Benno II of Osnabrück

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benno II., Sculpture by Hans Gerd Ruwe, sculptor from Osnabrück, in Bad Iburg (1987)

Benno II of Osnabrück (* around 1020 in Löhningen; † July 27, 1088 in Bad Iburg ) was Bishop of Osnabrück from November 23, 1068 until his death in 1088. He was a close advisor to Heinrich IV and a recognized master builder . His biography was written between 1090 and 1100 by Norbert von Iburg , abbot of the Iburg monastery founded by Benno II .

Life

Benno probably came from a ministerial family . He received an excellent education in Strasbourg and on the island of Reichenau . He is said to have been very talented in various fields such as music, mathematics or historiography, theoretically and practically. In the service of Bishop Wilhelm of Strasbourg , he made a pilgrimage with him between 1040 and 1044 to the Holy Land in Jerusalem . He then worked as a teacher in the cathedral schools in Speyer and Hildesheim , in the latter even as a director. In Speyer, where the royal court stayed at least once a year, he made contact with important people, including Emperor Heinrich III. This finally appointed him provost of the cathedral in Goslar and at the same time royal vice-dominus of the local imperial palace . Benno showed particular organizational talent, he was economically very successful because he was extremely resourceful and unprejudiced when it came to raising money. On November 23, 1068 he became Henry IV. As the successor Benno I. used as bishop of Osnabrück. He improved the infrastructure of his diocese , for example he drained wetlands and built new roads. From 1080 he paid particular attention to the establishment of a Benedictine monastery on the Iburg . Its first abbot was ordained in 1082. From 1085 Benno spent the last years of his life in this monastery because he was reluctant to stay in Osnabrück at his bishopric. He died in Iburg on July 27, 1088 and was buried in the monastery church.

Benno as advisor to Henry IV.

During the Saxon uprising (around 1073) the loyal bishop was expelled from his diocese. From 1075 Benno stayed constantly in the vicinity of Henry IV. He became one of his most important advisers and consequently belonged to the royal councils banned by Pope Gregory VII in 1076 . Nevertheless, he also retained the papal trust and with a lot of diplomatic skill he was able to mediate successfully between the royal and papal parties several times during the investiture controversy, for example in January 1077 in Canossa . When Gregory VII renewed the excommunication against Henry in 1080 , Benno moved with his army against Rome, but did not allow himself to be firmly captured by either side, because on the one hand he was linked to the king in loyalty and gratitude, but on the other hand he also felt obliged to canon law. This became clear at the Synod of Bishops in Bressanone , which was supposed to serve the deposition of Gregory VII and the simultaneous election of a new Pope. When there was a public vote with the indirect compulsion to vote against Gregor, and neutrality was not tolerated, Benno managed to not cast a vote and to maintain his personal neutrality by hiding behind the altar.

Benno as a builder

Benno was also famous for his skills as a builder. After the establishment of this reputation through buildings in Hildesheim and Goslar, Heinrich IV called him on to the castle building program in Saxony (including the construction of the Harzburg from 1065 to 1068). Later he made a name for himself with the construction of the Iburg Abbey and the extensive extensions to the Speyer Cathedral , where he provided the necessary supporting structures, for example.

Résumé

On the one hand, Benno is one of the rare examples of social mobility in the Middle Ages, combined with the rise from a ministerial family to the imperial episcopate. Through his extensive studies, Benno laid the foundation for his later rise. But excellent knowledge and hard work were not enough due to his background; it was only the interplay of excellent training and the relationships Benno established that made his social advancement possible. In this respect, Benno's various training stations came close to a kind of career planning.

On the other hand, his difficulties during the Saxon uprising and the investiture dispute illustrate the conflict that the members of the Reichsepiscopate could get into during these times of upheaval. By performing their religious duties, of course, and thus being obliged to the religious authorities, above all the Pope, they often came into conflict with their secular master, the king, to whom they were also oathed.

literature

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Benno I. Bishop of Osnabrück
1068-1088 		Markward
personal data
SURNAME Benno II of Osnabrück
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Osnabrück
DATE OF BIRTH around 1020
PLACE OF BIRTH Löhningen
DATE OF DEATH July 27, 1088
Place of death Bad Iburg