Konrad von der Mark

Monument to Konrad von der Mark on the Hörder market square

Monument to Elisabeth von Kleve opposite the Hörder market square

Konrad von der Mark (* between 1291 and 1294 ; † March 14, 1353 ) was a knight , friar and founder of a monastery. 1339 he founded the Poor Clare Order of the monastery Clarenberg in today's district Hörde . In 1340 he gave Hörde city rights.

ancestry

Konrad von der Mark was born as the third son of Count Eberhard I von der Mark († 1308) and his wife Irmgard von Berg (* approx. 1255; † March 24, 1294) between 1291 and 1294. There are different details about the exact year of his birth. His eldest brother was Engelbert II von der Mark († July 18, 1328) was Count von der Mark and later by marriage Count von Aremberg ; his second oldest brother was Adolf II von der Mark (* August 1288, † November 3, 1344), later Prince-Bishop of Liège.

Life

According to the Märkische family tradition, his eldest brother Engelbert had to take over the undivided family inheritance. Adolf and Konrad turned to the ecclesiastical status, not uncommon for this time and due to their noble descent. Some stations from Konrad's ecclesiastical career:

• Canon at St. Gereon (Cologne)
• Provost at the Collegiate Church of Tongeren ( Limburg Province )
• Provost in Munster

His ecclesiastical career had developed continuously, and his appointment as bishop seemed only a matter of when it should not come. In 1326, Konrad surprisingly gave up all church offices. His well endowed benefices were withdrawn on June 4, 1326. The intended marriage to Elisabeth von Kleve is seen as the reason for his resignation . Elisabeth von Kleve († March 21, 1361), later abbess of the Clarenberg Monastery, was married to Wilhelm von Brederode († 1316) for the first time. Since Conrad and Elisabeth were related to the fourth degree, their marriage required papal approval ( dispensation ) , which was only applied for after the marriage, but was nevertheless granted by the papal side.
Since Konrad was without income after resigning from his church offices, his family transferred the rule of Hörde to him . At that time his brother Adolf was involved in armed conflicts with some rebellious cities within his principality . Konrad therefore traveled to Liège to assist Adolf in the war. He showed great talent for the craft of war. On May 27, 1328 Konrad was knighted and on June 2, 1328 he achieved an important victory over Sint-Truiden . Around 1335 Konrad left Liège and traveled back to Westphalia. Over the next few years, Konrad and his wife developed the will to build a monastery on their property in Hörde in order to donate it to the Order of the Poor Clares. The monastery should accommodate 40 nuns and be economically independent. After his plan from the papal side, Pope Benedict XII. (* around 1285 - † April 25, 1342), checked and approved, the foundation stone was laid in early May 1339 in the presence of his brother Adolf, the bishop of Liège. After about two and a half years of construction, the monastery was consecrated on September 30, 1341. In the following years he acquired some land which was brought into the foundation. The last step in his life was separating from his wife. Konrad joined the Order of Minorites in Dortmund as a novice , Elisabeth joined the Order of the Poor Clares in the newly founded Clarenberg Monastery and shortly after her entry became abbess of the monastery. Nine years later, on March 14, 1353, Konrad died. Elisabeth survived him by eight years and died on March 21, 1361. Both were buried in the Clarenberg monastery; the exact location of their graves is not known.

literature

• Reimann, Norbert: Konrad von der Mark in: Around the clock. A Hörder reading book . Dortmund: Joussen u. Gocke, 1985; without ISBN
• Schilp, Thomas: Monastery and Abbey Clarenberg near Hörde (1339-1812) in: Hörde, contributions to city history . Dortmund: Wittmaack Verlag, 1990; ISBN 3-9802117-3-8

Web links

• Dortmund, the period from 1200-1400