Alban-Stolz-Haus a new name , Badische Zeitung (online) from January 22, 2017.
personal data
SURNAME Alban of Mainz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Albanus Mogontiacensis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Priest, missionary and martyr
DATE OF BIRTH 4th century
DATE OF DEATH 406
Place of death Mainz