Edmund von Werth

Edmund von Werth (* around 1232; † December 14, 1292 in Alden Biesen Castle ) was a priest of the Teutonic Order and bishop of the Courland diocese .

Probably coming from a family of ministerial nobles, he probably came from the island of Niederwerth , which is located near Koblenz. His brother was a pastor nearby. He himself probably joined the Coming Koblenz of the Teutonic Order. At this time several of his relatives were knight brothers in the Teutonic Order.

Appointed Bishop of Courland in 1263 on the recommendation of Grand Master Anno von Sangerhausen , he received the episcopal ordination shortly afterwards . After he had settled the most important matters of his diocese, most of which still had to be conquered, he left the Teutonic Order in 1267 at the latest and returned to the German Empire. Here he worked as auxiliary bishop for most of his life and stayed mainly in the Rhineland .

Personal connections and the closeness to those coming to the Teutonic Order made it possible for him to have an initial economic security. To enable him to have a secure existence, he received a house in Andernach in 1272 , which had various incomes. These seemed to exceed the income of his unsecured diocese because he made no move to return. He can only be found there again in the period from 1290 to 1291. During this time he founded a cathedral chapter and divided the land between the bishop and the chapter. Then he traveled back to the German Empire.

Edmund von Werth, who developed his activity mainly in the area of ​​the Rhineland and what is now Belgium , is described on his tombstone as a person of particular learning, good morals, charity and a pleasant appearance. This tombstone can still be seen today in the parish church of Alden Biesen , where he found his final resting place.

literature

• Gustavs Strenga: Livonia as a lieu de mémoire of the Teutonic Order in the Empire. In: Anti Selart, Matthias Thumser (Ed.): Livonia - a region at the end of the world? / Livonia - a Region at the End of the World? Research on the Relationship between Center and Periphery in the Late Middle Ages / Studies on the Relations between Center and Periphery in the Later Middle Ages. Böhlau, Cologne / Weimar 2017, ISBN 978-3-412-50805-0 , pp. 367-369.

predecessor	Office	successor
Heinrich von Lützelburg	Bishop of Courland 1263–1292	Burkhard