Gertrud von Helfta

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Gertrude the great

Saint Gertrud von Helfta , also Gertrud the Great , (* January 6, 1256 , † November 17, 1301 or 1302 ) was a Cistercian and mystic in the Helfta monastery near Eisleben . St. Gertrud is one of the outstanding women of the Middle Ages ; she is the only German saint who is nicknamed the Great . Through Gertrud, her teacher Mechthild von Hackeborn and her co-sister Mechthild von Magdeburg , Helfta was considered the "crown of the German women's monasteries". In the Catholic Church Gertrud von Helfta is venerated as a saint .

Life

Statue (1760) of Gertrud von Helfta, Engelszell Collegiate Church, Upper Austria

Gertrud von Helfta was born on January 6, 1256 and probably came from Thuringia . When she was five years old, her family took her to the Helfta monastery as a pupil . and when she reached canonical age , entered the novitiate . She received an extraordinarily thorough training in theological and human sciences, especially in the Artes Liberales . In doing so, she distinguished herself through eagerness to learn as well as through intellectual talent, encouraged by the abbess Gertrud von Hackeborn , the older sister of Mechthild von Hackeborn in the encounter with the former beguine and mystic Mechthild von Magdeburg, who had found refuge from hostility in Helfta and There she finished her work The flowing light of the god , Gertrud then gained access to their spirituality and thus also to the spirituality of the women's movement of the 13th century.

After a serious crisis in life and faith, Gertrud had her key religious experience at the age of 25, on January 27, 1281, in the dormitory of the monastery, which changed her life. This day marked a turning point in Gertrud's life. On this day she was overcome by a vision of Christ and caused a reorientation.

In a vision she saw a young, beautiful man who said to her: “Soon your salvation will come. ( Isa 56,1  EU ) Why are you consumed in sorrow? Don't you have a guide, because the pain has changed you? ”( Wed 4.6  EU , Responsory of the 2nd Sunday in Advent) In a decisive reorientation of her life (in the sense of a“ conversio ”) Gertrud became a“ grammatica ”, a Book scholars, to "theologa", to a scholar of God and now devoted himself resolutely to the study of a spiritual nature and the contemplation ("contemplatio") of the divine, in the pursuit of "true wisdom".

From then on, Gertrud, as the center of the Helfta group of theologians, developed a lively literary activity: She translated parts of the Bible, wrote books of edification in which she compiled sayings of saints (probably in the manner of florilegia ), wrote numerous prayers and “many other edifying writings ", As well as her two main works, the Exercitia spiritualia (" Spiritual Exercises ") and - with the support of fellow sisters - the Legatus divinae pietatis (" Messenger of divine love ", or:" Message of God's goodness ", from 1289). She later wrote down the revelations of Mechthild von Hackeborn in the Liber specialis gratiae ("Book of Special Grace") together with a sister who was not known by name . She also had mystical experiences in the following years. Gertrud put the findings of her divine vision into practice as a counselor and pastor. She also performed prophetic and priestly tasks in the “freedom of the living spirit”.

Towards the end of her life, Gertrud suffered from the effects of a stroke for weeks. She died aged 46 or under in mid-November 1301 or 1302.

plant

Basics and intention

In her literary work, Gertrud developed a theology of her own with a high level of language skills, which she presented in a large-scale merging of biblical, mystical and scholastic thought. Characteristic of Gertrud's writings is the close “connection of the mystical experience with traditional elements such as liturgy, dogma, catechism, Bible, theological writings and Benedictine rule ”. It is essential to have a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible, the contents of which are not only quoted but also creatively processed in an almost “playful way”. Texts of the liturgy and the Benedictine Rule are closely connected with this, so much so that one can almost speak of a “liturgical mysticism”. In addition, Gertrud had a comprehensive knowledge of the theological literature of her time; as literary sources are u. a. Augustine von Hippo , Gregory the Great , Beda Venerabilis , Bernhard von Clairvaux , Hugo von St. Viktor , Albertus Magnus , Thomas von Aquin as well as Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita , Richard von St. Viktor and Wilhelm von Saint-Thierry .

Gertrud's "almost demonstrative embedding of the mystical experience in scholastic theology" could also be understood as a safeguard against possible accusations of heresy. In the fourth book of the Legatus , Gertrude's writing appears as a continuation of the Gospel for the new age (“moderno tempori”); in doing so, Gertrud continues above all the Johannine and Pauline theology. Like the authors of the holy scriptures, Gertrude should serve as “light for the peoples” with her work for the “salvation of many”. She also becomes a participant in the work of redemption.

Traditional scriptures

Gertrud von Helfta leaves behind a comprehensive set of documents, of which two works, which are also available in German translation, are known. On the one hand, the Exercitia Spiritualia and the Legatus divinae Pietis . The work Legatus divinae pietis illustrates the exemplary life of Gertrud. And the work Exercitia Spiritualia contains confessions, exercises and prayer instructions, which are intended to lead to a spiritually consecrated, correct life.

Only the five books of the Legatus divinae pietatis and the Exercitia spiritualia, which are divided into seven “exercises”, have survived from Gertrud's extensive literary work . It is certain that in the Legatus only Book II is written by Gertrud himself. The remaining parts are - according to Kurt Ruh - largely finalized by a "sister N" who is not known by name and who also contributed to the writing of the Liber specialis gratiae Mechthild von Hakeborn and the statements of the two mystics not only linguistically, but also " to a large extent in terms of content ”. More recent work in Gertrud's research is increasingly trying to take this fact into account; the effects on the previous Gertrud picture are by no means foreseeable, even if there is no doubt that the parts written down by "sister N" also fall back on authentic statements by Gertrud.

Both works clearly differed not only in the way they were written, but also in terms of purpose, content and language. The Legatus divinae pietatis is obviously intended for a broader audience and has accordingly been prepared didactically. In a large number of "Revelations", topics of dogmatics as well as those of religious life and the church's annual course are vividly brought up. The frequent allegorical pictures are interpreted as explanatory. The Exercitia spiritualia, on the other hand, bring neither visions nor explanations. In a condensed representation they develop a kind of mystical summa of Gertrud's theology and religious experience. The texts should be followed while reading in the sense of "retreats" by engaging in meditation on Gertrud's thoughts and words. Despite all the differences, both works show the common basis in Gertrud's thinking and experience, despite differences in detail.

In three places in Exercitia spiritualia there is also a German version of the Latin text, in a free but poetically successful rendering. Some Middle Low German forms justify the question, which can no longer be answered today, whether Gertrud wrote her Exercitia spiritualia , or parts of it, not only in a Latin, but perhaps also in a German version. In any case, artistic means such as rhyme and rhythm or exquisite Latin words, including those of Greek origin that are not conceivable in a translation, show that the Latin version is not just a translation of an original German version.

Image of God and man

At the center of Gertrud's work is the message of God's love, to whom, according to her first vision, as the Rule of Benedict says, she did not want to “prefer anything”. Rarely in the history of Christianity was God seen so exclusively as love as in Gertrud's Exercitia spiritualia . "Amor deus: God-love" is the central name of God here. For Gertrud it is the first "comprehensible" statement about the divine being, which in the end cannot be grasped in any way. (“Divine being; deity” or similar) cannot be grasped. As “amor deus” God unites the characteristics of the persons “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” and stands as “amator: one who has love” even before the individual persons. In the emanation "flowing out", the love of God creates and fills the whole universe, in order then ultimately to lead back everything that has been created back into the divine being. The reason for God's incarnation is then not the redemption from the guilt of sin, but the restoration of the love bond between God and man. In order to make God's love clear, Gertrud often chooses “metaphors and parables with female connotations”.

From the longing of the loving God for the human being, as it became especially clear in the incarnation of God , Gertrud then derives the incomparable dignity of every human being who finds independence, self-confidence and inner freedom in the encounter with God. In “virtuous” action, the person becomes “fruitful” for others.

Linguistic form

Even if there is still a lack of philological monographs on Gertrud's works, it is already evident how much Gertrud, as a linguistically powerful writer, consciously designed what she wrote; Thus, in addition to its theological significance, her work also has a high "literary aesthetic value". According to Kurt Ruh, Gertrud has "the entire repertoire of love language developed in the 12th century" and thus forms "highlights of sacred, spiritual love language". The sixth exercise of the Exercitia spiritualia has "a height that has never been reached in the entire feminine mysticism " and so can only be found in Augustine. Gertrud gains "new, bold possibilities of expression" from the Middle Latin language. this also applies to structures as well as to the choice of words, highly musical sounds and speech rhythm. The combination of mystical experience, theological reflection and artistic creation is characteristic of both of Gertrud's traditional works, albeit more pronounced in the Exercitia than in the Legatus - according to the different objectives .

Fundamental for Gertrud's writing form - as for mystical works in general - is "the implementation of abstract ideas in pictures". In accordance with the Cistercian-Bernhardin tradition, people in Helfta resorted to the means of metaphor to bring the actually unspeakable ("ineffabile") of God to the language, and in doing so they referred explicitly to Hugo von St. Viktor's doctrine of signs. In this way, “what is seen [...] is reproduced in symbols, analogies or allegories.” This suits Gertrud's religiosity, in which body and soul cannot be separated; so with her "the soul-spiritual [...] can be sensually experienced, and the sense can be grasped with the senses". If Gertrud often uses erotic metaphors, this is the “most modern” form of religious thinking and speaking for her age, “which has rediscovered the elemental and spiritual power of love”. The close connection of her visionary experiences to the valid forms of biblical language and church rites also makes it clear that her speech is not only a "subjective" personal experience, but also in St. Scripture and in the traditions of the Church has its “objective” universal foundation.

Individual aspects

Adoration of the Sacred Heart

Gertrud is one of the medieval mystics who gave impulses for devotion to the Sacred Heart . Based on a commentary on the Song of Songs of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, from which the sacraments of the Church arise, became an essential part of their spirituality for the mystics of Helfta . This is especially true for Mechthild von Hackeborn; In Gertrud's case, the corresponding statements can be found primarily in Parts III – V of the Legatus that she did not finalize .

On the feast of St. John the Evangelist had a vision for Gertrude in which she laid her head next to Christ's wound on the side and heard the beat of the heart of Jesus. In the vision she asked St. John then asked whether he heard the beat of the heart of Jesus at the Last Supper and why he had not written about it. St. John replied that this revelation was meant for the ages to come, when the cold world needed it to rekindle its love.

The heart theology of Gertrude and the Helfta group of theologians, which is receiving increased attention today, goes beyond the veneration of the Sacred Heart. In it the divine heart stands in the closest relation to the human heart, which becomes God's dwelling place; to prove mutual "familiaritas: familiarity" there is an exchange of hearts.

Bridal mysticism

The medievalist Peter Dinzelbacher writes to the work of Gertrude that it "intense brautmystischen have character" and preferably IN QUESTION of "loveliness of the indwelling of God." Christ is her “most ardent lover” and “most gracious brother” at the same time. According to Kurt Ruh, however, Gertrud "can only be claimed with great reservations about what is meant by bride mysticism"; the "nuptial element" is largely missing. In addition, at least in the Exercitia, it is preferred to speak of indwelling in God, far more often than of the indwelling of God in man. Gertrud then experiences the encounter with God not only as “lovely”, but as a profound existential experience, with fire and water being the main metaphors: “Eia, you are fire in your essence, which now devours me completely [...] and shall envelop ", and:" May I perish in the flood of your living love, just as a drop of the sea goes down in the depths of the full sea. "

World negation and longing for death

Often ill, Gertrud often withdrew contemplatively into her inner life and wrote as a result of her visions: “I am disgusted with all creatures, just being with you, I would like to enjoy the conversation with you. Therefore I say goodbye to all creatures and I turn to you [...]. ”Gertrud often addresses the motif of longing for death, which is typical for the mystic of the bride, especially in the sense of the mors mystica , and then - just as typically - a continued life in the sense of a new life to answer in the affirmative entirely according to God's will: “Eia, oh love, hasten my wedding, because a thousand times I wished to die in order to be able to experience such delights; but I am not looking for what serves my own well-being, but what pleases you. "So" vita: life "is then also one of the central terms in Gertrud's writings, whereby she also affirms and values ​​the physicality of people. Her work also shows a direct joy in experiencing nature, which was quite unusual for her time.

Impact history

The devastation of the Helfta monastery and its library in 1342 soon after Gertrude's death also had serious effects on the tradition of Gertrude's writings. No textual witnesses have been handed down from the 14th century, and only a few from the 15th century.

What is remarkable, however, is an adaptation of the Legatus in the 15th century under the title a botte der divine miltekeit . The unknown author updated Gertrude's work by rearranging and cutting back in line with the theological discourse of the 15th century. He pushed back elements of the veneration of Mary and saints as well as those of an all too sensual metaphor of Minnesota and saw a decided Christocentrism as the core of Gertrud's work, combined with a doctrine of justification that emphasizes trust in God. With over twenty-five surviving testimonies, the botte is Gertrude's most traditional work in the Middle Ages.

1505 it came in Leipzig, at the instigation of the Duchess Sidonie (Zedena) of Bohemia / Saxony , the printing of a German translation of botten by Paul of Weida. possibly this was motivated by Sidonia's efforts for a religious renewal. However, Gertrud's works, which were written in Latin, only became widely known when they were printed in 1536. The editor, the Carthusian Johannes Justus von Landsberg from Cologne, saw in Gertrud's theology a possibility of the incipient division of Christendom through reflection on the biblical common to all -to overcome Christian foundation. In the following years Gertrud had an impact all over the Catholic world, especially in the countries of the Romance-speaking area; she is considered the patroness of Latin America. Her Legatus divinae pietatis was an ecclesiastical “bestseller” in the 16th and 17th centuries and was translated into all the major languages ​​of Europe (including the “New World” of America). So he was z. B. also translated into Spanish by Fray Leandro de Granada y Mendoza at the beginning of the 17th century ( Libro intitulado Insinuación de la Divina Piedad, revelaciones de Sancta Gertrudis , Salamanca 1605) and reprinted several times. The history of Gertrude's impact in the non-Catholic area, especially in the Protestant renewal movements, has not yet been well studied; There is evidence of influences on Gerhard Tersteegen , for example .

Since the 19th century, Gertrud's newly published writings became a powerful impulse for spiritual life. Gertrud was now seen especially in connection with devotion to the Sacred Heart; she was considered to be "Apostola SS. Cordis: Apostle of the Most Sacred Heart (Jesus)"; an example of this is the Sacré-Cœur church in Paris, where Gertrude is depicted in a glass window as the protagonist of the veneration of the Heart of Jesus.

In the present, Gertrud is not only perceived anew in the ecclesiastical area in the context of “mysticism and pastoral care” and with regard to spiritual accompaniment and retreat work; In addition, texts by her appear in collections of poems and motivate artistic creations. A committee of representatives from various orders has also been formed to achieve Gertrude's elevation to the position of Doctor of the Church.

Adoration

St. Gertrud von Helfta was accepted into the Martyrologium Romanum in 1678 . Your Memorial Day is in Roman general calendar on November 16, in the regional calendar for the German-speaking region and in the Benedictine Order of the 17th November . She is the only German saint to be nicknamed the Great . Pope Innocent XI founded her in 1678 . canonized and is the patron saint of Peru and Tarragona in Spain .

Some of the more recent Gertrude monasteries are under the patronage of St. Gertrud reports.

iconography

Statue of St. Gertrud in St. Marien Burlo with her attributes heart and cross

Among the attributes of St. Gertrud heard the depiction of her heart with the baby Jesus in it, with the figure of the child, symbolizing the essence of the person, meaning the indwelling of God within the human being. In the Baroque period and later, she was often mistakenly depicted in the habit of the Benedictine nuns, sometimes even as an abbess, although the nuns of the Helfta monastery followed the Cistercian reform (although without being incorporated into the Cistercian order).

Works

Total expenditure
  • Sancta Gertrudis Magna [de Helfta]: Legatus divinae pietatis et Exercitia spiritualia . Ed. Solesmensium OSB monachorum cura et opera [Louis Paquelin]. Paris 1875 (Revelationes Gertrudianae ac Mechtildianae I)
  • Gertrud d'Helfta: Oeuvre spiritual . Latin - French. Vol. I - V. Paris 1967–1986 ( Sources Chrétiennes 127, 139, 143, 255, 331)
Legatus divinae pietatis
  • Gertrud the Great of Helfta: Messenger of divine love . Translated by Johanna Lanczkowski. Heidelberg 1989 ( Legatus divinae pietatis )
  • Gertrude the Great: Messenger of Divine Love - Legatus divinae pietatis . Translated by Johannes Weißbrodt. 3rd edition Christiana-Verlag, Stein am Rhein 2008, ISBN 978-3-7171-1093-4
  • Gertrud von Helfta: Message of God's goodness. Latin - German. Vol. 1: Book 1 and 2. Translated and edited by Maria Hildegard Brem. Heiligenkreuz 2014 ( Legatus divinae pietatis vol. 1 and 2)
  • Gertrud von Helfta: a bot of divine militancy. Edited by Otmar Wieland. Ottobeuren 1973 (Studies and communications on the history of the Benedictine order and its branches. Supplementary volume 22)
Exercitia spiritualia
  • Gertrud von Helfta: Exercitia spiritualia - spiritual exercises. Latin and German . Edited, translated and commented by Siegfried Ringler . 2nd edition. Verlag Humberg, Elberfeld 2006, ISBN 978-3-938657-02-7
  • Gertrud von Helfta: Spiritual exercises . New translation by Sr. Johanna Schwalbe OSB and Manfred Zieger. EOS Klosterverlag, St. Ottilien 2008, ISBN 978-3-8306-7323-1
Others
  • Gertrud von Helfta: Faith experiences from her works . Edited by Josef Hochenauer. Fink, Lindenberg 2004, ISBN 978-3-89870-191-4
  • The basic works of the three great women of Helfta: Pearls of German mysticism . 3 vols. Herder, Freiburg i. Br. 2001, ISBN 3-451-27610-0 (This edition contains the three best-known works by Gertrud the Great, Mechthild von Hackeborn and Mechthild von Magdeburg in older translations.)
  • Gertrud is co-editor, sometimes even co-author, in: Sancta Mechthildis [de Hackeborn]: Liber specialis gratiae . Ed. Solesmensium OSB monachorum cura et opera. Paris 1875 ( Revelationes Gertrudianae et Mechtildianae II ), p. 1-422

literature

Lexicon article
Books and essays
  • Maren Ankermann: Gertrude the great one from Helfta. A study of the tension between religious experience and literary design in mystical works. Goeppingen 1997
  • Michael Bangert: Humility in Freedom. Studies on spiritual teaching in the work of Gertrud von Helfta . Echter, Würzburg 1997, ISBN 3-429-01946-X
  • Michael Bangert / Hildegund Keul (eds.): In front of you stands the empty shell of my longing. The mysticism of the women of Helfta. Leipzig 1998
  • Michael Bangert (Ed.): Freedom of the Heart. Mysticism with Gertrud von Helfta (Hefta) . LIT-Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-8258-7397-8
  • Peter Dinzelbacher Christian Mysticism in the Occident: Your Story from the Beginnings to the End of the Middle Ages. Schöningh, Paderborn, Munich, Vienna, Zurich 1994
  • Josef Hohenauer: A German woman is conquering Latin America. Look into the history of Gertrud von Helfta . Fink, Lindenberg 2005, ISBN 3-89870-237-5
  • Gertrud Jaron Lewis: The image of God and man in the work of the medieval mystic Gertrud von Helfta. In: Geist und Leben 63, issue 2 (1990), pp. 53-69
  • Gerta Krabbel : Saint Gertrude the Great: In her memory 500 years after her death , More-Verlag, Berlin 1953
  • Hildegund Keul and Annette Schleinzer (eds.): "In your love, create me anew." Spiritual impulses for Gertrud von Helfta. Benno-Verlag, Leipzig 2002
  • Hildegund Keul: The vital power of God's word in the powerlessness of falling silent - prophecy with Gertrud von Helfta. In: Geist und Leben 77 issue 6 (2004), pp. 444–456
  • Pia Luis Lampe: Grace is God's friendship. Gertrud von Helfta - hope figure of liberating love. In: Erbe and order 61 (1985), pp. 21-37
  • Bernard McGinn : The Mysticism of the Occident. Vol. 3: Blossom. Men and women of the new mysticism (1200-1350). Translated from English by Bernardin Schellenberger. Freiburg, Basel, Vienna 1999
  • Hugues Minguet: Theology spirituelle de sainte Gertrude: Le Livre II du Héraut. In: Collectanea Cisterciensia 51 (1989) pp. 146-177; 252-280; 317-328
  • Siegfried Ringler: The reception of Gertrud von Helfta in the area of ​​southern German women's monasteries. In: Before you stands the empty shell of my longing. The mysticism of the women of Helfta. Edited by Michael Bangert and Hildegund Keul. Leipzig 1998, pp. 134–155
  • Siegfried Ringler (ed.): Departure for a new speech from God. The mysticism of Gertrud von Helfta . Matthias-Grünewald, Ostfildern 2008, ISBN 978-3-7867-2708-8
  • Kurt Ruh: Gertrud von Helfta. A new Gertrud picture . In: Journal for German Antiquity and German Literature 121 (1992), pp. 1-20
  • Kurt Ruh: Mechthild von Hackeborn and Gertrud von Helfta . In: Ders: History of Occidental Mysticism II . Beck, Munich 1993, pp. 296-337
  • Sabine B. Spitzlei: The heart of experience. On the mysticism of the Cistercian convent Helfta in the 13th century. Frommann-Holzboog, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt 1991, ISBN 3-7728-1460-3
  • Verena Wodtke-Werner: The Holy Spirit as a female figure in Christian antiquity and the Middle Ages. An examination of texts and images. Pfaffenweiler 1994 (Theological Women's Research - Income and Perspectives Vol. 3), pp. 264–301

Web links

Commons : Gertrud von Helfta  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Portrait of Gertruds, from a Salzburg print from 1662. The inscription on the banner that goes out from Jesus in Gertrude's heart reads: “ In corde Gertrudis invenietis me ” ( You will find me in the heart of Gertrud )
  2. ↑ Dietlind Langner, Marco A. Sorace, Peter Zimmerling (eds.): Gottesfreundschaft. Christian mysticism in conversation with the times . Academic Press Friborg, Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2008, p. 165. See also: Diözese Magdeburg (Hrsg.): Kloster Helfta: Helfta - crown of the German women's monasteries - we are rebuilding it / Diocese of Magdeburg. Lutherstadt Eisleben 1999 http://gso.gbv.de/DB=2.1/PPNSET?PPN=348485271
  3. ↑ On the origin of Gertrude, about which only “speculations” are possible, see Michael Bangert: The socio-cultural situation of the St. Maria monastery in Helfta. In: Bangert / Keul 1998, pp. 29–47, here p. 36f.
  4. ↑ See Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 1,1f., Pp. 68–71, with note 17. The excellent equipment of the monastery library in Helfta was a major concern of Abbess Gertrud von Hakeborn; s. on this and on the Helfta school and education path, especially Spitzlei (see above: literature) pp. 50–61.
  5. ↑ See Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 1,1, p. 68f .: “avida liberalium artium delectatione; sensuum velocitate et intellectus ingenio: with inquisitive joy in the liberal arts; with speed in sensual perception and with intellectual talent. ”The text here and in the following is so specific that, despite all the hagiographic exaggeration, the real meaning of the message is tangible.
  6. ↑ Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz:  GERTRUDE of Hackeborn. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 2, Bautz, Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-032-8 , Sp. 230-231.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
  7. ↑ See Hildegund Keul: Secret Divine Speech. The mysticism of the beguines Mechthild von Magdeburg. Tyrolia, Innsbruck / Vienna 2004, pp. 130–190.
  8. ↑ See Gertrud 2014, Legatus II, 1,1, pp. 164–167.
  9. ↑ See Siegfried Ringler : Spiritual Exercises . Humberg 2001, p. 13.
  10. ^ Gertrud 1989, Messenger of Divine Love II, 1, p. 14; Gertrud 2014, pp. 166–169.
  11. ↑ See Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 1,2, pp. 70–73: “ubi exuens eam veterem hominem… induens eam novum hominem”, according to Col 3,9f .: “where he (sc. The Lord) you the old Stripped people ... and clothed them with the new man ”; s. also Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen: Image of God - Image of Women - Self-Image. The theology of Mechthild von Hackeborn and Gertrud von Helfta . In: Bangert / Keul 1998, pp. 48–66, here p. 55; Michael Bangert: Seeing, suffering and enjoying the sacred. Basic elements of the mystical experience with Gertrud von Helfta. In: Bangert 2004, pp. 130–144, here pp. 136f.
  12. ↑ Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 1,2, p. 70f .: “de grammatica facta theologa”.
  13. ↑ Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 1,2, pp. 70–73: “studia spiritualia… divina contemplatio… vera sapientia”. It remains questionable whether this also means turning away from the previous sciences, or just relativizing them. In any case, Gertrud's turn corresponds to Hugos von St. Viktor's three-stage training model , which was also the basis of the Helfta training and was in no way intended to lead to a rejection of the profane sciences (with the levels of Artes liberales; theological sciences, contemplation): s. Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen (see above), in: Bangert / Keul 1998, p. 54f .; s. esp. also Spitzlei (see above: literature) pp. 55–61. See also Pia Luis Lampe (see above: literature) p. 35f. and Irene Leicht: Inspired to think about women: Aspects of the reception of writing in Gertrud's “Legatus”. In: Bangert 2004, 93–113, here p. 96, note 6: “Connection of lectio, meditatio and oratio”, according to Legatus V, 36.
  14. ^ Term from Sabine B. Spitzlei (see above: literature) pp. 46–48; s. also Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen (see above), in: Bangert / Keul 1998, pp. 51–56.
  15. ↑ See Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 7,1, p. 100f .; I, 1,2, pp. 70-73. No other woman of her time in Germany is known to have had such extensive literary activity. See also Spitzlei (see above: literature) p. 52.
  16. ↑ See Ruh 1993 (see literature), p. 296; 314-319
  17. ↑ See Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 1,2f., Pp. 70–75; I, 7,1f., Pp. 99-103; I, 16,1f., Pp. 150-155; s. more Hildegund Keul: The Sacrament of the Word. Mysticism and pastoral care in the ruptures of time. In: Ringler, Aufbruch 2008 (see above: literature), pp. 167–181, here p. 168. See also Spitzlei (see above: literature), p. 53, with note 184: “spiritual guidance”.
  18. ↑ The "libertas spiritus" is an essential term both for Gertrud herself and for her biographers: s. Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia (see works) p. 351; Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 11,7, p. 124f .; s. also ibid .: "gratia libertatis: grace of freedom".
  19. ↑ See Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 14.1–6, pp. 140–147; I, 16.2, p. 154f. See further Bangert 1997, p. 16: “Claim to prophetic, priestly and spiritual competence”; Pia Luis Lampe (see above: literature) p. 23. Cf. also Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen (see above), in: Bangert / Keul 1998, p. 52f. (to Gertrud von Hackeborn); Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 94 (with reference to Legatus IV, 32) and p. 108, note 41 (with reference to criticism of priests).
  20. ↑ Maren Ankermann: The “Legatus divinae pietatis” - Shaped mysticism? , in: Bangert 2004, pp. 36–56, here p. 53.
  21. ↑ Gertrud considers the texts of the Bible to be more valuable than all relics: s. Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 97, on Legatus IV, 52 (in the 1875 edition: p. 462).
  22. ↑ See Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 112f. Cf. for example Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 244, VII, 590-594 with commentary on p. 356, or p. 153, V, 398f., With commentary on p. 301 (connection with motifs from the chivalric novel). See especially Sabine B. Marquardt-Spitzlei: O God of my heart - The heart as God's experience in the "Exercitia spiritualia". In: Ringler 2008, pp. 46–60, here p. 51: Gertrud “not only thinks biblically, she also speaks like the Bible, more precisely: she speaks the Bible”.
  23. ↑ See e.g. B. Laura M. Grimes: Significance of the liturgy in the work of Gertrud von Helfta. In: Bangert / Keul 1998, pp. 68–80 .; Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 98; s. also Maren Ankermann (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 53f. (see ibid. p. 53, note 59: reference to Pia Schindele: elements of the Benedictine rule in the revelations of St. Gertrud von Helfta ).
  24. ↑ See Spitzlei (see above: literature) pp. 62–78, especially p. 77.
  25. ↑ See Spitzlei (see above: literature) p. 55 f.
  26. ^ So Maren Ankermann (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 54.
  27. ↑ See Legatus IV, 4 (in the 1875 edition: p. 305f.), After Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 103. See also Spitzlei (see above: literature), p. 79f .: mystical writing as a new revelation of the mystery of God in the here and now. A similarly bold claim can also be found in Christine Ebner , where it says about her “revelations”: “ez torst sant Paulus pei his times not have preached: Saint Paulus did not dare to talk about such (sc Christine Ebner is said) to preach. ”See Siegfried Ringler: Gnadenviten from South German women's monasteries of the 14th century. Vitus writing as a mystical teaching. In: Dietrich Schmidtke (Ed.): Minnichlichiu gotes discernusse. Studies on the early occidental mystic tradition. frommann-holzboog, Stuttgart - Bad Cannstatt 1990 ( Mysticism in Past and Present I 7), pp. 89–104, here p. 101; s. also pp. 95-97.
  28. ↑ Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, pp. 103f .; s. also Maria Hildegard Brem (see above: works), p. 48.
  29. ↑ Gertrud 2014, Prologue des '' Legatus '', pp. 58-61 ("in lucem gentium; ad salutem plurimorum". See also Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, pp. 102f.).
  30. ↑ See Anna E. Harrison / Caroline Walker Bynum: Gertrude, Gender, and Composition of the “Herald of Divine Love”. In: Bangert 2004, pp. 57–76, German pp. 77–91, here p. 74f. or p. 90f .: “theology of co-redemption: theology of co-redemption”.
  31. ↑ Cf. Claudia Eliass : The woman is the source of wisdom. Female self-image in women's mysticism of the 12th and 13th centuries . Pfaffenweiler 1995, p. 24.
  32. ↑ Ruh 1993 (see literature), pp. 314-319.
  33. ↑ See e.g. B. Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, pp. 95f., With note 4; P. 104, with note 31. Cf. also Maria Hildegard Brem, Gertrud 2014, p. 44f.
  34. ↑ In the following largely based on Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 26.
  35. ↑ See e.g. B. also efforts to obtain ecclesiastical approbation: Gertrud 2014, Legatus “Recommendation” and Prolog, pp. 56–67.
  36. ↑ See e.g. B. Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 210f., VII, 1-18. See further Ina Eggemann: Praying Theology. Prayer and prayer teaching as a place of theological knowledge in Gertrud von Helfta's book of exercises ; Ulrike Soegtrop: report Entgrenztes ; Siegfried Ringler: Language of Salvation - The "Exercitia spiritualia" Gertrud von Helfta as a book of exercises ; Sabine B. Marquardt-Spitzlei: O God of my heart (see above). In each case in: Ringler 2008, pp. 153–166; 183-195; 137-152; 46–60, here p. 49f.
  37. ↑ See Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 64–67, II, 6a – 18a and 19a – 27a; Pp. 114f., IV, 230a-243a, with commentary on p. 261.
  38. ↑ For example "bouen (= boven): about", II, 24a.
  39. ↑ See e.g. B. Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 96, III, 354-356; P. 122, IV, 359; P. 224, VII, 253f. u. ö.
  40. ↑ See also Pia Luis Lampe: God's countenance envelops you in light - God and man in the light metaphor of Gertrud von Helfta. In: Ringler 2008, pp. 61-74, especially pp. 69-71. Cf. also Gertrud 2014, Legatus II, 1,1, pp. 164–167: “abyssus; omni luce serenior: abyss; brighter than any light. "
  41. ↑ According to Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 15f .; 262, with the corresponding documents, esp. Exercitia pp. 96-99, III, 353-378; Pp. 158f., V, 497-514.
  42. ↑ Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 96-99, III, 353-385, with commentary on pp. 273f.
  43. ↑ Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 80f., III, 104-108, with commentary on p. 267f. and p. 16.
  44. ↑ According to Irene Leicht (see above), in Bangert 2004, pp. 107-109. See e.g. B. Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 210f., VII, 25: “tanquam mater: like a mother”, with register p. 397: “feminine aspects of the divine”. See further Bangert 1997, pp. 291-293. See also Anna E. Harrison / Caroline Walker Bynum (see above), in: Bangert 2004, pp. 59 and 78; 66-69 and 83-85, respectively; 72–76 or 88–91: Gertrud said in the gender-separating world of the 13th century, above all, it was about a universal "humanitas" that transcended gender boundaries and encompassed all people, in which "our humanity is connected with the humanity of Christ".
  45. ↑ See Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 15-17; 28. See the text passages ibid. P. 138, V, 183 and p. 228, VII, 295: “societas; consortium: To be comrade, to have fellowship “with God.
  46. ↑ See Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 162-167, VI, 14-91; Pp. 228-230, VII, 301-337; Pp. 236–241, VII, 450–502 (including VII, 497: “libertas spiritus”), with commentary p. 305f .; 345; 350f.
  47. ↑ See Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 250, VII, 671-689, with commentary p. 358f .; 16.
  48. ^ According to Maren Ankermann (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 54.
  49. ↑ Ruh 1993, p. 335. In key passages of the Exercitia spiritualia there are striking parallels in content and language with Augustine; s. Exercitia spiritualia 2006, register p. 387: "Augustine".
  50. ↑ Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 26; see. z. BS 96, III, 353-373, with commentary pp. 273-275.
  51. ↑ See Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 18–26; 29-34; s. the examples ibid. register p. 395f .: “linguistic design”; P. 393: "Music".
  52. ↑ According to Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 25; s. ibid. p. 13: "Mysticism, art and theology cannot be separated with Gertrud."
  53. ↑ The meditations of the Exercitia spiritualia should also be performed sensually.
  54. ↑ Maren Ankermann (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 46.
  55. ↑ According to Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen (see above), in: Bangert / Keul 1998, p. 59, with reference to Gertrud's linguistic reflection in Legatus II, 10, 2.
  56. ↑ Gertrud 2014, Legatus I, 1,4, p. 76f. See also Irene Leicht (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 100f., With note 21.
  57. ↑ Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen (see above), in: Bangert / Keul 1998, p. 60. See also ibid .: At the same time, the images also have a didactic function.
  58. ↑ Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 18f.
  59. ↑ Kurt Ruh: Richard von St. Viktor. In: The German literature of the Middle Ages - author's lexicon (VL). 2nd ed. Vol. 8. Berlin / New York 1992, Col. 44-54, here Col. 46.
  60. ↑ See Ringler, Exercitia spiritualia 2006, p. 28.
  61. ↑ Almost continuously in the Exercitia spiritualia ; s. z. B. already Exercitium I, 1ff.
  62. ↑ So see it already, with reference to Hugo (correct would be: Richard) von St. Viktor, the editors of the Legatus : s. Gertrud 2014, Legatus Prologue Part 8, pp. 64–66, with note 12; s. also Ruh 1992, p. 19f .; Else Marie Wiberg Pedersen (see above), in: Bangert / Keul 1998, p. 59f. An interpretation of Gertrud's pictorial language, for example with regard to repressed or sublimated sexuality, requires a scientific consideration of this background.
  63. ↑ See Ruh 1993, pp. 310-312; 321-323. See also Ruh 1992, p. 19: Gertrud herself “does not belong [...] to the authors of the Sacred Heart veneration”. However, see also Bangert 1997, pp. 10-13, with numerous references: "The piety of the heart as an indispensable component in the spectrum of Gertrudian religious practice".
  64. ↑ Cf. Gertrud 2014, Legatus II, 5,1–3, pp. 184–189. See especially Sabine B. Spitzlei: Experience space heart ( see above : literature); Sabine B. Marquardt-Spitzlei: O God of my heart (see above), in: Ringler 2008, pp. 46–60; Ruh 1993, pp. 321-323; 325; Brem, Gertrud 2014, pp. 38–41; ibid. Legatus II, 23,8, p. 266f.
  65. ↑ Dinzelbacher 1989, p. 224
  66. ↑ Ruh 1993, pp. 331f .; similar to Anna E. Harrison / Caroline Walker Bynum: (see above), in: Bangert 2004, p. 68f. or p. 84f .: “ It would be wrong to say that nuptial language is dominant in Gertrude's writing. ”
  67. ↑ Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 134f., V, 111f .; Pp. 122f., IV, 338f.
  68. ↑ See especially Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 230–233, VII, 338–371 as well as registers pp. 392 and 396: “Liebestod / mors mystica”; "Death".
  69. ↑ Exercitia spiritualia 2006, pp. 166f., VI, 84-87; see also ibid. comment on p. 308. Sabine B. Spitzlei (see above: literature) p. 66f, with note 249, refers to the “dialectic of self-loss and self-discovery”. See also Siegfried Ringler: Life and revelation literature in women's monasteries in the Middle Ages. Sources and Studies. Munich, Zurich 1980 ( Munich texts and studies on German literature of the Middle Ages 72), pp. 147 and 215f .: "Death wish and delay in death."
  70. ↑ See Exercitia spiritualia 2006, register p. 397: "vita / life".
  71. ↑ See Hildegard Gosebrink: In the sense of mindfulness - body and senses in Gertrud's "Exercitia spiritualia". In: Ringler 2008, pp. 76-92; s. also p. 88: Reference to the monastic profession, which is interpreted “according to old tradition as a dying into Christ”.
  72. ↑ See Ruh 1993, p. 325.
  73. ↑ See Ruh 1993, p. 319.
  74. ↑ See Ringler 1998 (see literature), p. 154.
  75. ↑ See Wieland (see works), pp. VII and 3–47, and manuscript census .
  76. ↑ See also Grubmüller 1981 (see above: literature), column 8f.
  77. ↑ See Gertrud 1875, p. XLVI.
  78. ↑ According to Brem, Gertrud 2014, p. 51f.
  79. ↑ See Ulrich Köpf: Gerhard Tersteegen and the women of Helfta. On the reception of the Helfta mysticism in Protestantism. In: Bangert / Keul 1998, pp. 202-218.
  80. ↑ See Brem, Gertrud 2014, p. 52f.
  81. ↑ See Ruh 1993, p. 323, note 29.
  82. ↑ See Ringler 2008, p. 13.
  83. ↑ See above: web links
  84. ↑ See e.g. B .: Bärbel Görcke / Benita Joswig: Prayed on Glass - A picture program in the Mariensee Monastery ; Heinz Martin Lonquich : Cantus amoris - A high song of love. In each case in: Ringler 2008, pp. 108–113; 114-119.
  85. ↑ Gertrud Church Teacher ( Memento of the original from December 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / cisterciensia.blogspot.de
  86. ↑ BBLK; Catholic Encyclopedia ; catholic.org
  87. ↑ Evangela Bossert, OSB, author of Gertrude of Helfta: Companion for the Millennium and member of Monastery of St. Gertrude, Cottonwood, Idaho ( Memento of the original from February 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and still Not checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (engl.)  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.federationofstgertrude.org
  88. ↑ See Siegfried Ringler, Viten- und Offenbarungsliteratur ( see above ), pp. 187–189.
  89. ↑ See e.g. B. Frescoes and statues in the monasteries of Ottobeuren and Zwiefalten .
  90. ↑ Biographical data from The basic works of the three great women of Helfta (see works); on the Helfta monastery and its religious affiliation s. Michael Bangert: The socio-cultural situation of the St. Maria monastery in Helfta. In: Bangert / Keul 1998, pp. 29–47; Hildegund Keul / Siegfried Ringler: In the freedom of the living spirit. Helfta as a geo-historical place of German mysticism. In: Ringler 2008, pp. 21–35.
personal data
SURNAME Gertrud von Helfta
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gertrude the Great; St. Gertrude
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Cistercian woman in the Helfta monastery near Eisleben
DATE OF BIRTH January 6, 1256
DATE OF DEATH November 17, 1301 or November 17, 1302