Gezelinus from Schlebusch
Gezelinus von Schlebusch (* in the Duchy of Burgundy ; † 12th century, probably in Schlebuschrath , today a district of Leverkusen - Alkenrath ) was, according to legend, a lay brother ( Konverse ) in the Cistercian monastery in Altenberg . He was known for his modest life as a shepherd in Schlebuschrath during his lifetime and after his death a regionally significant cult developed around this and his legend.
Gezelinus was already known as "Blessed" by the local believers before 1524. A formal beatification by a Cologne auxiliary bishop cannot be proven, but the Catholic Church recognizes Gezelin as beatified.
Historical reports on the Vita
Little is known about the actual life story of Gezelinus: “ As early as 1645, the Cologne historian Aegidius Gelenius, who reports of the large influx of people to the hermit's sanctuary, complained that there were no records about him and, if they existed, because of the unfavorable times were lost ... “ It is certain that he lived in Schlebuschrath. On the other hand, Opladen considers membership in the Cistercian Order to be unlikely, which means that the origin from Burgundy is no longer certain. According to tradition, however, Gezelinus, as the brother of Adolf I von Berg, is associated with him, who fought against the Duke of Burgundy . Gezelinus ( called Eberhard here ) accompanied him and entered the Morimond monastery during the battle . These in turn sent monks to Altenberg in 1132 to the castle of Adolf I. There Adolf I gave the Cistercians a sheepfold in Burge , which is now a part of Leverkusen near Alkenrath, where Eberhard lived.
Vincent Jakob von Zuccalmaglio, on the other hand, expresses the thesis that the confusion arose in the 17th century simply because of a stone found near the Gezelin spring, that the Holy Gezelin lived in Schlebusch and that is why a cult was initiated there. In fact, he was a shepherd with activities in Luxembourg and Belgium , which can be proven historically. According to Opladen, however, this assumption is not tenable, since the worship of geelins was already handed down in the 15th century. In addition, he misread the stone and therefore misinterpreted it.
The year Gezelinus died is also unclear; Leonhard Korth dates his death to the year 1137, Opladen considers this to be mistaken for another hermit named Scheletzo of Luxembourg. On a 1.97 meter long and 0.67 meter wide grave slab in Altenberg, the date is given as July 29th without the year of death. This grave was found during restoration work on Altenberg Cathedral around 1900. This grave was formerly in the open air and did not get there accidentally over the centuries, but was walled with rubble stones. It shows a cross with thickened ends and rests on a square base stone. The inscription reads exactly: “ A II K (A) L (ENDAS) AVG (VSTI). O (BIIT) GOZELIN (VS) ”, translated: On July 29th, Gozelin died. Due to its style, this grave slab can be classified in a period from 1150 to 1180. But why this grave, which can clearly be assigned to a member of the monastery, was left untouched when it was rebuilt in 1255 and also the question, why some other traditions clearly state that Gezelinus's wish to be buried in Schlebuschrath was granted, could not be clearly clarified. It is also possible that G o zelinus another person, such as a dignitary ( Prior ) was; but there is no such thing in the abbey's memory register. There is no documentary evidence of Gezelin's membership in Altenberg Abbey. The grave, which was venerated in Schlebuschrath, where, according to legend, he was buried at his request, was included in the church with a small addition to a side choir. The discovery of a sarcophagus, which is considered a cult grave, speaks for the burial of Gezelinus there.
Legend
According to legend, Gezelinus von Schlebusch was born in the Duchy of Burgundy. Because of his endeavor to “leave all wealth and all honors out of love for Christ”, he entered the Cistercian monastery as a converse or lay brother in his youth , where he is said to have put his endeavors into practice. He was soon sent to the Cistercian monastery in Altenberg, where he was assigned the job of shepherd. So he came to the Alkenrath estate near the parish church in Schlebuschrath , where he carried out his task with such humility that he was known for it and is said to have been awarded a habit by the Cistercian father. Miracles happened and many people came to him because they trusted in his mighty intercession with God. Among the wonders is that legend has it that Gezelinus created a spring by thrusting his shepherd's staff into the ground and saying a prayer when asked to do so by people during a lengthy period of drought. This water had soothing and healing effects. Before his death he is said to have asked to be buried under the eaves of the church in Schlebuschrath, so that the water should cleanse him of his sins even after his death.
cult
The legend and the beginning of the veneration of the legendary life of Gezelini is difficult to date. In the Dialogus miraculorum by Caesarius von Heisterbach from 1220, it does not appear yet; a form of the Gezelink cult promotion is mentioned for the first time in a tradition that is not documented. This says that there was a chapel above the Gezelin spring , which was built by donors. However, this must have been destroyed.
In 1619, Morsbroich Castle passed to the Teutonic Order , which consequently had an influence on the entire Schlebusch region for around 200 years and thus also shaped the Gezelinkult. Landkomtur Heinrich von Reuschenberg, who resided on Morsbroich from 1662 to 1671, promoted the Gezelinkult by rebuilding the Gezelinkapelle . It is handed down in an order search protocol from September 15, 1668: “ … another new cape, according to the Landcomtur built in the year 59 in honorary style. Giselini, from where a Heylbrunnen rises under the altar and many people are said to have been curated by this water ”. The pastor Johann Franz Platt zu Schlebuschrath also provides evidence of the Gezelin cult in 1664 and reports “ that recently the chapel of St. Gyselin, which is often visited by pilgrims and residents of the Bergisches Land because of the wonderful healing spring in it, has been restored by the generosity of the Provincial of the Teutonic Order Heinrich von Reuschenberg. “Around 1810 the Gezelinus cult was moved to the parish church in Schlebusch, because the riots around the Gezelin octave affected the religious cult.
The annual Gezelinoktav , an eight-day festival week with pilgrimages and pilgrimage services as well as other events within the parish association, begin on the Sunday after Corpus Christi with an open-air festival on a meadow directly next to the chapel. You go on a particularly during the 18th century in the Lower Wupper popular pilgrimage back.
In the 18th century there are also other records of the Gezelin cult. Pastor Johann Heimbach, who worked at Schlebuschrath between 1694 and 1746, wrote in a report for the Bollandists that the grave of Gezelinus was in the parish church at Schlebuschrath, and wrote of pilgrims who had been healed by touching their bodies. He also shows a picture of Gezelini, which shows him as a Cistercian monk, and that this was held in high honor by the Schlebusch citizens. He also names an altar in honor of Gezelin.
Landkomtur Jobst Moritz Freiherr von Droste zu Senden , like his predecessors who resided on Morsbroich, strongly promoted the cult. He opened a fair for the festivities and also published a pilgrimage booklet in 1729. It was titled:
" Well of the Heyland,
Leaping to eternal life,
to the fountain rich in grace and miracles
B. GEZELINI, next to Murßbroich "
and contains the Gezelinus legend, devotions, passion songs and a song about Gezelin. Von Droste also invited pastors to the Gezelin holiday to hold a Gezelinus devotion, one of which has been passed down in full. It is also clearly reported that many pilgrims came to the chapel at the source, both from the Deutsch-Ordens-Commende in Cologne, as well as from neighboring evangelical towns. The Gezelin cult flourished at this time. The service in the chapel was held by Cologne Franciscans , who lived on Morsbroich during this time, which in turn speaks for a strong promotion of the Gezelinus cult by the Teutonic Order.
Source of linen
The legend says, created by Gezelinus source is still considered Gezelinquelle called and belongs to the Leverkusen district Alkenrath .
Vinzenz Jakob von Zuccalmaglio writes about this source that since there was no Gezelin in Schlebusch, there could also have been no source and continues: “ The legend [...] like the service were transplanted to the Schlebusch area by the Teutonic Commander Heinrich von Reuschenberg . [...] The spring that now jumps under the altar has been the consolation of the area for eye ailments as well as childhood diseases since time immemorial ... ”He further describes that the water seems to contain alum and therefore the healing effects for other diseases, which he also explains in more detail , may not have occurred for no reason. He also describes the legend of a stone, the inscription of which read “ MATRONABUS GESATENIS ”, “ which was kept in Altenberg monastery and [...] was found not far from the chapel. “He puts forward the thesis that the inscription Gesalenis was confused with the Gezelin, which he believed to be active in Belgium and Luxembourg. Opladen, on the other hand, suspects that “Gesalenis” should not be read, but “Gesa h enis”. This in turn is derived from the old Germanic word Gesa, Ghiso, which means water, and is thus an indication that a spring and a sanctuary had existed there since times before Christianity, which had been converted into a Christian place of worship. In addition, Zuccalmaglio's thesis that the cult was transplanted by Heinrich von Reuschenberg is not tenable in view of the previous traditions and the precise report that Reuschenberg only restored the chapel.
The spring is now under the altar of the chapel. Legend has it that the spring water has a soothing and healing effect on head and eye ailments. It used to also help with infertility. However, this could not be proven scientifically and some healings can only be understood from faith; however, there is an increased boron or alum content in the water . In the parish of St. Andrew, the baptized are baptized with this water. Many people still fetch the water there in large containers because it should be very stomach-friendly. The spring system is maintained and cared for by the sexton from St. Andreas.
Representation at Cologne Cathedral
In the north transept facade in the Maternus portal of Cologne Cathedral there is a figure of the blessed Gezelinus (with a view and turning towards Leverkusen to the north). It is the lowest figure seated on the right in the third archivolt of the Maternus portal . The figure of Gezelinus is 44 cm high, 24 cm wide and 22 cm deep, Gezelin is shown sitting and with folded hands. His head is tilted back, his eyes look towards the sky. A rosary lies in his lap and his beard-framed mouth is open for prayer. As a Cistercian monk, he wears a robe under which his bare feet shine, and next to him is a jug with a handle, which is supposed to indicate the source of the geeseed.
The design and sculptural work of the figure of the Blessed Gezelinus go back to the Cologne cathedral sculptor Peter Fuchs (1829–1889), who in turn drew on ideas from Sulpiz Boisserée . Fuchs studied many comparative objects, but he could not fall back on any old templates, since the north facade of the transept is not about biblical figures, but local saints from the Cologne area. In contrast to the old works, Peter Fuchs gave the figures less body vibrations, but refined the individual facial features in the sense of " biblical realism ". The dynamic is reflected in each individual facial play, because due to the number of figures to be produced, the design elements naturally had to be reduced.
literature
- Peter Opladen : Heimatbuch Leverkusen-Schlebusch II. The history of the parish St. Andreas and the parish rectorate St. Albertus Magnus zu Leverkusen-Schlebusch. Catholic parish office Leverkusen-Schlebusch, 1952.
- Wilhelm Kaltenbach: St. Andreas and Gezelinkapelle in Leverkusen-Schlebusch. Rheinische Kunststätten, ed. Rheinischer Verein für Denkmalpflege und Landschaftsschutz, Issue 191, 1976, ISBN 3-88094-183-1 .
- Norbert Hölzer: From Schliebeschrod to Schlebusch. 100 years of St. Andreas. Parish Council St. Andreas, Leverkusen-Schlebusch 1991.
- Erich Läufer: Gezelinus, the Blessed One from the Dhünntal. Brendow-Verlag, Moers 1986, ISBN 3-87067-292-7 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Hölzer 1991, p. 28, line 1f.
- ↑ See Hölzer 1991, p. 22ff.
- ↑ See Opladen 1952, p. 82
- ↑ Description of the tradition without source and evaluation in Opladen 1952, p. 83 also representation by the cath. Parish Altenberg ( Memento of the original from 23 August 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b cf. Vinzenz Jakob von Zuccalmaglio: The prehistory of the countries Cleve, Mark, Jülich, Berg and Westphalen. Elberfeld 1870, vol. IS 54.
- ↑ See Opladen 1952, pp. 84f. and the Gezelin Source section
- ↑ Cf. Leonhard Korth: " The patronage of churches and chapels in the Archdiocese of Cologne ", Düsseldorf 1904
-
↑ See Opladen, pp. 86f.
Hans Mosler: The Cistercian Abbey Altenberg. (= Germania Sacra; New Series 2. ) Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin 1965. Digitized , p. 89. - ^ Helmes in Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn 1976, p. 81 and Stadtarchiv (ed.) 2005, p. 54
- ↑ Legend according to Hölzer 1991, p. 28f.
- ↑ See Hölzer 1991, p. 24
- ↑ Lt. Hölzer 1991, p. 24 quoted from Kaltenbach: Local history essays in the church newspaper for the Archdiocese of Cologne 1955, private collection
- ↑ Hölzer 1991, p. 24
- ↑ See Opladen 1952, p. 84
- ^ Title quoted from Hölzer 1991, line 26; Copy of the pilgrim book in the parish archive of the parish of St. Andreas
- ↑ See Hölzer 1991, p. 26f.
- ↑ a b Quoted from Opladen 1952, p. 85
- ↑ See representation of the parish of St. Andreas ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 51 ° 2 ′ 24 ″ N , 7 ° 2 ′ 6 ″ E
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gezelinus from Schlebusch |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gozelin; Jhoselinus; Gezelin; Geselin; Gezelinus from Altenberg |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Lay brother in the Cistercian monastery Altenberg |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 11th century or 12th century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Duchy of Burgundy |
| DATE OF DEATH | 12th Century |
| Place of death | unsure: Schlebuschrath |