Gebhard of Constance
Gebhard von Konstanz , also Gebhard II. Von Bregenz (* 949 in Bregenz ; † August 27, 995 in Konstanz ) was bishop of the diocese of Constance from 979 to 995 and is venerated as a saint in this as well as in its successors .
Life
Gebhard came from the important Alemannic family of the Udalrichinger . He was the youngest son of Count Ulrich VI. from Bregenz. One of his older brothers is Liutfried , Count of Winterthur . Hohenbregenz Castle on the Bregenz Gebhardsberg is believed to be his place of birth . He is said to have been born through a caesarean section . The mother died giving birth.
Gebhard was therefore entrusted to his uncle, later canonized Bishop Konrad I, for upbringing. He attended the cathedral school in Constance. Konrad ordained him a priest. In 979 Emperor Otto II appointed the 30-year-old Bishop of Constance; the consecration took place in Mainz Cathedral .
Gebhard continued his uncle's reform work. According to time reports, he should have distinguished himself by caring for the poor and endeavored to form and deepen the faith. In 983, he founded the Petershausen Benedictine monastery in Constance as an episcopal monastery and furnished it with his inheritance. He also founded several parishes in southern Germany.
Gebhard is said to have healed a lame man with his staff. Soon after his death (995) he was venerated as a saint. Bishop Ulrich II of Constance sanctioned this veneration in 1134 with the " solemn elevation of his bones ", which was tantamount to canonization . After Konrad (canonized in 1123) and the catacomb saint Pelagius, the diocese of Constance had its third "house saint".
Gebhard was buried in the Petershausen monastery which he founded . However, his relics were thrown into the Rhine by iconoclasts in 1530 .
Pilgrimages to the Gebhardsberg near Bregenz have been documented since 1670 . In 1723 the local chapel of St. Gebhard was consecrated. In 1821 an arm relic from the abolished Petershausen Monastery was housed there.
Remembrance day
- August 27th, national holiday in Vorarlberg , memorial day in the Archdiocese of Freiburg and the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart
- November 26th together with St. Konrad ( regional calendar for the German-speaking area )
Gebhard is the patron saint of the diocese of Feldkirch and the Church of St. Gebhard (Constance) .
He is called for easy delivery and neck problems.
iconography
Gebhard von Konstanz is depicted as a bishop with a crook and miter and with a small church under his arm (founding a monastery) or with a skull .
literature
- Philipp Dörler: The holy Gebhard II. Bishop of Constance. With a complete translation of the Gebhard vita . In: Montfort. Journal for History of Vorarlbergs 64 (2012) 1, 45–73.
- Helmut Maurer : The Bishops of Constance from the end of the 6th century to 1206 ( Germania sacra ; NF 42.1; The dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Mainz. The Diocese of Constance ; 5). Walter de Gruyter , Berlin / New York 2003, ISBN 3-11-017664-5 , pp. 148-160. ( Digitized version )
- Helmut Maurer: Gebhard (II.) Of Constance . In Lexicon of Saints and Adoration of Saints . (A-H) Volume 1. Herder, Freiburg i. B. 2003, ISBN 3-451-28191-0 .
- Helmut Maurer: Gebhard von Konstanz. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Gerold Meyer von Knonau: Gebhard II., Bishop of Constanz . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 8, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1878, p. 453.
- Ekkart Sauser: Gebhard von Konstanz. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 22, Bautz, Nordhausen 2003, ISBN 3-88309-133-2 , Sp. 385-386.
- Elmar Schallert: The holy Bishop Gebhard. Bridge builder in the Lake Constance area . Vorarlberger Verl.-Anst., Dornbirn 1995, ISBN 3-85430-229-0 .
- Karl Schmid: Gebhard II .. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 6, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1964, ISBN 3-428-00187-7 , p. 114 ( digitized version ).
- Ernst Tomek: Church history of Austria . Tyrolia, Innsbruck - Vienna - Munich 1935–59.
- Otto Wimmer, Hartmann Melzer, Josef Gelmi (arrangement): Gebhard II., Bisch. from Constance . In: Lexicon of Names and Saints . Nikol, Hamburg 2002, ISBN 3-933203-63-5 .
- Josef Vodka: Church in Austria. Guide through their history . Herder, Vienna 1959.
- AM Zimmermann: Gebhard II. Bisch. v. Constancy . In: Lexicon for Theology and Church . 2nd edition, 4th volume. Herder, Freiburg i. B. 1960
- St. Gebhard and his monastery Petershausen. Festschrift for the 1000 return of the enthronement of Bishop Gebhard II of Constance . Constance 1979.
Web links
- Entry on Gebhard von Konstanz in the Austria Forum (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
- Stamp edition of the Austrian Post on the 1000th anniversary of death
Individual documents and notes (as footnotes)
- ↑ a b c d Information board in the pilgrimage church at Hohenbregenz Castle
- ^ According to the information board in the pilgrimage church at Hohenbregenz Castle, his parents were Count Utzo and Frau Dietburg
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Gaminolf |
Bishop of Constance 979–995 |
Lambert |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gebhard of Constance |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gebhard II of Bregenz |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Constance, saint |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 949 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bregenz |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 27, 995 |
| Place of death | Constancy |