Burchard I. of Halberstadt

Burchard I. in the St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt

Burchard I. von Halberstadt , also Burchard von Nabburg , (* around 1000 in Nabburg , † October 18, 1059 in Halberstadt ) was a German cleric and politician and bishop of Halberstadt .

Life

Burchard was a son of Heinrich von Schweinfurt , Margrave in the Bavarian Nordgau , and Gerberga von Henneberg , a daughter of Popponen Count Otto II. At the age of seven he came to the well-known St. Emmeram monastery school in Regensburg , where the later prior of St. Emmeram, Count Arnold von Vohburg , promoted his scholarship.

After completing his training, he initially devoted himself to secular tasks. The highest office he learned there when he in 1032 by Emperor Conrad II. To his Chancellor was appointed. The first document signed by Chancellor Burchard dates from December 17, 1032 and was made in Quedlinburg ; the last document from him as Chancellor is dated October 26, 1036.

When Bishop Branthog von Halberstadt died in 1036 , Burchard was appointed Bishop of Halberstadt at the request of Konrad II, in view of his exemplary way of life in the Middle Ages . Here he rearranged the administration of the diocese by dividing it into largely independent archdeaconates .

He also developed a brisk construction activity. He built a bishop's residence and houses for the canons . On the Huy near Halberstadt he built a chapel which was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and in the place of which the Huysburg Monastery was built in 1080 . In the north of the city he founded a monastery , which later got his name, and he built a chapel here, which is to be regarded as the forerunner of the St. Burchardi Church. Suidiger von Hornburg, who later became Pope Clement II , also received his training at the Halberstadt Cathedral School .

But he was also active beyond Halberstadt. He was still loyal to Konrad II and accompanied him on his Italian march in 1038/1039. He also supported the policy of his son and successor, Heinrich III. On the other hand, the relationship with Empress Agnes after the death of Henry III is unclear .

Burchard was involved in founding the Goseck Monastery . He endeavored to reduce the tensions that existed with the Archdiocese of Magdeburg . Allegedly, in 1059, the Archbishop of Magdeburg, Engelhard, even visited the terminally ill Burchard.

Bishop Burchard died on October 18, 1059 and was buried in Halberstadt Cathedral .

consequences

In 1060 there was a fire in the cathedral. That was probably the reason that the tomb was transferred to the church of the Burchardi monastery as early as 1060. In 1810 the monastery was closed in favor of an estate and the bones of Bishop Burchard I and his baroque grave monument were moved to the Franciscan church of St. Andrew , where they are still located today.

Because of its slow-setting Heiligsprechungs regulate Burchard was never officially canonized, but revered by the people as a saint and called in numerous documents as including in 1253 by Pope Innocent IV. In 1253 was made a papal indulgence on the feast of Sts. Burchard. He is considered the only saint among the Halberstadt bishops.

In 1984 a relic of the saint was brought from the Andreaskirche Halberstadt to his hometown Nabburg. It rests in the right side altar of the parish church in Nabburg.

literature

• Ernst Dausch: St. Burchard I. (1000–1059) - born in Nabburg - Bishop of Halberstadt. In the annual volume on culture and history in the district of Schwandorf, volume 11. pp. 7-19.

Web links

• Burchard on the website of the parish in his hometown (go to "History")

Individual evidence

1. ^ Rudolf Vierhaus (ed.): German Biographical Encyclopedia . (DBE). 2nd, revised and expanded edition. tape  2 . Saur, Munich 2005, p. 214 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
2. ↑ Petra Janke: Der Dom zu Halberstadt, DKK Art Guide No. 405, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-422-02282-9 , p. 5.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Building information on Burchardikirche ( memento from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ Adoration as a saint ( Memento from September 7, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )

predecessor	Office	successor
Branthog	Bishop of Halberstadt 1036–1059	Burchard II