Gertrud von Ortenberg

Gertrud von Ortenberg (also Gertrud von Rickeldey / von Rückeldegen ) (* between 1275 and 1285; † February 23, 1335 in Offenburg ) was a Beguine . A life of grace reports on her lifestyle, which is shaped by mystical spirituality.

Life

Gertrud came from the ministerial family von Ortenberg (near Offenburg). She was the daughter of the knight Erkenbold von Ortenberg, who was married to a baroness von Wildenstein (on the Danube) for the second time. Shortly after Gertrud was born, the father died, and a few years later the mother too. Gertrud had numerous siblings and half-siblings from both of her father's marriages. The little orphan was soon handed over to farmers who raised them; later she came back to the castle, where she was subjected to frequent abuse.

In 1297/98 she was married to a wealthy but considerably older man, the knight Heinrich Rickeldey / Rückeldegen von Ullenburg, whom she found a "tough" husband. After Gertrud had given birth to a child almost every year, her husband died in 1301/02 during her fourth pregnancy. Gertrud, who had developed spiritual and religious interests at an early age, immediately moved to the city of Offenburg, where she found accommodation with a beguin and gave birth to her fourth child there. After all of her children, some of whom she had given away to relatives, had died soon after, she finally entered a Beguine Community in 1303/04 after she had taken the vows of the Third Order of the Franciscans.

As a Beguine, Gertrud von Ortenberg cared for the sick, looked after children, tried to reconcile enemies and was also active in pastoral care with high-ranking people. She chose her own pastors and was in spiritual contact with Dominicans and Franciscans . At the same time, she also took care of regulating her own property affairs. Since 1304 she was close friends with Heilke von Staufenberg, who had escaped from her family after the death of her father, the knight Andres von Staufenberg, and had also become a Beguine. The two women went to Strasbourg several times , among other things to hear well-known preachers there, probably also Meister Eckhart . They moved there in 1317/18 after buying a house in one of the many beguines' neighborhoods. Despite the repressive measures that began against the Beguines (1317–1320), they stayed there until 1327; They only returned to Offenburg when their house fell victim to a city fire. Gertrud died in 1335 and received her grave in the Franciscan cemetery; there were attempts to venerate them as local saints.

Grace vita

Shortly after Gertrud's death (probably before 1350 at the latest) a female person who Gertrud had known personally wrote a vita for which Gertrud's friend Heilke provided the most important information. Despite a number of apparently reliable biographical details, this work is anything but a biography . While the prehistory (which ends with the death of the husband) is still largely historical, the following presentation is composed with great consistency according to the structural principles of a grace life. Practice in the virtues leads to a longing for death "because she would have liked to be directly with God". With the surrender of self-will, a new life begins, which is now only determined by grace and finally, even after the experience of alienation (the mystical "dryness"), leads to the rapture into divinity and the experience of unity (Unio ) with God. In pastoral work, characterized by complete spiritual and material poverty, this life of grace becomes fruitful for others as well. By reproducing two mystical sermons, what has happened is then finally reflected on. An exaggerated conclusion is omitted. The Vita has its spiritual focus on " poverty " and disgrace , whereby the thoughts of Master Eckhart and Franciscan spirituality merge almost indistinguishably. The climax of the vita in particular, culminating in the “sinking into divinity”, also shows striking parallels with Marguerite Porète .

meaning

According to the mystic researcher Kurt Ruh , the grace vita of Gertrud von Ortenberg is one of the most important newly found texts in the field of women's mysticism of the 14th century.

From a historical point of view, this Vita is a unique document on Beginism, from details of dress code and social activities to the regulation of community life and inheritance matters of a noblewoman. At the same time, it sheds light on the relationship between the Beguines and Dominicans and Franciscans and shows how Strasbourg, through the activities of the mendicant orders, was a magnet for women with religious movement. The text is the most extensive testimony from the later Middle Ages for the history of the city of Offenburg.

The importance of Gertrud's vita for today's women's research can hardly be overestimated. It shows a woman who shaped her life with the greatest independence, soberly regulated complicated economic affairs and tackled everyday problems as well as religious questions in conversation with her friend. She chose her male spiritual advisers without becoming dependent on them. At the same time, the vita is evidence of the thesis that women's vitae are less hagiographically exaggerated than when they were edited by male authors.

This Vitentext from the 14th century directly describes the sensual perception, for example a facial expression. Theological questions are not dealt with in the form of visions, but rather narrative in a dialogue between the two friends. A striking stylistic device is a leitmotif technique that can often be observed.

The only surviving vita is in a manuscript now preserved in Brussels; it stands here between a German-language version of the Legatus divinae pietatis Gertruds von Helfta and the German-language version of Raimund von Capua's Life of Saint Catherine of Siena . In terms of reception history, the text, which, like numerous other mystic manuscripts, was copied and stored in the Strasbourg monastery of St. Nicolaus in undis shortly after the middle of the 15th century, is further evidence of the importance of the reformed monasteries of the 15th century; later it came to the archives of the Bollandists . At the same time, through the reproduction of the two sermon texts, the text itself is an example of the mystic reception and proves how sermons could also be passed on orally. The two texts refer to Meister Eckhart and Richard von St. Viktor , probably also to Rudolf von Biberach . A route of transmission Marguerite Porète - Meister Eckhart - Strasbourg / Gertrud should also be checked.

To the text form

The text of the Gertrud Vita is of an immediacy and closeness to reality that are completely unusual both for the 14th century and for the genre of a Vita . The author of the final version “was undoubtedly well-read and literarily gifted, she sifted through the available material and consistently structured it in the form of a grace vita. Her stylistic skills are also remarkable. The narrative tone of the vita may appear quite simple at first, but closer inspection shows that this is quite intentional, right down to colloquial broken sentences. A use of central words that is almost reminiscent of leitmotifs, a highly descriptive, sensually realistic apprehension of situations and states of mind, and also the knowledge of important motifs of the mystical tradition: all of this testifies to a considerable literary quality. " Central themes of mysticism come up directly in the final part in particular.

• (1) A childhood in a knight's castle (f.133v)

After little Gertrud was raised by farmers after the death of her parents, the step-siblings bring her back to the castle, where she is treated very harshly.

When the child cried or something was missing, the maid grabbed its little dress from behind, or caught it by the arm and swung it against the door to the ground, so that it hurt. And if it wasn't quiet immediately, or if it couldn't keep quiet because of weakness or because it was still so young, the maid ran over, made a vigorous, hard wipe of straw, gave the child a good rub and abused its little body.

A single stepbrother then feels sorry for the child and ensures that he is treated better.

• (2) In the company of begging children (f.135r)

And no sooner had one eaten than the child (young Gertrud) was glad that it could go out to go to the poor children who came to the castle to beg for bread. And it sat down under her and then looked around and then felt how comfortable it was with the company of the poor children. And it laughed to itself and, as it felt, it felt very comfortable with its poor playmates, and it stole bread and whatever else it could secretly get and gave it to them. And they brought him flowers for it.

• (3) Departure for the city (f.138v / 139r)

After the death of her husband, Gertrud, who is pregnant for the fourth time, wants to move to Offenburg. But first she stays with her relatives in the castle.

And when she was asked where she wanted to stay and whether she wanted to stay there, she said: “No, I don't want that. You have enough to do with yourselves, I definitely want to move to the city. ”They got angry, rebuked her with reproachful words and said to her:“ What do you want to do? Do you want to move in with strangers who don't know who you are? They will say: The child you are expecting comes from a priest or a monk. ”Because she was just three weeks pregnant when her husband died. And she said: “God knows, it cannot be otherwise. I want to dare. Our Lord won't let me down if I want to trust him. ”And right at hand she got up and sat down on a cart with her two children; because at that time she still had two children, another had already died and she was still pregnant with one. She took the two children and whatever else she had - it wasn't much - and put it on a cart and drove to Offenburg in the city to a poor sister who she knew well.

• (4) mortification for secular beauty care (f.147r)

(Here the text describes severe mortifications and the way Gertrud dealt with herself. The passage sheds light on her inner conflicts and on the emotional consequences of the early abuse.)

After this exercise she had to hit herself with her hands and fists, and she hit her legs, arms, heart and head, so much that it was astonishing that her senses remained . She also had to cramp her fingers in her head and hair for having smoothed and caressed her head and hair while she was in the world. Because when she lived in the world, she had pleasant hair that looked good on her. All the limbs that she had adorned during her world life or had shown for worldly lust, she now had to hit and chastise. She had to pay for everything: the arms that she had tied according to the fashion, the hands and fingers on which she had worn the rings. She rubbed her fingers so hard and so hard that it was astonishing that there was still some skin on her fingers. She was beating herself so badly that her hands were swollen and bruised badly on them, as well as on her body. That weakened her very much, but after this great exercise she felt as if she was never missing anything. And when the exercise came to an end, her hands would swell immediately and the bruises would disappear, and she was exactly the same as before. After this exercise, the Spirit thanked Our Lord again and drove the body out of bed and bent it towards the earth, to thank God and praise. Nobody knew about these things but she and Jungfer Heilke. They kept it from the young woman who served her that she knew nothing about it.

• (5) The dear sun (f.156v)

At that time it was very dark; the sun had not shone for a long time. And when the sun started to shine again, she opened a window and said longingly: “Oh, dear sun.” And Jungfer Heilke said: “What do you mean that you talk so well and tenderly to the sun ? "And she said:" I am dear to her. "

• (6) The joking friend (f.151v / 152r)

She also lived such a holy life that was welcomed by others, and her way of life was so good that everything she did was modeled for betterment. Jungfer Heilke would say jokingly: “Gertrud, everything goes well with you: people get better at everything you do; even if it were bad. "

• (7) A blossoming branch as proof of God (f.143v)

Once Gertrud was in a serious internal crisis, thinking about her weaknesses, and saw herself far from God.

It seemed to her that her sins were so great and so many in number that the whole world must pay for them and perish. Now the friars came to her and spoke to her of the goodness of our Lord and how mild he is to forgive sins. And when they spoke to her of the goodness of our Lord, she said, “Lord, I know that for sure. But his righteousness is also great, it is part of everything. ”In this situation she confessed and received our Lord twice; this was what the friars and her confessor had told her. Now her relatives wanted to see her because she was so sick. She hated that and felt as though she had no family in the whole world and ordered them to move away from her. In this situation Jungfer Heilke broke a flowering branch from a tree and held it in front of her. Then she was even glad that the world still existed, and she thought to herself that our Lord wanted to forget his anger against her.

• (8) The dirty children (f.162v)

As a beginner, Gertrud takes care of poor people and enjoys it when they are happy. Above all, she cares about poor women with young children.

And she took the little children and meanwhile cleaned their bums, wiped them off and put them back in their diapers. And when they were useless, she gave them others. And then she gave the children back to their mothers. And the children, who were already a little old, undressed them, shook their clothes off and cleaned their hats so that they could wear them again. Then she washed the children, and when it was necessary, she healed the heads and did them many good. And when they went away, she filled their pockets too and happily let them go.

• (9) The pretty drinking glasses (f.166v / 167r)

Often Gertrud is so withdrawn that she hardly perceives other things. But if she has an eye for external processes on her way home, then the following could happen:

When a poor little child came towards her, she looked around and made sure that no one was looking, and then sat down by him and wiped his eyes, his nose and his mouth, and tied his headscarf or whatever it was on would have; she put that back on him properly. And then she took it home with her and gave him something to eat, and she asked the children if they wanted to drink, and brought them something to drink in a glass or some other neat little thing. So sometimes the children drank that they no longer knew when to stop, more for the sake of the drink than out of thirst. Sometimes she had to hide the glass from them because she was afraid that they would drink too much and it would hurt them. Sometimes she had several children together and also their mothers, and she gave them food and made them so happy that at times they touched each other and sang and walked in circles as if to dance. There she sat and laughed and she felt as if she were at a big feast. She felt so good when she saw the little children so cheerful and cheerful.

• (10) Have mercy on the plight of animals (f.166v)

(The text, an early testimony to empathy with the animals, shows that the abuse of animals was so natural that there was obviously no way to intervene. The only way to work towards a change in consciousness through your own example is.)

She had a compassionate heart towards all created beings. If she saw a farm animal or any other animal, a puppy or something like that, being hit or kicked violently or badly, it hurt her as well, and she wondered how people could be so tough that they could give a little one The animal could hurt so much and she turned away that she could not see it; she couldn't bear to be cursed with him and driven hard.

• (11) A mystical sermon (f.231v-233v)

Gertrud and Heilke heard a reading master's sermon. Heilke can remember sermons well and can still read them to Gertrud later. Years later Heilke understands that this sermon really characterizes Gertrud's life.

So I have added it here, but only the meaning of this sermon, as short as I can:

The master reader spoke of people who lead internalized lives. And he said, First of all, they are wounded by God. Second, they are bound to God. Third, they fall into (love) illness. Fourth they are driven out into the villages of this world.

First: Those who are wounded by God, God comes before them with a lowered grace: that is an inner warning that never lets the soul be quiet again until the life of man is completely ordered according to God's will, outwardly like inside. (...) Second, they are bound to God, because they lay God on their hearts like a tuft of myrrh so that they never forget him. (…) In the third piece he said how they get sick with minne and feel sweet longing for God. (...) (Fourth:) When God now knows for sure that the soul no longer leaves him, neither for love nor for suffering, he drives it out into the villages of this world, that is: He wants it to go to the Sees the needs of his fellow man and comes to his aid, externally and internally, as he needs it.

• (12) sinking into deity [f.231v]

Then she said: “And so the soul no longer knows anything about anything. She only feels one thing: that she has a steady incessant sinking in. A person sleeps or wakes up, he eats or drinks, or whatever he does, the sinking is constant. But how deep it sinks will never be known to man until the time that all things are revealed to him. Then he will know how he should partake of it in God forever. ”Her friend Heilke said:“ Dear Gertrud, is this 'sinking into God'? ”Then she said:“ Yes. ”

Post-history in modern times

Gertrud-von-Ortenberg-Bürgerstiftung

On the 679th anniversary of Gertrude's death, February 23, 2014, the Gertrud-von-Ortenberg Civic Foundation was founded in the council chamber of the town hall in Ortenberg . The foundation capital is 170,000 euros.

“The Gertrud-von-Ortenberg-Bürgerstiftung is a non-profit foundation that was set up by citizens, companies, organizations and associations. It sees itself as an institution by people from Ortenberg - and by people who feel connected to Ortenberg - for people in Ortenberg. The purpose of the foundation is to promote local measures and projects in Ortenberg in the areas of youth and senior citizen work, welfare work, culture, sport, homeland preservation, monument protection and - with regard to the community partnerships - international understanding, provided that they are not mandatory tasks of the political community . With the naming, the community foundation commits itself to the ideals of the historical figure Gertrud von Ortenberg [...], who self-determined and independently shaped and regulated her life. In particular, she was characterized by her charitable and selfless work in social problem areas. "( Preamble to the foundation statutes )

Ortenberg village bells in honor of Gertrude

On February 23, 2015, on the 680th anniversary of Gertrude's death, for the first time in the history of Ortenberg, the ecclesiastical and secular bells of the Bühlweg Church, the parish church of St. Bartholomew, the Catholic Kindergarten St. Elisabeth and the town hall were rung in her honor at 1.35 p.m. rang at the same time. With the extraordinary ringing time of 1.35 p.m., the Gertrud von Ortenberg Community Foundation remembered Gertrud's death year 1335. With this village bell, which will take place every year on February 23, the awareness of the historical personality in her place of birth is to be aroused and maintained become.

Play

Wilhelm von Ascheraden wrote a play entitled Gertrud von Ortenberg - Almost a Saint , which premiered in Ortenberg in October 2017.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The curriculum vitae is presented in relatively detail below, as the underlying vita is not yet in print.
2. ↑ In the following after Derkits 1990 (see below: literature), pp. 418–443 u. ö.
3. ↑ For details, see Derkits 1990 (see below: issues), pp. 293–302, with parallels to Ringler: Friedrich Sunder .
4. ↑ See Ringler 2017 (see below: issues), p. 103, note 58; 181, note 112; 182, notes 114, 115; 184, note 118; u. ö.
5. ↑ Oral and letter (April 16, 1991) statement to Siegfried Ringler.
6. ↑ Derkits 1991 (see below: issues), p. 77.
7. ↑ Cf. Karen Glente: Mystic Vitae from a Male and a Female Perspective. A comparison between Thomas von Cantimpré and Katherina von Unterlinden. In: Peter Dinzelbacher , Dieter R. Bauer (ed.): Religious women's movement and mystical piety in the Middle Ages. Böhlau, Cologne / Vienna 1988 (= supplements to the archive for cultural history 28). Pp. 251-264.
8. ↑ Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, Ms 8507-09 (Cat.-No. 3407), f. 133r-239v.
9. ↑ See Balázs J. Nemes: The 'deformed' Eckhart. Eckhart manuscripts in the Dominican convent of St. Nicholas in Strasbourg in undis. In: Writing and Reading in the City. Literature business in late medieval Strasbourg . Edited by Stephen Mossman, Nigel F. Palmer and Felix Heinzer (Kulturtopographie des Alemannischen Raums 4), Berlin / Boston 2012, p. 39–98, here p. 59f.
10. ↑ See Ringler 2004 (see below: secondary literature), Sp. 524.
11. ↑ Siegfried Ringler 2017 (see below: issues) p. 15.
12. ↑ The following references are intended to show the peculiarity of this text using at least a few examples; they are quoted according to the line count of the Brussels manuscript, translated by Siegfried Ringler.
13. ↑ The expression means: to a Beguine.
14. ↑ The expression means receiving communion.
15. ^ Presumably by Rudolf von Biberach, based on the treatise De quattuor gradibus violentae caritatis Richards by St. Viktor.
16. ↑ Article on Baden-Online from October 23, 2017

literature

expenditure

• Hans Derkits: The biography of Gertrud von Ortenberg. Diss. (Mach.) Vienna 1990
  • Vol. 1: Text Edition, pp. 1–215.
  • Vol. 2: Description of the manuscript and commentary, from p. 219.
• About the holy life of Gertrud von Ortenberg. Introduced and translated by Siegfried Ringler. GRIN Verlag 2017, ISBN 9783668387997 (nhd. Translation) ( online )

Secondary literature

• Martina Backes: A city full of grace. Strasbourg from the perspective of Gertrud von Ortenberg . In: Writing and Reading in the City. Literature business in late medieval Strasbourg . Edited by Stephen Mossman, Nigel F. Palmer and Felix Heinzer (Kulturtopographie des Alemannischen Raums 4), Berlin / Boston 2012, pp. 29–38 (not evaluated)
• Hans Derkits: The vita of Gertrud von Ortenberg - historical aspects of a grace life. In: Die Ortenau 71 (1991) pp. 77–125 ( online )
• Eugen Hillenbrand: Holy Life and Everyday Life. Offenburg city history in the mirror of a late medieval beguinage. In: Die Ortenau 90 (2010) pp. 157–176.
• Eugen Hillenbrand: Gertrud von Ortenberg - A forgotten saint . In: Die Ortenau 91 (2011) pp. 279–296 (not evaluated)
• Eugen Hillenbrand: noblewoman, beguines, beggar - Gertrud von Ortenberg (+1335) in the succession of Elisabeth of Thuringia (+1231). In: Freiburger Diözesanarchiv 133 (2013) pp. 85–110.
• Anneke B. Mulder-Bakker: Pious women in Strasbourg and Master Eckhart: Gertrud von Ortenberg and Heilke von Staufenberg. In: Meister-Eckhart-Jahrbuch 8 (2014) pp. 55–74.
• Anneke B. Mulder-Bakker: An ascetic private household on the Upper Rhine. The example of Gertrud Rickeldey von Ortenberg, Heilke von Staufenberg and their biographer. In: Jörg Voigt et al. (Hg): The Beguining in the late Middle Ages and early modern times. Studies on Christian Religious and Church History 20, Friborg / Stuttgart 2015, pp. 290–307.
• Siegfried Ringler: Gertrud von Ortenberg . In: VL² , Vol. 11 (2004), Col. 522-525.

Web links

• Manuscript census
• About the holy life of Gertrud von Ortenberg
• Gertrud-von-Ortenberg-Bürgerstiftung