Gerhard of Are

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Gerhard von Are (* around 1100 in Are Castle ; † February 23, 1169 in Bonn ) was the most important provost of the Cassius monastery in Bonn and one of the most important provosts of the St. Servatius Church in Maastricht .

Life

Gerhard came from the noble family of the Counts of Are and Hochstaden and was born at Altenahr Castle as probably the second oldest son of Count Dietrich I of Are . His great-great-nephew was the important Archbishop of Cologne, Konrad von Hochstaden . The family was very active politically, and Dietrich succeeded in getting his son Gerhard in 1124 the dignity of provost of the Bonn Cassius monastery. This enabled the family to expand their sphere of influence to the Rhine. In the following years Gerhard pursued a clever family policy and gave his two younger brothers Friedrich and Hugo important church offices.

Expansion of the Bonn Minster

Cloister of the Bonn Minster, which Gerhard von Are had built

Due to Gerhard's close relationship with Pope Innocent II , the Bonn Minster received eleven papal documents, more than in any other epoch. A new legal basis for the possession of the Cassius monastery was created through confirmation from the Pope. Gerhard acquired many goods and had Drachenfels Castle completed in 1149 . At his behest, the now destroyed baptismal and parish church of St. Martin was built in front of the east choir of the cathedral basilica. From 1140 onwards, he decisively promoted the expansion of the basilica and expanded it to include the apse and the cloister , which is unique in the Rhineland in its closed preservation.

As provost of the St. Servatius Church in Maastricht (before 1154 until after 1160) he was actively involved in equipping the apse with a dwarf gallery and flank towers and in building the westwork .

The high point of his career was certainly the year 1156, when he was discussed as the successor to the Archbishopric after the death of the Archbishop of Cologne, Arnold II von Wied . However, after Friedrich Barbarossa's arbitration, he had to give way to Provost Friedrich von St. Georg .

In 1166 Gerhard had the relics of the martyrs Cassius and Florentius lifted from their graves and, after a solemn procession across Münsterplatz, kept them in precious shrines on the high altar. The famous paladin of Emperor Barbarossas, Archbishop of Cologne Rainald von Dassel , was also present at this celebration .

Gerhard von Are was certainly the most important provost in the history of the Cassius monastery. He died in Bonn in 1169 and was buried in Bonn Minster.

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personal data
SURNAME Are, Gerhard von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Provost of the St. Cassiusstift of the Bonn Minster Church
DATE OF BIRTH around 1100
PLACE OF BIRTH Are Castle
DATE OF DEATH February 23, 1169
Place of death Bonn