Johannes Meyer (chronicler)

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Johannes Meyer (* 1422 or 1423 in Zurich ; † July 20, 1485 in Freiburg im Breisgau ) was a German-speaking chronicler and religious.

Life

Johannes Meyer was born in Zurich in 1422. When he was nine he came to the Dominican monastery in Zurich. In 1442 he then moved to the monastery in Basel, where he was also known for the Dominican reform movement. He was a filius nativus, which meant that he could not follow the strict way in which the monks in the mendicant order lived. His teacher was the lecturer Johannes von Mainz († 1457). After his ordination, Meyer worked as a spiritualist in women's monasteries and participated in the reform of some convents. Meyer worked at the Inselkloster zu Bern (1454–1458), Schönensteinbach Abbey (1458–1465), Schlettstadt (from 1467), Liebenau (from 1473).

In 1482 he became a confessor in Adelhausen near Freiburg. His main task, however, was to implement the reform of religious life in the monasteries and to lead the convents to strict observance. He was part of the third wave of observance. This happened mainly in women's conventions, but also in some men's conventions such as in Frankfurt. Furthermore, he wrote the “Book of Offices” in 1454 and the “Book of Replacement” in 1455, which were a guide for behavior and the godly life in the women's convents. He was instrumental in the observance exam (introduction of the reform) in Nuremberg, Freiburg, Adelhausen, St. Agnes, Kirchheim unter Teck and Unterlinden. He is one of the main actors of the observance. He died in Freiburg in 1485 and was buried in the church of the monastery in Adelhausen, where he was confessor until his death.

Works

Meyer's best-known German-language works include the Amptbuch , written in Bern in 1454, and its continuation from 1455, the Book of Replacement . In both works Meyer describes what the correct way of life should look like in a Reformed monastery . The Amptbuch provides rules for the various areas of responsibility in the monastery, u. a. the office of prioress, subprioress, novice mistress and zircarin. Meyer's source for Das Amptbuch is the work De officis ordinis by the Dominican order master Humbert De Romans from the 13th century, which was originally intended only for Dominican friars . Meyer adapted this work for the nuns and he translated it into German. The Book of Replacement went beyond descriptions. Each of its ten chapters deals with a different aspect of the Dominican Order and its history:

1. A comparison of the Dominican order to other orders

2. A description of a correct exam , of body and soul

3-5. A history of the Dominican women and their importance for the entire Order.

6. A description and exegesis of Dominican clothing

7. The enumeration of the convents and monasteries in the ecclesiastical province of Teutonia

8. A description of common practices in Dominican institutions

9. A chronicle with the 29 religious masters

10. A list of the various freedoms and privileges granted by papal decrees .

Another important German-language text collection by Meyers consists of the life of the Brothers Preacher Order, a compilation of the lives of the first five Dominican order masters according to Dominic , a chronicle of Pope Innocent III. with the name of the papal chronicle of the order of preachers and a royal chronicle from Friedrich I to Friedrich III . These were all written between 1469 and 1471. They deal with the history of the world from the point of view of the Dominican Order .

For the historian of great importance Meyers is also German-language book of Reformacio Order of Preachers from the year 1468, because it is probably the most valuable testimony of the Dominican reform in the province of Teutonia, since it comes from a witness and not only successful attempts at reform, but also failed attempts documented. The work is a five-part chronicle of the Schönensteinbach Monastery . Meyer himself was the confessor of the women's monastery, so his statements can be considered reliable. The first two parts tell the story of the monastery. The third part is devoted to the pious life of the sisters of the monastery after the reform. In the fourth part he deals with the men of reform. He enumerates the Dominicans and describes them (including Raymond von Capua , Konrad von Prussia , Johannes Nider ). The fifth part gives a detailed description of the reforms introduced in the various Dominican institutions in the province of Teutonia.

In addition to these, Meyer also wrote Latin works, the Liber de illustribus viris (1466) and the Chronica brevis OP (1470). Both are based on the chronology of the Dominican order masters .

In addition, Meyer's writings are contained in a Nuremberg manuscript and a continuation of it. These are Meyer's editions of Elsbeth Stagel’s sister book to Töss , the St. Katharinentaler sister book from Diessenhofen , the Ötenbacher sister book from Zurich, a text entitled Admonition from Johannes von Mainz , a teacher of Meyer's, a vita of Margareth Stülinger , and a chronicle of the island monastery of St. Michael in Bern , written by Meyer .

Importance and Influence

Johannes Meyer is considered to be a late representative of the observance movement . In the first phase of the reform from 1389 to 1400 and in the second phase (1400 to 1425), in which several failed attempts at reform took place, he was not yet born. The third phase of the reform movement from 1426 to 1449 saw the first successes in the women's convention with the reform of the women's convention in Bern, which Johannes Meyer had already seen. About the fourth phase from 1449 to 1474 with fewer reforms and the last phase from 1474 to 1500 with the strong support of the rulers and the cities in the introduction of the observance, he himself reported in his book of Reformacio Preacher Order .

With his works The Amptbuch and Buch der Replacement , which were also understood as sets of rules and were considered the basis for newly reformed monasteries, and in his work as a reformer of women's convents, he had a significant influence on the last wave of reforms of the Dominicans from 1474 onwards Sisters of the order referred to Johannes Meyer in letters to one another and thus contributed to the influence of his work on the practical implementation of observance in the convents.

In historical studies, Johannes Meyer is an important and reliable witness for the reforms of the Dominican order in the 15th century, especially for the reforms in the monasteries of the Dominican province of Teutonia.

However, in the reception of his works, the inaccuracies and omissions resulting from his personal circumstances must be taken into account. Through his work as a confessor, pastor and reformer of various women's convents, the reformed women's convents were particularly close to his heart. So his records are continuous and reliable. However, he often only added the information on the Brethren convents by chance or, in some works, not at all, so it is important to look at the records with a view to Meyer's personal relationship to the respective convent, the time when the specific information was created and in the context of his overall work.

Continuation of his work

In his lists of the convents in Teutonia there are omissions, possibilities to supplement and continue the lists, which suggest that Johannes Meyer either wanted to continue the work on these points himself or to allow others to continue the lists. That this also happened in part can be seen in the Basel Codex , for example . Here, at the end of the list of Reformed Brethren convents, the monasteries of Luxemburg, Schlettstadt, Trier and Rottweil, all of which were reformed in the 16th century, after the death of Meyer, were added by another hand.

literature

  • JOHANNES MEYER. The Amptbuch. Ed. by Sarah Glenn De Maris. Angelicum University Press: Rome, 2015, ISBN 978-88-88660-66-0 . ( Table of contents )
  • Markus Ries :  Meyer, Johannes. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 17, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-428-00198-2 , p. 355 f. ( Digitized version ).
  • Stefanie Monika Neidhardt: With the Bible for observance: Johannes Meyer's hermeneutic argumentation pattern for an order reform. In: Viliam Štefan Dóci OP and Thomas Prügl (eds.): Bible study and sermon in the Dominican order. History, ideal, practice (= Dissertationes Historicae 36). Roma: Angelicum University Press 2019. pp. 145-168. ISBN 978-88-99616-19-9 .
  • Stefanie Monika Neidhardt: Autonomy in obedience. The Dominican observance in self-testimonies of clergy women of the late Middle Ages (= Vita regularis. Orders and interpretations of religious life in the Middle Ages. Treatises; Vol. 70), Münster / Hamburg / Berlin / London: LIT 2017, VIII + 478 pp., ISBN 978-3 -643-13583-4 .
  • Claudia Heimann: Observations on the working method of Johannes Meyer OP based on his statements about the reform of the Dominican convents of Teutonia, especially NATIO AUSTRIAE . In: Archivum Fratrum Praedicatorium . Vol. 72, 2002. pp. 187-220

Web links

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: 'Office Book'. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: 'Book of Replacement'. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Johannes Meyer: The Amptbuch . Ed .: Sarah Glenn DeMaris (=  Monumenta Ordinis Fratrum Prædicatorum Historica . Volume 31 ). Angelicum University Press, Rome 2015, ISBN 978-88-88660-66-0 , pp. 14-15 .
  4. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: 'Vitas fratrum, life of the Brothers Preacher Order'. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: Order chronicle. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: 'Papstchronik Predigerordens'. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: 'Kaiserchronik Predigerordens'. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: 'Book of the Reformacio Predigerordens'. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Johannes Meyer: The Amptbuch . Ed .: Sarah Glenn De Maris. Angelicum University Press, Rome 2015, ISBN 978-88-88660-66-0 , pp. 15-20 .
  10. ↑ Johannes Meyer: The Amptbuch . Ed .: Sarah Glenn De Maris. Angelicum University Press, Rome 2015, ISBN 978-88-88660-66-0 , pp. 16 f .
  11. ↑ Johannes Meyer: The Amptbuch . Ed .: Sarah Glenn De Maris. Angelicum University Press, Rome 2015, ISBN 978-88-88660-66-0 , pp. 21st f .
  12. ↑ Manuscript Census | Meyer, Johannes: 'Chronicle of the Inselkloster St. Michael in Bern'. Retrieved November 29, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Johannes Meyer: The Amptbuch . Ed .: Sarah Glenn De Maris. Angelicum University Press, Rome 2015, ISBN 978-88-88660-66-0 , pp. 23 .
  14. ↑ Stefanie Monika Neidhardt: With the Bible for Observance: Johannes Meyer's hermeneutic argumentation pattern for an order reform. In: Viliam Štefan Dóci OP and Thomas Prügl (eds.): Bible study and sermon in the Dominican order. History, ideal, practice (= Dissertationes Historicae 36). Roma: Angelicum University Press 2019. pp. 145-168. ISBN 978-88-99616-19-9 .
  15. ↑ Stefanie Monika Neidhardt: Autonomy in obedience. The Dominican observance in self-testimonies of clergy women of the late Middle Ages (= Vita regularis. Orders and interpretations of religious life in the Middle Ages. Treatises; Vol. 70), Münster / Hamburg / Berlin / London: LIT 2017, VIII + 478 pp., ISBN 978-3 -643-13583-4
  16. ↑ a b c d Claudia Heimann: Observations on the working method of Johannes Meyer OP based on his statements about the reform of the Dominican convents of Teutonia, especially NATIO AUSTRIAE . In: Archivum Fratrum Praedicatorium . Vol. 72, 2002. pp. 187-220
  17. ^ Eva Frischmuth, Sabrina Marquardt: Literature in the service of reform. The autographs of Johannes Meyer. (PDF) Retrieved November 26, 2019 .
  18. ↑ Basel University Library : Cod. E III 13, see Glenn De Maris, S. XXV.
personal data
SURNAME Meyer, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss chronicler and monk
DATE OF BIRTH 1422 or 1423
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich
DATE OF DEATH July 20, 1485
Place of death Freiburg in Breisgau