Heinrich von Kirchberg

Heinrich von Kirchberg (* around 1225/1233; † after 1282) was a 13th century Thuringian jurist who was also politically influential .

Born around 1225/1233, Heinrich was probably a member of the ministerial family of those von Kirchberg (near Jena). Heinrich probably received his school education in Erfurt , then studied, supported by Margrave Heinrich III. von Meissen (1221–1288), the artes liberales in Paris , where he completed his studies with a master's degree . In 1253 Heinrich can be found in Assisi , 1254 a. a. in affairs of the Archbishop of Magdeburg in Rome and with the Pope (papal audience). In the latter context, Heinrich obtained his elevation to the position of subdeacon and a benefice at the Naumburg Cathedral monastery , which he was unable to take up despite protracted disputes (1254–1257) against the resistance of the canons.

Heinrich, excommunicated in the course of the dispute , left Germany and studied Roman and canonical (“both”) law in Bologna . In Padua Heinrich became a doctor decretorum doctorate. After his return to Germany, the lawyer found himself in the service of Margrave Heinrich. He was negotiator on the margravial side in negotiations with Lombard cities for the elevation of the margrave grandson Friedrich the Freidigen († 1323) to the Italian king (1269 or 1271). In addition, Heinrich was the legal representative of clergymen, such as the Erfurt provost Lambert von Gleichen (dispute over the provost office of the Würzburg Neumünsterstift), the abbot of Fulda (award of a county to Heinrich) and the custodian Gerhard (dispute over the provost office of the Heiligkreuzstift Nordhausen ).

In 1275 Heinrich became the legal representative of the city of Erfurt and its citizens, then the Samland bishop Christian von Mühlhausen (1277–1291) enfeoffed the (planned) provost of the Samland cathedral chapter. In the dispute between the city of Erfurt and the city lord, the Archbishop of Mainz Werner von Eppstein , the doctor decretorum acted unhappily. The excommunicated Erfurt ( interdict 1279–1282) finally had to submit to the archbishop, Heinrich was dismissed (1282). From this point on, there is no evidence of the lawyer’s future life.

In addition to the documentary tradition, the first two distinctions in the Occultus Erfordensis by Nikolaus von Bibra (or is it by another author?) Offer an (albeit polemical) insight into the life of Heinrich von Kirchberg. Heinrich is regarded as the representative of the studied and learned jurists who appeared in Germany in the 13th century.

literature

• Christine Mundhenk (ed.): The Occultus Erfordensis of Nicolaus von Bibra (= writings of the association for the history and antiquity of Erfurt, volume 3), Weimar 1997, pp. 42–50