Gottfried von Xanten

Gottfried von Xanten (also called Gottfried von Cuyk ; † after 1135) was provost of both St. Severin in Cologne and of St. Viktorstift in Xanten as well as elected but not confirmed Archbishop of Cologne .

Life

He was the son of Hermann von Malsen, Count von Cuijk, the progenitor of the Cuyk family , and his wife Ida. This may be Ida de Boulogne. While his brother Hendrik (Heinrich) succeeded his father, he and Andreas later became Bishop of Utrecht in the clergy. Although science has at times raised doubts about this equation of Gottfried von Cuyk and Gottfried von Xanten, as evidenced by late medieval sources, the claim seems to be recognized today.

Gottfried was provost of St. Severin in Cologne from 1122. From 1128 he was also provost in Xanten. He was present in the same year when Norbert von Xanten consecrated the Viktorkirche. A shrine of St. Victor probably came from his time . The image of Gottfried was probably to be seen on the shrine in which he had the bones of the saint laid. He may have spent considerable resources in creating it. He may also have made a name for himself in other church works of art such as the high altar. It is clear that he bequeathed income from churches in Gelderland to the church in Xanten.

In 1131 he was "from the great Cologne," as it was in a document from King Lothar III. means elected Archbishop of Cologne. The election may even have taken place in the presence of the king. However, the king did not recognize the election. Supported by the princes and the papal legate, Gottfried was induced to retreat and Bruno von Berg was elected in his place. The background is not very clear.

Later he was a canon in the Premonstratensian monastery Steinfeld .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Genealogical references
2. ↑ Ingo Runde: Xanten in the early and high Middle Ages. Legends, the history of the monastery and the development of cities. Cologne 2003, p. 364
3. ↑ Ingo Runde: Xanten in the early and high Middle Ages. Legends, the history of the monastery and the development of cities. Cologne 2003, pp. 209, 356
4. ↑ Lothar III. (RI IV, 1, 1) n.290 RI-online

literature

• Ingo Runde: Xanten in the early and high Middle Ages. Legends, the history of the monastery and the development of cities . Cologne 2003, ISBN 3-412-15402-4 .