Konrad von Füssen

Konrad von Füssen , a Dominican priest , was confessor in the Dominican convent Engelthal near Nuremberg until 1324 . He can be regarded as the stimulator of Engelthaler mystical literature. Neither the date of birth nor the date of death are known.

Life

Little is known about the life of Konrad von Füssen. The (Dominican) "brother", as he is called in the sources, was active as a pastor in Engelthal at the beginning of the 14th century . After he left for Freiburg (i. Br.) In 1324, every further trace is lost. There is evidence that in 1317 he encouraged the mystic Christine Ebner (1277–1356) to write down her experiences of grace; At about the same time, he persuaded the gifted Engelthaler monastery chaplain Friedrich Sunder (1254–1328) to record his “life of grace”. Konrad evidently saw it as a duty of the gifted to publicly announce the work of God in word and writing. So he became the initiator of Engelthaler's literary activity. After Konrad's departure, this activity developed its own momentum and continued to flourish well beyond the middle of the century. Engelthal became the most productive center of vernacular life and revelation literature of the 14th century in Germany.

meaning

As little is known about the person of Konrad, all the more his figure finds interest in today's research as a type of nun pastor who is of essential importance for what is discussed under the term “ women's mysticism ”. The function of the spiritual advisor and confessor or “soul mate” of the nuns is judged differently: If on the one hand he is often seen as the actually active part, as a stimulator and source of ideas, on the other hand his more serving function is often emphasized; in addition, an equal partnership relationship is established. In fact, all of these possibilities actually existed. (See e.g. Johannes Marienwerder , Heinrich von Nördlingen , Heinrich Seuse .)

Konrad von Füssen is now the clear example of a pastor who was not himself a mystic, but had a keen sense of the new religious experiences and piety attitudes that are now often referred to with the term “mystical” - which was only used later. He himself was touched by this kind of spirituality when he B. takes up the early Christian thought, which was newly grasped at this time, to give up “willfulness” (ie the will directed towards one's own ego). Certainly he too had heard Dominican sermons, as attested in Engelthal, in which a new time of grace and a new, personal relationship between man and God are spoken of. For the example of Engelthal, however, there is clear evidence: This new spirituality does not come from the Dominican preachers, because Christine Ebner had experienced grace for more than 25 years in 1317. The Dominicans, however, take up this new spirituality, clarify it through theological terminology and give impetus to the written drafting. “Mysticism”, insofar as it is literarily comprehensible, arises in a differentiated discourse between religious (sic!) Women and their pastors, whereby in Engelthal's case the experience of women was primary, Konrad von Füssen, however, owes the impulse to write it down.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ According to Siegfried Ringler (see below: literature ), p. 174f .; 370 u. ö. (see register)
2. ↑ According to Susanne Bürkle: Review of Johanna Thali (see below). In: ZfdPh 126 (2007) pp. 447-453; s. continue at: Engelthal Abbey
3. ↑ See Ursula Peters (see below : Literature ) pp. 181–188 and ö.
4. ↑ See Siegfried Ringler (see below : Literature ), pp. 216–218¸ 153f.

literature

• Siegfried Ringler: Life and revelation literature in women's monasteries in the Middle Ages. Sources and Studies . Artemis, Munich 1980
• Ursula Peters: Religious Experience as a Literary Fact. On the prehistory and genesis of women-mystical texts of the 13th and 14th centuries . Niemeyer, Tübingen 1988 (Hermaea NF 56)
• Leonard Patrick Hindsley: The Mystics of Engelthal: Writings from a Medieval Monastery . Palgrave MacMillan, New York 1998. ISBN 0-312-16251-0 .
• Susanne Bürkle: Literature in the monastery. Historical function and rhetorical legitimation of women-mystical texts from the 14th century . Francke, Tübingen / Basel 1999 (Bibliotheca Germanica 38)
• Johanna Thali: Praying - Writing - Reading. Literary life and Marian spirituality in Engelthal Abbey . Francke, Tübingen / Basel 2003 (Bibliotheca Germanica 42)