Leonhard Frank (Abbot)

Leonhard Frank or Leonhard II. Frank (* in Klebsheim an der Jagst , probably identical to Klepsau , today part of Krautheim ; † September 21, 1648 ) was abbot of the Premonstratensian monastery in Zell am Main from 1614 to 1648 .

Oberzell before Frank

Before Leonhard Frank took office, monastic life in Oberzell was threatened by the religious wars of the time. Although the Reformation hardly found supporters in Zell am Main, the conflict in the German Peasants' War also reached the monastery. In 1525 the abbey was sacked. In the years that followed, reconstruction continued. It was only under Frank's predecessor, Johannes Herberich , that the debts from the peasants' war were paid off.

Life

Leonhard Frank was probably born in "Klebsheim" an der Jagst at the end of the 16th century . However, the place of birth, which appears several times in the sources, cannot be clearly identified. The place is probably a village on the upper reaches of the Jagst in what is now Baden-Württemberg . The school education of the future abbot is also in the dark, he probably attended a university .

After the death of Abbot Nikolaus Reinstein at the end of September 1607, an election was necessary. From this Leonhard Frank emerged as the winner. First, Abbot Leonhard took care of the monastery buildings and had the convent church repaired and vaulted. At the same time, however, he pushed ahead with the conferment of pontificals for the Oberzeller abbots in Rome . The abbey was one of the few Premonstratensian monasteries in which the abbots were not yet allowed to wear the episcopal insignia such as the miter .

On July 14, 1628, Pope Urban VIII granted the Frankish prelate the pontificals. At the same time he was allowed to do benedictions. In the following years Frank also took on several orders for the General Chapter of the Premonstratensians. So he visited the monasteries in the district of the Wadgassen Abbey in today's Saarland and the region around Oberilbenstadt Abbey in today's Hesse to make a visitation .

Meanwhile the Thirty Years' War between Catholics and Protestants had broken out. In 1631 the Protestant Swedes invaded Catholic Würzburg and occupied the episcopal city. Abbot Leonhard Frank, like many other prelates from the region, had already fled Oberzell in October 1631. The sources do not contain the abbot's place of exile. Frank remained in exile until December 1634 when he returned to the ruined abbey.

After the end of Swedish rule, Frank pushed ahead with the reconstruction of the damaged monastery buildings. However, the war continued during this time and construction was delayed. In 1640 the Oberzell convent consisted of only six priests. Abbot Leonhard Frank did not live to see the end of the war. He died on September 21, 1648 and was buried below the presbytery in the middle of the choir of the monastery church.

coat of arms

The coat of arms of Abbot Leonhard Frank

Abbot Leonhard Frank's personal coat of arms has only survived on a monastery seal. The seal is damaged, which is why the coat of arms cannot be seen in detail. Description : An upright lion turned right with a branch in its paws. The tinging of the coat of arms is not known. In contrast to many other abbot coats of arms in Oberzell, there is no helmet for Frank above the actual shield.

literature

• Helmut Flachenecker , Stefan Petersen: Personnel lists for upper and lower cell. In: Helmut Flachenecker, Wolfgang Weiß (ed.): Oberzell - From the Premonstratensian Foundation (until 1803) to the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Childhood of Jesus. (= Sources and research on the history of the diocese and bishopric of Würzburg. Volume LXII) Würzburg 2006. pp. 521-570.
• Leo Günther: Oberzell Monastery. From foundation to secularization 1128–1802. In: Festschrift for the 800th anniversary of the Norbertus monastery in Oberzell. Würzburg 1928, pp. 5-55.
• Winfried Romberg (ed.): The pontificates 1617–1684. In: The Würzburg bishops from 1617 to 1684. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2011 (= Germania Sacra. Third part, volume 4: The dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Mainz. The diocese of Würzburg, 7 ), ISBN 978-3-11-025183 -8 , pp. 57-563, here: p. 220 ( Leonhard II. Frank ).

Web links

Commons : Leonhard Frank  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dietrich Schäfer (Ed.): Württembergische Geschichtsquellen: 15., 19.-20. Volume document book of the city of Heilbronn. 1. Volume edited by Eugen Knupfer, 2.-4. Volume edited by Moriz von Rauch. 1904-1922. (= Württemberg historical sources. Volume 5) Internet archive , here: Volume 1, p. 269 ( No. 543 ).
2. ^ Johann Kaspar Bundschuh : Geographical Statistical-Topographical Lexicon of Franconia. [...]. 6 volumes, Stettinische Buchhandlung, Ulm 1799–1804, here: Volume 1, p. 165. Online: Topographia Franconiae. Franconica: Topographical Lexicon 1799-1803 .
3. ^ Leo Günther: Oberzell Abbey. P. 21.
4. ↑ Helmut Flachenecker u. a .: Personnel lists for Ober- and Unterzell. P. 530 (note).
5. ^ Leo Günther: Oberzell Abbey. P. 29.
6. ^ Leo Günther: Oberzell Abbey. P. 32.

predecessor	Office	successor
Nikolaus Reinstein	Abbot of Oberzell 1614–1648	Gottfried Bishop