Theophanu (food)
Theophanu (* around 997 ; † March 5, 1058 in Essen ) was abbess of the Essen monastery from 1039 until her death and also the abbess of the Gerresheim monastery . After Mathilde II, she is considered the most important abbess in Essen history. Theophanu added several important works of art to the treasure of the Essen monastery , had the Essen collegiate church expanded and promoted the development of the monastery settlement into the city of Essen through the market rights granted by Emperor Heinrich III. received.
Family and life before the abbess's office
Theophanu was probably the second eldest daughter of Ezzo , the Count Palatine of Lorraine , and his wife Mathilde . This in turn was the daughter of Emperor Otto II and Theophanu , after whom the granddaughter was named. Thus the granddaughter Theophanu belonged to the Ezzone family and through her mother also to the Ottonian family . She attached great importance to this parentage. It is not known where Theophanu was raised, but it appears possible that this happened in Essen. She should then have met the abbess Mathilde II, who died in 1011. When Mathilde died, however, she was too young to take over the successor.
Due to the political tensions between the Ezzone and Emperor Henry II , sparked by the dispute over the legacy of the Ottonian main line, from which Theophan's mother came, it is unlikely that it would become important under the abbess Sophia before 1024, the year Henry died Has performed tasks in the Essen monastery. Sophia was a reliable partisan of Heinrich; two sisters Theophanus, who lived under Sophia's direct supervision in Gandersheim, left the Gandersheim Abbey shortly after Heinrich's death, because Sophia is said to have treated them badly. It cannot be assumed that Sophia treated Theophanu better, but Sophia resided in Gandersheim and after the death of Heinrich II no longer had any political support, so it is possible that Theophanu, who only after Sophia's death (January 30, 1039) in old age was abbess in Essen for 44 years, had already taken over her duties in Essen before that time.
Even if Theophanu emphasized her kinship to the Ottonians in Essen, she also took care of the affairs of the Ezzone, as far as this was necessary. Their participation in the reorganization of the Ezzonian property on the Lower Rhine is documented by a document dated July 17, 1051, in which Theophanu, her brother Hermann and her sister Richeza transferred the Ezzonian house monastery Brauweiler to the Archdiocese of Cologne . This was preceded by a legal dispute before the emperor, as this transfer allegedly had already taken place under Ezzo himself, this had been challenged by the three still living children of Ezzo and received. The reason for the transfer was presumably that the future of the Ezzo zones on the Lower Rhine was no longer secure: Of Ezzo's ten children, only Richeza and Otto , who died in 1047, had children who were not based on the Lower Rhine.
Act as abbess
Theophanu left important traces in Essen. It has not been proven that she would have had an effect on Reich politics like her two predecessors, and in view of the lack of family ties to the rulers, it is also rather improbable. Theophanus' importance for Essen is based on her art foundations, her building activities at Essen Minster and her influence on the development of the city of Essen.
Theophanu and the development of the city of Essen
Even before Theophanu, there was a settlement of artisans and farmers around the Essen monastery. Under Theophanu, at her request and the intervention of Cologne's Archbishop Hermann , her brother, the monastery received the right to hold a market three days before and after the day of the patron saints, Saints Cosmas and Damian , the proceeds of which went to the monastery. The establishment of the Gertrudis Chapel, the successor of which is today's market church in downtown Essen, was probably associated with the creation of this market . The fact that Theophanu founded this church, which is documented for the first time in her will, speaks the selection of the patronage: The veneration of Saint Gertrudis is not attested before Theophanu in Essen. Theophanu was also able to obtain the relics of these saints for their church foundation from their relatives. Adelheid, one of her sisters, was abbess in the women's monastery in Nivelles , whose church was dedicated to Saint Gertrudis. Market and Gertrudiskapelle were important milestones in the development of the monastery settlement to the city of Essen.
Art foundations
Theophanu added some of his most important pieces to the Essen monastery treasure. The ensemble of Theophanu gospels, cross-nails and cross reliquaries is characterized by the formal adoption of individual design features as a group. Presumably, as part of the Easter liturgy on Good Friday, these pieces were placed in the place of Christ in an Easter grave on the gallery of the westwork and raised again on Easter Vigil. It is possible that these three objects were carried in advance of the abbess as emblems of sovereignty on ceremonial occasions. Next to these pieces is the so-called younger Mathildenkreuz as a single piece. A shrine of Saint Pinnosa , which according to older research opinion , she is supposed to have donated, is not preserved . An attribution by the Foundation to Theophanu must remain open due to a lack of sources.
Theophanu Gospels
The Theophanu Gospels are now - the text part and the book cover separate - in the Essen Cathedral Treasury . The separation of the two parts, of which the book cover is more important in terms of art history, took place in the 18th century. The fact that the gospel book is a Theophanu foundation is assured by its illustration in the lower image field of the book cover. There a kneeling figure, who can only be identified as the abbess Theophanu by the inscription THEOPHANU ABBA [tissa] , presents a book to Mary on the throne .
The cover of the Gospel book measures 35.7 cm in height and 26 cm in width. It is made from gold , ivory and precious stones over a core of oak wood, with two transverse and two longitudinal fields each encircling the central ivory panel. The iconographic program of the book cover begins with the choice of materials: gold stands for glory, ivory for the purity of faith. The central ivory panel, which is a Cologne copy of a work from Liège, represents the life of Jesus, accompanied by the four evangelists: the birth on the lower edge, the crucifixion in the center and the ascension above. The representation of the Ascension connects the pictorial program of the panel with the upper transverse field, on which the Christ enthroned in heaven is depicted. On the longitudinal fields to the left and right of the ivory tablet, Petrus and Paulus or the Essenes patrons Cosmas and Damian connect the lower transverse field with the upper one; they serve as a mediator for Theophanu shown below. The lower image field finally contains the dedication image: Theophanu, named by name, lays the gospel book at the feet of the enthroned Mary, while Mary's hand, which is bent upwards at the wrist, conveys Theophanus's request to the Christ depicted above. Two saints are shown next to Theophanu who support them. These are St. Pinnosa and St. Walburga . The depiction of the lower image field characterizes the Gospel Book as a memorial foundation .
Under the signature Essen Cathedral Treasury ms. 3 guided manuscript consists of 157 parchment leaves that very carefully by a clerk who worked in potentially food, with Carolingian minuscule , which occasionally red Capitalis are mixed as described. The miniatures , of which the evangelists are remarkable, go back to older, unknown and different forerunners, as can be concluded from the different choice of perspectives, the design of the book stands and the picture backgrounds. The models could have been Maasland work. Stylistically, the Gospels are in the tradition of late antique and Carolingian models.
Theophanu Cross
The so-called Theophanu Cross is the second youngest of the four Essen lecture crosses . It is a Latin cross with rectangular crutches at the ends of the cross, the wooden core of which is made of cedar wood. Cedar wood was considered particularly valuable due to its origin in the Holy Land. The cross is 44.5 cm high and 30 cm wide, an inscription running around the side, only partially preserved, refers to the donor: “ Edita regale genere nobilis abbatissa Theophanu hoc signum dedit ” (German: “The noble abbess Theophanu, who came from the royal family, donated this sign. ”).
The total of 18 enamel tablets on the cross come from various sources; the eight tablets on the crutches are probably Byzantine work, the six tablets on the transverse beam and the upper part of the longitudinal beam are slightly arched and curved. It is assumed that they previously adorned the halo of the Golden Madonna , which was removed as early as the 11th century because it prevented the coronation of the figure of Mary with the lily crown , which is also in the cathedral treasure . The panels on the lower longitudinal beam are of lesser quality and may have been created for the cross. Under the cross base there is a cut rock crystal, originally a Fatimid perfume bottle. The cross has no body; In its place is a rock crystal underlaid with gold sheet and red velvet , under which two small, crossed wood splinters are visible, which supposedly come from the cross of Christ. The cross is thus also a cross reliquary .
Cross nail reliquary
The Kreuznagel reliquary in the Essen Cathedral Treasury in its current form is a table reliquary with a crowning Gothic cloverleaf arch and a Gothic handle. Without the Gothic trimmings, it has a height of 14 cm and a width of 11.7 cm. It was put together in the 14th century from two independent reliquary tablets. One of these two gold-plated oak wood panels can be assigned to Theophanu. On this there are four enamel tablets, the shape and curvature of which correspond to those of the crossbar of the Theophanu Cross. The division of the table into four trapezoidal fields around a central field corresponds to the division of the book cover of the Theophanu Gospels. The central point corresponding to the ivory tablet of the book cover is occupied by the reliquary, a 6 cm long nail from the cross of Christ, behind a protective translucent rock crystal. An inscription “ QUI XPM PASSU CREDITIS HIC CERNITE CLAVUM ” (German: “ Those who believe in Christ's suffering, look at the nail here”) is attached to it. The function of the reliquary is unknown. Possibly it was attached to a staff and served together with the cross and perhaps also the gospel book as the emblem of the abbess at solemn events, comparable to the imperial ceremonial, in which the ruler was carried the imperial cross and the imperial sword .
Mathildenkreuz
The Mathildenkreuz is the youngest of the four Essen lecture crosses, it was probably made around 1050. It consists of gold sheet over an oak wood core. Its dimensions are 45 cm in height and 30.5 cm in width. The cross is clearly based on the older Otto-Mathilden-Kreuz . The overall structure, which connects a gem with a crucifix, is just as identical as the attachment and design of the cross inscription and the donor's picture. On the picture of the donor Abbess Mathilde is depicted with a nimbus in a humble posture and in the clothes of a sanctimonale in front of the enthroned Madonna.
When framing the edges, the younger Mathilden cross refers to the cross with the large sinkholes , another foundation of the Abbess Mathilde. The edge framing consists of alternately placed enamel tablets and precious stones with diagonally added turquoise pearls, whereby the original arrangement of the enamels was destroyed during a restoration. Of the original 36 enamel tablets, 33 have survived. The body of the crucifix is cast from bronze, artistically it is close to the Cologne Herimann Cross , created around 1049 . Left and right of the crucifix are two round enamels that represent the personifications of the moon and sun .
The back of the crucifix is hollow and contains relics of Saint Lawrence and Innocentius . Both saints are closely connected with the Ottonian dynasty to which Mathilde belonged: Laurentius, whose support was attributed to the victory in the battle on the Lechfeld , with the diocese of Merseburg founded by Otto I, Innocentius is one of the patrons of the Ottonian family monastery Gandersheim. The relics that were brought in underlined both Theophanus' self-image as an Ottonian and the importance of the cross as a memorial object for Mathilde as a representative of the Ottonian dynasty.
The noticeable temporal distance between the death of Mathilde, depicted as the donor, and the making of the cross and the donor's portrait can be interpreted as the fact that Theophanu, parallel to her building projects, endeavored to adore her predecessor Mathilde as a model for the sanctimonials, possibly even as a saint, to promote: Mathilde is not depicted as an elegant noblewoman in Byzantine court clothing, as on the Otto-Mathilden-Kreuz, but in the white clothing of a simple religious who worships the enthroned Madonna with bent knees.
Construction activity
Essen Minster
The consecration dates of the still preserved crypt of the Essen Minster as well as the no longer preserved east choir fall during Theophanus term of office; both components were built under her; Inscriptions in the crypt and on reliquary containers from found altar foundations prove this without a doubt. For a long time Theophanu was also considered to be the builder of the preserved westwork of the Essen Minster. Due to Walter Zimmermann's interpretation of the excavations in 1952, this was considered certain. This view was established at a point in the Brauweiler family chronicle of the Ezzonen, according to which Theophanu had rebuilt and admirably expanded the Essen monastery after it had already partially collapsed due to its age, with all its officia from its foundations. Zimmermann, who had found the foundations of a previously unknown predecessor building under the westwork, which in his opinion must have been built after 946, interpreted this passage as meaning that the church was meant by monasterium , and wrote the westwork, whose wall paintings were in any case by Theophanu were commissioned all over Theophanu too.
In the meantime, the opinion has gained acceptance that the westwork was already built under Abbess Mathilde. This is particularly supported by the fact that the building program for the westwork was based on the ideas of Emperor Otto III. Refers. The Ottonian architectural style of the westwork had already been replaced by the Romanesque in Theophanus' time, in which, for example, Theophanus sisters had the church buildings they had commissioned erected, such as their sister Ida with the Cologne collegiate church of St. Maria in the Capitol . Fremer and Lange criticize Zimmermann's interpretation of the Brauweiler Chronik that the church should be translated as ecclesia , while monasterium means the monastic community or the entire complex of the monastery, so that this point is either a reference to construction activity on the monastery buildings that have not been preserved or could even be understood as a spiritual renewal of monastic life.
Further construction activity?
If Theophanu, as Abbess of Gerresheim , had buildings erected there or in Rellinghausen , where she is named as provost, nothing of these has survived. In both places, the early history of the church buildings is not sufficiently known or there is a lack of building remains. It is possible, however, that Theophanu contributed to another preserved church building, namely the St. Nicholas Chapel in the former imperial palace of Nijmegen . This chapel, dated around 1030, is a memorial building for Empress Theophanu, the grandmother of the abbess, who died in Nijmegen in 991. This is already indicated by the patronage of St. Nicholas , whose veneration was introduced by the Empress in the Franconian Empire and to which a particularly large number of church buildings were dedicated by Theophanus Ezzonian relatives. The chapel itself is an octagonal central building , which, like the westwork of the Essen Minster, clearly cites the Aachen Palatine Chapel and thus places itself in an Ottonian, possibly Essen tradition. If Theophanu was involved in the latter, the lack of similarities between the architectural sculpture of the Essen Westwork and the Nikolauskapelle would have to be seen as a further indication that the Essen Westwork cannot be ascribed to her.
Working outside the Essen monastery
For Theophanus' activity as abbess at Essen Abbey, if one adds the preserved building fabric and works of art to the few written sources, the sources are good compared to other women of the time. However, the sources are less good for their activities outside the Essen monastery community.
In Gerresheim, Theophanu is evidenced as abbess by a document received in writing in the Gerresheimer Gospels and by the memorial tradition as abbess. According to the document in which Archbishop Anno II of Cologne acted as a witness, which allows dating between 1056 and 1058, Theophanu increased the clothing fund of the Gerresheim monastery. Gerresheim was also considered in Theophanus will, especially in the addendum. When Theophanu became abbess in Gerresheim cannot be determined due to the lack of sources.
The church in Rellinghausen is named for the first time in the will Theophanus, but there is no evidence that there was already a monastic community there. The history of the Rellinghausen Abbey was massively falsified in the 17th century against the background of a legal dispute over the privileges of the Essens Abbey in Rellinghausen. In the context of this falsification of evidence, the canons of Essen invented that the most important Essen abbess Mathilde as the alleged founder of Rellinghausen and also Theophanu were buried in Rellinghausen, and compiled a list of Rellinghausen provostesses on which Theophanu was named. After Rellinghausen's founding story, Theophanu is said to have donated a gold-plated silver cross and a pompous shield from her father there. The exact relationship between Theophanus and Rellinghausen Abbey is unclear.
It is also unclear whether Theophanus is related to the Borghorster Stiftskreuz . The women's convent Borghorst was founded in Essen around 970 and until its abolition in 1802 owned a magnificent cross reliquary that is still preserved today. On the front of this cross, an emperor Heinrich, probably Heinrich III., Is depicted as the founder. The rest of the pictorial program on the front side refers to Essen: like the Theophanu Gospels, the gold work shows Saints Cosmas and Damian as well as Peter and Paul. Only the later renewed back of the cross makes references to the Borghorst monastery. Fremer therefore considers it possible that the Borghorster Cross was originally a gift from Henry III. at the monastery food. When examining the beeswax fillings during the driving work, it was found that the cross was made in Essen around 1050.
"Theophanu Testament"
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Theophanu left her earthly affairs in order. A charter that she established, referred to in older literature as her will , begins with the words:
“Because it is unknown and strange to everyone what will be in the future or when the future day will approach, we should obey God and increase the fruit of the gifts entrusted to us so that we do not, until it or the last day come, because of sin be condemned of idleness or disobedience. For it is written: The Lord's day comes like the thief in the night. I, Abbess Theophanu, accepted such a day so unnoticed and secretly approaching with pain, even if it was unworthy and sinful, because I had already seen the poor and the rich so confused in spirit that they were neither of their earthly goods nor of theirs Properties have made any mention. "
Following this introduction referring to Matthew chapter 24, Theophanu regulated in detail how her remembrance of the dead should be regulated, including where she had deposited the money to pay the priests and mourners. The document only regulates this commemoration of the dead; What should happen to Theophanus' worldly possessions is not regulated, so that the designation as a will is incorrect; Today's research refers to the document as a “memorial document”. The so-called testament closes with an admonition to the witnesses to continue with their successor Suanhild , the prayer community that connects them with the deceased.
The Theophanus document, which was kept in the monastery, came to the main state archive in Düsseldorf after the secularization in 1803, where it is kept today. The certificate on a parchment sheet measuring 43 × 40.5 cm is not dated; from the text it is concluded that the eight lines on the back are a supplement to the 27 lines on the front. Since the name Liudgero is particularly emphasized next to the name Theophanus, it is assumed that the document was written by a monk from the nearby Werden monastery .
Theophanu died on March 5, 1058 in Essen. She was buried in the Essen Minster Church, in an extension that was added to the east end of her crypt and was not included in the original plan. This extension was removed again in the Middle Ages. During the excavations in the war-torn Essen cathedral in 1952, however, the foundations and the sarcophagus Theophanus were rediscovered. A stone slab with the inscription “On March 5th, Abbess Theophanu, a daughter of Mathilde, who was a daughter of Otto II, died” allowed the identification. According to recent research, the fact that Theophanu was buried in an annex and not in the most prominent place in the crypt in front of its main altar can be explained by the fact that this place was already occupied by her predecessor Mathilde. It is possible that Theophanu originally planned a funeral elsewhere, for example in the family monastery of the Ezzonen in Brauweiler.
Appreciation
Theophanu described the Brauweiler Chronik der Ezzonen from the second half of the 11th century in the introduction to the passage from which Zimmermann selected her as the builder of the western building, with the words: “Theophanu, who behaved like a man in character, [ …] ”In her will she described herself as“ unworthy and sinful ”. Both passages are unsuitable for characterizing Theophanus, since they are topoi . The masculine energy that the Brauweiler chronicler attributed to her was also a characteristic of Theophanus' grandmother of the same name, the Empress Theophanu . The grave inscription is more meaningful, in which it is noticeable that her father is not named, but instead refers to the descent of her mother from the imperial family, to which Theophanu apparently attached great importance, since the donor inscription of the Theophanu Cross also indicates the royal descent indicates. Theophanu was Essen's last Ottonian abbess. Despite the emphasis on her origins and the Ottonian tradition of the pen, she chose contemporary forms. Her actions were not directed backwards, but focused on her own remembrance of the dead, which she was preparing.
literature
- Karl Uhlirz : Theophanu (Empress) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 37, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1894, pp. 717-722. (mentioned here - obsolete)
- Paul Abel: The family of the Abbess Theophanu von Essen. In: Das Münster am Hellweg , Vol. 23, 1970, pp. 143–160.
- Klaus Gereon Beuckers : The Ezzonen and their foundations. Lit-Verlag, Münster 1993, ISBN 3-89473-953-3 .
- Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu (1039-1058). Ottonian final chord in Essen. In: Günter Berghaus, Thomas Schilp, Michael Schlagheck (eds.): Dominion, education and prayer. Foundation and beginnings of the Essen women's monastery. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2000, ISBN 3-88474-907-2 , pp. 59–70.
- Alfred Pothmann: The Essen church treasure from the early days of the monastery history. In: Günter Berghaus, Thomas Schilp, Michael Schlagheck (eds.): Dominion, education and prayer. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2000, ISBN 3-88474-907-2 , pp. 135–153.
- Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu and the Essen monastery. Memory and individuality in the Ottonian-Salic times. Verlag Peter Pomp, Bottrop Essen 2002, ISBN 3-89355-233-2 .
- Ekkart Sauser: Theophanu. Abbess of Essen. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 21, Bautz, Nordhausen 2003, ISBN 3-88309-110-3 , Sp. 1484-1486.
- Klaus Gereon Beuckers, Ulrich Knapp: Colored gold. The Ottonian crosses in the Essen Cathedral Treasury and their enamels. Cathedral Treasury Essen 2006, ISBN 3-00-020039-8 .
Web links
- Portal Rhenish History: Theophanu (around 997-1058), Abbess of Essen and Gerresheim (1039-1056)
- Website of the Essen Cathedral Treasury on the cross nail reliquary
Remarks
- ↑ On the function of the objects in the Essen Easter liturgy: Klaus Gereon Beuckers: Liturgical ensembles in high medieval church treasures. Remarks based on the Essen Easter grave liturgy and its treasures. In: ... make the sacred visible. Cathedral treasures in the past, present and future. Schnell + Steiner, Regensburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-7954-2245-5 , pp. 83-106; Katharina Ulrike Mersch: Social dimensions of visual communication in high and late medieval women's communities. A comparison of pens, women's choirs and monasteries. V&R Unipress, Göttingen 2012, ISBN 978-3-89971-930-7 , pp. 55–65, both with further literature.
- ↑ Klaus Gereon Beuckers: The Ezzonen and their foundations. Lit-Verlag, Münster 1993, ISBN 3-89473-953-3 , p. 104.
- ↑ Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu (1039-1058). Ottonian final chord in Essen. In: Günter Berghaus, Thomas Schilp, Michael Schlagheck (eds.): Dominion, education and prayer. Foundation and beginnings of the Essen women's monastery. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2000, ISBN 3-88474-907-2 , pp. 59–70, here: p. 62; Klaus Gereon Beuckers: The Ezzonen and their foundations. Lit-Verlag, Münster 1993, ISBN 3-89473-953-3 , p. 107.
- ↑ Anna Pawlik: Book cover of the Theophanu Gospel. In: Birgitta Falk (ed.): The Essen Cathedral Treasure. Klartext-Verlag, Essen 2009, ISBN 978-3-8375-0200-8 , p. 82.
- ↑ Klaus Gereon Beuckers: The Ezzonen and their foundations. Lit-Verlag, Münster 1993, ISBN 3-89473-953-3 , p. 104.
- ↑ Klaus Lange: The crypt of the Essen collegiate church. In: Jan Gerchow, Thomas Schilp (ed.): Essen and the Saxon women's pens in the early Middle Ages. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2003, ISBN 3-89861-238-4 , pp. 161-183.
- ↑ Walther Zimermann: The Münster to Essen (= art monuments of the Rhineland. Supplements 3). Essen 1956, p. 52.
- ↑ Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu (1039-1058). Ottonian final chord in Essen. In: Günter Berghaus, Thomas Schilp, Michael Schlagheck (eds.): Dominion, education and prayer. Foundation and beginnings of the Essen women's monastery. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2000, ISBN 3-88474-907-2 , pp. 59–70, here: p. 67.
- ↑ On Theophanus donor and building activities in Gerresheim and in Rellinghausen see Klaus Gereon Beuckers : The Ezzonen and their foundations. A study of foundation activities in the 11th century (= art history. Vol. 42). Lit, Münster et al. 1993, ISBN 3-89473-953-3 , pp. 115-118.
- ↑ So Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu and the Essen monastery. Memory and individuality in the Ottonian-Salic times. Peter Pomp, Bottrop 2002, pp. 79-81.
- ↑ Quoted from Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu (1039-1058). Ottonian final chord in Essen. In: Günter Berghaus, Thomas Schilp, Michael Schlagheck (eds.): Dominion, education and prayer. Foundation and beginnings of the Essen women's monastery. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2000, ISBN 3-88474-907-2 , pp. 59–70, here: p. 69.
- ↑ Walther Zimmermann: The grave of Abbess Theophanu von Essen. In: Bonner Jahrbücher 152, 1952, pp. 226–227.
- ↑ Quoted from Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu (1039-1058). Ottonian final chord in Essen. In: Günter Berghaus, Thomas Schilp, Michael Schlagheck (eds.): Dominion, education and prayer. Foundation and beginnings of the Essen women's monastery. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2000, ISBN 3-88474-907-2 , pp. 59–70, here: p. 66.
- ↑ Torsten Fremer: Abbess Theophanu (1039-1058). Ottonian final chord in Essen. In: Günter Berghaus, Thomas Schilp, Michael Schlagheck (eds.): Dominion, education and prayer. Foundation and beginnings of the Essen women's monastery. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2000, ISBN 3-88474-907-2 , pp. 59–70, here: pp. 62 and 68.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Theophanu |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Abbess in the Essen monastery |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 997 |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 5, 1058 |
| Place of death | eat |