Altmann (Münsterschwarzach)

Altmann († September 27, 1112 or 1114 ) was abbot of the Benedictine monastery in Münsterschwarzach from 1096 or 1098 to 1112 or 1114 . Altmann had previously headed other Benedictine monasteries.

Münsterschwarzach before Altmann

Abbot Altmann takes twelfth place in the abbot row of the Münsterschwarzach monastery. Before him, three women had already run the abbey before a men's convention took possession of the empty monastery buildings in the 9th century. From the 11th century, the Würzburg bishops were the spiritual masters of the abbey. In several disputes against the East Franconian aristocratic families in the area, they were able to establish the monastery as their property.

The first abbot by the grace of Würzburg was Alapold from the St. Emmeram monastery in Regensburg. He had been chosen because he had already come into contact with the Gorze monastery reforms , which were now to be implemented in Münsterschwarzach; The successors of Alapold, above all Saint Egbert , who came directly from Gorze, tried to implement the reforms. Burkard , Altmann's direct predecessor, had his monks help found the Pegau monastery.

Life

Nothing is known about Abbot Altmann's youth and origins. He probably came from northern Germany, as he was abbot of the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter in Merseburg from 1091 to 1096 . In addition, he presided over several other monasteries as a prelate and under his rule established the ideas of the reforms of Gorze everywhere. How the abbot reached Franconia and the Münsterschwarzach abbey is unclear.

In 1096 or 1098 Altmann became abbot of the Main Abbey. As in his other monasteries, he promoted reforms there too. The abbot's library was particularly close to his heart. He had new books copied, in addition to several missals and lessonaries, as well as manuscripts by famous authors, such as the liber etymologarium of Isidore of Seville , the Paralipomenon of the Bible and the regula Benedicta .

In 1107 the abbey received important visitors, the founder of the Paulinzella monastery and later Saint Paulina stopped in Münsterschwarzach due to illness. She was on her way to Hirsau Monastery , which became the focus of monastery reforms in Germany. Paulina did not reach her destination and died in the monastery. A few years later, on September 27, 1112 or 1114, Altmann also died and was buried in the monastery church.

literature

• Johannes Mahr: Münsterschwarzach. 1200 years of a Franconian abbey . Münsterschwarzach 2002.
• Leo Trunk: The Abbots of Münsterschwarzach. A comparative overview . In: Pirmin Hugger (Ed.): Magna Gratia. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Münsterschwarzach abbey church 1938–1988 . Münsterschwarzach 1988.
• Gabriel Vogt: On the early history of the Münsterschwarzach Abbey . Volkach 1980.
• Heinrich Wagner: The abbots of Megingaudshausen and Münsterschwarzach in the Middle Ages . In: Pirmin Hugger (Ed.): Magna Gratia. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Münsterschwarzach abbey church 1938–1988 . Münsterschwarzach 1988.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Heinrich Wagner (p. 113) gives these dates, most other sources and representations, however, assume the year 1113. Compare: Leo Trunk: The Abbots of Münsterschwarzach . P. 154 f.
2. ↑ According to the death of his predecessor Abbot Burkard I.
3. ^ Johannes Mahr: Münsterschwarzach. 1200 years of a Franconian abbey . P. 17.
4. ^ Heinrich Vogt: On the early history of the Münsterschwarzach abbey . P. 18.
5. ^ Heinrich Wagner: The abbots of Münsterschwarzach in the Middle Ages . P. 114.

predecessor	Office	successor
Burkard I.	Abbot of Münsterschwarzach 1096 / 1098–1112 / 1114	Rupert