Hildeward of Halberstadt

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hildeward (also Hildiward , Hilliward ; † November 25, 996 in Halberstadt ) was bishop in Halberstadt from 968 to 996 .

Origin and advancement

According to older information, it came from the house of the Counts of Werl . That is why he is sometimes referred to as Hildeward von Werl . Other authors believe that he came from the Immedinger environment and that he was the son of Erich (also Theoderich) († 941). In any case, he came from a leading Saxon family.

His father lost his life as a participant in a failed murder plot against Otto I. 941. Otto I nevertheless promoted Hildeward and made it his chaplain. Due to the influence of the Emperor Hilde Ward rose to the provost at the cathedral of Halberstadt on. On the recommendation of his predecessor Bernhard von Halberstadt , he was elected bishop after his death and in 968 at the tribal meeting in Werla by Hermann Billung as the deputy of the king, who was staying in Italy, made Halberstadt bishop. The appointment was not unproblematic, as Hermann exceeded his competencies on the one hand and put an opponent of Otto I's plans for an Archdiocese of Magdeburg in a position that could have foreseeably prevented the establishment of the Archdiocese. In fact, Otto I only confirmed the appointment after lengthy negotiations, for which Hildeward had to travel to the emperor in Italy.

Time as a bishop

Political events

In contrast to his predecessor, he had to recognize the establishment of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg and the Diocese of Merseburg at the Synod of Ravenna. As a result, the Halberstadt diocese lost considerable parts of its territory. As compensation, he received other areas. Allegedly this also included the father's possessions. He also received the tithe in Haßgau.

In 983 its territory was also affected by the Slav uprising . Due to the absence of the Archbishop, Hildeward administered the Archdiocese of Magdeburg in the same year. 981 parts of the Diocese of Merseburg were returned to the Diocese of Halberstadt.

Hildeward promoted economic development in his area. By Otto II. The Bishopric of Halberstadt market, customs, coin and spell rights were transferred. These were 988 by Otto III. approved.

Church life

Numerous monasteries were founded in Hildeward's time. These included Thankmarsfelde (971), Heckingen (980), Gerbstedt (986) and the Marienkloster in Quedlinburg (987). In 994 the Hadmersleben monastery , which was directly controlled by the bishop, received rich donations from the emperor. One year later, Hildeward founded the Stötterlingenburg monastery .

In 991, Bishop Hildeward was able to consecrate the new construction of the Halberstadt Cathedral, which his predecessor had begun.

After his death he was buried in the cloister of the cathedral.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Friedrich Wilhelm Ebeling: The German bishops up to the end of the sixteenth century . Volume 1, Leipzig 1858, p. 446. What speaks against belonging to the family of the Counts von Werl, however, is that Johann Suibert Seibertz does not speak of a count's betrayal of the emperor. Johann Suibert Seibertz: State and legal history of the Duchy of Westphalia. First section: Diplomatic family history of the old Counts of Westphalia zu Werl and Arnsberg. Arnsberg 1845.
  2. ↑ Caspar Ehlers: The integration of Saxony into the Frankish empire (751-1024). Göttingen 2007, p. 169, note 301. ( partially digitized )
  3. ↑ Thietmar von Merseburg, Chronik II, 21 as well as the Annales Quedlinburgenses 941.

literature

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Bernhard Bishop of Halberstadt
968–996 		Arnulf
personal data
SURNAME Hildeward of Halberstadt
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hildeward von Werl; Hildiward von Halberstadt; Hilliward von Halberstadt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Halberstadt
DATE OF BIRTH 10th century
DATE OF DEATH November 25, 996
Place of death Halberstadt