Hatto II.

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Archbishop Hatto II. In a representation from the Nuremberg Chronicle of Hartmann Schedel from 1493.

Hatto II. OSB († January 18, 970 ) was abbot of Fulda between 956 and 968 and then Archbishop of Mainz until his death .

Act

Otto the Great put him in the Archbishopric of Mainz because, unlike his predecessor, he was in favor of the establishment of an archbishopric in Magdeburg . In October 968, at the Synod of Ravenna , he agreed to the subordination of the dioceses of Brandenburg , Havelberg , Meißen , Merseburg and Zeitz under Magdeburg, thus opening up the possibility of an own church organization east of the Elbe and Saale. After that he worked to reunite the Arch Chancellor with the Mainz chair after previous uncertainty .

Legend

According to a legend, he had the Binger mouse tower built in the 10th century. At that time, when there was a famine in the country, the hard-hearted bishop is said to have denied help to the poor from his filled granaries. When they continued begging, he is said to have locked her in a barn and let his henchmen set it on fire. He is said to have mockingly commented on the cries of the dying with the words "Do you hear the little corn mice whistling below?" At that moment, according to legend, thousands of mice came crawling from all corners and swarmed across the table and through the bishop's apartments. The mass of rodents drove the servants to flight, and Hatto is said to have taken a ship down the Rhine to the island, where he believed he was safe. But when he locked himself in there, he was eaten alive by the mice. This legend was widespread and was intended to explain the name. From the 19th century, however, the legend was increasingly (also) attributed to Hatto I. During the romantic era of the Rhine , the often painted building also inspired writers such as Clemens Brentano , Victor Hugo and Ferdinand Freiligrath with its gruesome legend .

literature

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predecessor Office successor
Wilhelm Archbishop of Mainz
968–970 		Ruprecht
Hadamar Abbot of Fulda
956–968 		Werinheri
personal data
SURNAME Hatto II.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Archbishop of Mainz
DATE OF BIRTH 9th century or 10th century
DATE OF DEATH January 18, 970