Florian von Lorch

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Typical depiction of St. Florian with a fire bucket

The holy Florian (* 3rd century, † May 4 304 in Lauriacum , today Lorch in Enns , Upper Austria ) was an officer of the Roman army and commander of a unit for fire fighting . He is venerated in the Catholic and Orthodox Church alike.

Legend

Condemnation of St. Florian. Detail of the Florian Gate of the Laurentius Basilica in Lorch
Lintel of St. Florian. Detail: ceiling fresco of St. Florian Monastery Basilica

The events of his martyrdom are described in the Passio Floriani from the late 8th or early 9th century . Florian von Lorch was a retired head of the law firm and lived in Aelium Cetium (Sankt Pölten). During the time of the persecution of Christians (303–304) under Emperor Diocletian , governor Aquilinus came to Lauriacum (today's Lorch in Enns ) to research the Christians. 40 Christians were seized and locked up after many tortures. Florian found out about this and hurried to Lauriacum to help them. In Lauriacum, however, he was picked up by his former military comrades and arrested because he confessed to being a Christian and was brought before the governor Aquilinus. Because he refused to renounce the Christian faith, he was beaten with clubs and his shoulder blades were broken with sharpened irons. Eventually he was sentenced to death. He should be burned alive. At the torture stake he said that if they would burn him, he would rise to heaven on the flames. The soldiers were now reluctant to burn him, and on May 4th, 304 with a stone around his neck (which later became a millstone), he was thrown from a bridge into the Enns . Before his execution, Florian prayed for an hour so that the soldiers were awestruck and they were afraid to carry out the death sentence. An angry young man finally pushed him off the bridge into the river. So Florian died, and the 40 confessors also died in dungeon.

Tradition goes on to say that the saint's corpse was washed ashore on a cliff and guarded by an eagle with outstretched wings. A woman of deep faith (later called Valeria) found him on a revelation and hid him. She put him on a cart pulled by animals and covered him with bushes and leaves to take him to his burial place unnoticed. On the way the draft animals got tired and stopped. At this woman's prayer, a spring sprang up and the animals could drink. This spring is still there today (Florian fountain at the church of St. Johann in St. Florian). Strengthened by the fresh water, they went on to the predetermined burial place. There the woman hurriedly buried him in the ground. St. Florian Monastery was later built over his grave .

Later traditions tell of a punitive miracle. The man who threw Florian from the bridge broke the eyes. Originally this statement referred to the saint (expression for dying). Later it was seen as a punishment for the perpetrator. In art, for example, one often finds the portrayal of the man who carried out the death sentence falling out of his head.

Eight years after the execution, full freedom of religion was guaranteed under Emperor Constantine .

Worship and customs

History of worship

According to the tradition of the Passio Floriani , St. Florian was buried on the site of the St. Florian Monastery in Upper Austria. The place developed into a place of pilgrimage in the High Middle Ages. 1,184 relics of the saint were in the city of Krakow transferred , where they in the Cathedral received an altar. Adoration can be proven in Austria, Bavaria, Bohemia, Poland and Hungary until the beginning of the Reformation. Even if Saint Florian is known today as the patron saint against the danger of fire, he was originally invoked against the danger of water, from which the fire patronage has developed.

Patron saint

Florian extinguishes a burning house

Florian is considered the patron saint

  • against fire and the fire brigade (hence the designation Florianijünger or Floriansjünger for firefighters as well as the common radio call name "Florian" for fire brigade radio stations in combination with the place name of the respective fire brigade - in many places it is customary to hold a "Florianimesse" on his memorial day the firefighters appear in dress uniform)
  • the baker
  • the chimney sweep / chimney sweep
  • the brewer
  • the gardener
  • the cooper
  • the potter
  • the forge (Losenstein nail smith flag 1868)
  • the soap boiler
  • of Poland (his relics are in Krakow )
  • from Upper Austria and Linz
  • against fire and drought
  • for burns

Florian is called against fire and fire hazards, fights, storms, sterility of the fields, great drought.

Sculpture of St. Florian with bare buttocks (Fritzplatz, Bad Tölz)

iconography

Florian is depicted as a Roman legionnaire with a flag, a water bucket and a burning house, sometimes with a millstone on his neck. Originally the water bucket stood for the martyrdom of drowning, but with the addition of the house it has become a symbol of patronage over time. Sometimes there are also curious forms of representation, such as in the spa town of Bad Tölz in Upper Bavaria . The place was ravaged by major fires several times, so a Florian fountain was erected in honor of the saint in front of the Tölzer tax office. In order to mock the tax officials, Florian from Tölz shows a bare bottom.

Remembrance day

His Catholic feast day is May 4th . It is a non-mandatory day of remembrance in the general Roman calendar . Floriani Day is celebrated by the fire brigades in Austria, Bavaria and Saarland . Since 1971 St. Florian first patron of the Diocese of Linz . In addition to St. Leopold has also been the patron saint of Upper Austria since 2004 . On this day there is no school in Upper Austria.

Pawn rule

Corresponding to the name- Bauer rule is:

  • Florian, Florian, can still wear a snow hat
  • If it was beautiful and pure on Ambrosius (April 4th), it will be all the wilder on Florian.

See also

Editions of the Passio Floriani

  • Acta sanctorum Maii. I, Antwerp 1680, pp. 461-467.
  • Bruno Krusch (ed.): Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 3: Passiones vitaeque sanctorum aevi Merovingici et antiquiorum aliquot (I). Hanover 1896, pp. 65–71 ( Monumenta Germaniae Historica , digitized version )
  • Province of Upper Austria (Ed.): New translation by Karl Rehberger in the catalog for the exhibitions: Enns - Lorch - St. Florian 2004, pp. 46–51.

literature

Web links

Commons : Florian von Lorch  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl Rehberger, In: Land Oberösterreich (Ed.): Catalog for the exhibitions: Enns - Lorch - St. Florian. Linz 2004, ISBN 3-85483-040-8 , pp. 46–51.
  2. ↑ M. Zender: Florian . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages (LexMA). Volume 4, Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1989, ISBN 3-7608-8904-2 , Sp. 565 f.
personal data
SURNAME Florian von Lorch
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman civil servant who converted to Christianity and died a martyr's death
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century
DATE OF DEATH May 4, 304
Place of death Lauriacum , today Lorch in Upper Austria