Founding document of the Diocese of Brandenburg

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The founding document of King Otto I for the new Diocese of Brandenburg with the date of issue 949 is the oldest surviving document that mentions Brandenburg Castle and other places and landscapes.

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To spread the faith, King Otto founds the Diocese of Brandenburg and determines its property and diocese territory. Secular property included half of Brandenburg Castle and half of Cathedral Island with associated villages, as well as the Pritzerbe ( Pricervi ) and Ziesar ( Ezeri ) castles . The spiritual diocese area extended over the provinces of Slavic Moraciani , Zerbst ( Ciervisti ) Ploni , sprevane ( Zpriavviani ) Hevelli ( Heveldun ) ukrani ( Vvucri ) Retschanen ( Ria [ci] ani ) Zamcici , Dossanen ( Dassia ) Lusizer ( Lusici ). The diocese borders were the Oder in the east, the Elbe in the west and south, the borders of the provinces of the Ukranen, Retschanen and Dossanen in the north. The castles Biederitz ( Bidrizi ), Gommern ( Guntmiri ), Pechau ( Pechovi ), Möckern ( Mokriani ), Burg ( Burg ), Grabow ( Grabo ) and Schartau ( Ciertuvi ) with the associated villages were excluded from the tithe in Magdeburg.

The papal legate Marinus von Bomarzo , Archbishop Friedrich of Mainz , Archbishop Adaldag of Hamburg-Bremen , Archbishop Brun of Cologne , brother Otto I and Margrave Gero of the Ostmark were named as present. Thietmar was installed as the first bishop .

Dating

The document states October 1, 949 as the date. However, this contradicts the stated year of reign of King Otto and a witness. The correct date for issuing the certificate was therefore considered

  • 948

The papal legate Marinus von Bomarzo is attested for the period from the beginning of June to November 1, 948 in Germany, otherwise not at all. This points to the foundation of the diocese in this time frame. October 1st would be unsafe for this. The 13th year of Otto I's reign would be correct.

  • 949

According to the diplomatic criteria, the document is considered genuine, and a seal was also attached. However, the stated year of the reign of Otto I would not be applicable, and the Marinus legacy was not mentioned in Germany that year. It is possible that the document was issued on October 1, 949 for an act that took place at an earlier point in time.

  • 965 to 967

A bishop of Brandenburg or the diocese of Brandenburg were not mentioned anywhere until 967, not even in the plans for the establishment of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg or in the detailed report of the cleric Flodoard about the stay of the legate Marinus in Germany. This allows the possibility that the Diocese of Brandenburg, like Havelberg, was only founded between 965 and 967. The authenticity of the document, which has not yet been refuted, speaks against this.

Historical environment

In the winter of 928/929, the East Franconian King Heinrich I conquered the Slavic Brandenburg . There is almost no historical information about the further political development of the area east of the Elbe. A Margrave Gero was appointed for the entire area, how the balance of power actually developed is not certain. There had probably been a temporary Slavic reconquest of Brandenburg, because a prince Tugumir had to regain it for King Otto I by cunning around 940.

It is possible that Otto then planned the establishment of dioceses for this area, which he was then able to carry out in 948 with the consent of the papal envoy Marinus von Bomarzo. That year, in the presence of the legate, the first bishops for the Danish dioceses Schleswig , Ribe and Aarhus were also mentioned, whose diocese territory was not under Otto's control.

There are no signs of the regular establishment of a diocese in Brandenburg in the following years. The northern half of Brandenburg was converted into a leveled area around 951 and 965, respectively, with no significant traces of settlement. There were probably no churches or German settlements outside the castle at this time.

In 965, after the death of Margrave Geros, a smaller Nordmark was created, with Margrave Thietmar. During this time the Archdiocese of Magdeburg was formed, to which Brandenburg was subordinate. For the year 983 an actual presence of the margrave and the bishop in the Brandenburg was mentioned. They left the castle before the Slavic uprising, as a result of which the diocese was dissolved. It was not re-established until 1161.

Manuscript and editions

Handwriting

The original is in the Brandenburg Cathedral Abbey Archives.

Latin text

Latin text with German translation

  • Lutz Partenheimer : The emergence of the Mark Brandenburg. Böhlau, Cologne, Weimar, Vienna 2007. pp. 94–97.
  • Otto Tschirch : History of the Chur and capital Brandenburg a. H. Volume 1. Brandenburg a. H. 1928, 3rd edition 1941 (reprint 2012). P. 11

Regest

literature

  • Wolfgang Schößler: The document about the establishment of the diocese Brandenburg in the year 948. In: Domstift und Historischer Verein Brandenburg (Hrsg.): 1050 years Brandenburg. Contributions to history and culture. Brandenburg / Havel J. 1998]. Pp. 14-31.
  • Thomas Ludwig: The founding document for the Diocese of Brandenburg. In: Yearbook for Brandenburg State History. Volume 53, 2002. pp. 9-28. PDF

Remarks

  1. ^ For this, Helmut Assing pleaded: The dispute over the founding deed of the Diocese of Brandenburg. In: Annual report on the Historic Association of Brandenburg. New episode 12. 2002/2003. Pp. 17-30.
  2. ^ Thomas Ludwig: The founding document for the diocese of Brandenburg. In: Yearbook for Brandenburg State History. Volume 53, 2002. pp. 9-28. PDF
  3. ^ Klaus Grebe: Excavations in the Brandenburg Cathedral and its surroundings . In: Florian Fiedler (arrangement): Brandenburg Cathedral. (= ICOMOS booklets of the German National Committee 25) . 1998. pp. 11-19. (PDF)