List of the chiefs, provosts and abbots of Oberzell
The list of the rulers, provosts and abbots of Oberzell contains the names of the rulers of the Premonstratensian Monastery of Oberzell from its foundation to its dissolution through secularization . In the course of a visit by the founder of the order, Norbert von Xanten, to Würzburg, the monastery was established after 1128 as the oldest settlement of the order in southern Germany. Initially, the complex was designed as a double monastery for men and women.
The men's and women's convents separated as early as 1221 and the women moved to Unterzell, which is further down the Main . Until the Reformation, Oberzell Abbey established itself as the motherhouse of many premonstratensic women's monasteries in the near and far. During the religious wars in the 16th and 17th centuries, the convent experienced a decline. It was only after the Thirty Years' War that Oberzell succeeded in initiating an upswing that would last until secularization.
An important element of the reconstruction was the repopulation of the Gerlachsheim monastery , which from then on was run as a priory from Oberzell. In the 18th century, the trend towards baroque monastery buildings also took hold in Oberzell, and the Würzburg court architect Balthasar Neumann was won over as the architect. The secularization of 1803 then temporarily ended monastic life in Oberzell. In 1901 a Franciscan order moved into the building.
Abts list
The structure of the list is largely based on the essay by Helmut Flachenecker and Stefan Petersen. The list is also based on the personal lists for Ober- and Unterzell from 2006. Additions and deviations also come from the older overview of the Oberzell Monastery. From the foundation to secularization 1128–1802 by Leo Günther. Flachenecker and Petersen's information was printed in italics. According to Günther, the monastery was headed by a total of 44 heads, provosts and abbots, while Flachenecker and Petersen identify a total of over 53 heads.
Chiefs and provosts
The Oberzell Abbey was established after 1128. Saint Norbert von Xanten appointed the Würzburg canon Johannes as the first ruler, who built the young convent together with his biological brother. Initially, only descendants of noble families were allowed to enter the monastery, so that the first rulers were all noble. The first ten chiefs are only identified by Flachenecker and Petersen. The official title changed to the 13th century between leaders and provost.
| number | Name of the head / provost | Reign in Oberzell | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | John | 1128– before 1141 | determined by Norbert von Xanten, prepositus (lat. head) |
| [2.] | Bruno | gen. before 1141 | Provost , † March 7th |
| [3.] | Arnold | gen. before 1141 | Provost , † March 10th |
| [4.] | Conrad | gen. 1141-1144 | also Conradus , † April 15 or February 10 |
| [5.] | Berthold von Keere | gen. 1146 / 53-1164 | also Bertoldus, Berthold von Keer , perhaps already abbot, † May 1, 1164 |
| [6.] | Ravenold | gen. 1170-1182 | also Rabnoldus, Rabinoldus, Rabenoldus |
| [7.] | Konrad | gen. before 1201 | † February 10th |
| [8th.] | Heinrich | gen. 1201 | also Heinricus , † February 6th |
| [9.] | Hermannus | gen. 1208 | |
| [10.] | H. | gen. 1213, 1214 | † after January 26, 1214 |
Abbots
In the first half of the 13th century, the official titles of the chiefs continued to change. However, now the term abbot also appeared. The second half of the 13th century has few sources, which is why the order of the abbots is also unclear here. Since the middle of the 15th century, the monastery was also opened to non-noble monks. The abbots were not allowed to carry the pontificals until the 17th century .
| number | Abbot's name | Reign in Oberzell | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | Henry II | gen. 1217-1221 | also Heinricus, Henricus , both as abbot and prepositus , † February 16, 1222 |
| 7th | Wolfram von Grumbach | gen. 1227, 1228 | also Wolframus , both as abbot and as prepositus , † March 19 |
| 8th. | Billing | 1237-1246 | also Billungus |
| 9. | Henry III. | gen. 1246 | |
| [15.] | C (onradus) | gen. 1260 | own Conrad II. |
| [16.] | Albero | before 1262 | |
| [17.] | Conradus (de Wigenheim) | gen. 1262 | own Conrad III. |
| [18.] | Hermannus | gen. 1275 | |
| [19.] | Bertoldus | gen. 1277 | |
| 10. | Conrad II. | gen. 1290 | also Conradus , own Conrad IV., † December 16 |
| 11. | Albert von Reichenberg | gen. 1302 | also Albertus |
| 12. | Engelbert | gen. 1311-1323 | also Engelbertus , † January 27th |
| 13. | Theodore | gen. 1332-1338 | also Tylman, Tillmann, Theodericus, Dietrich , perhaps identical with Tilmann |
| 14th | Tillmann | gen. 1344-1355 | also Tilmannus, Dietrich, Tylmannus, Theodericus, Tylmann , perhaps identical with Theodor , † October 19, 1355 |
| 15th | Theodoric | 1356– gen. 1363 | Election 1356 |
| 16. | Rudger | 1364-1374 | also Rüdinger, Rudgerus , † May 11, 1374 |
| 17th | Heinrich IV of Wollmershausen | 1374-1384 | also Heinrich von Wolmershusen , † October 7, 1384 |
| 18th | Ludwig von Stetten | gen. 1387 | also Ludewig |
| 19th | Georg von Reinstein | gen. before 1393 | † August 26th, probably resignation , still alive in 1400 |
| 20th | Syfried | 1393 / 1404-1416 / 1418 | and Siegfried , Seifrid , Syfridus , Syfrid , † 7 March 1416/ 1418 |
| 21st | Johannes von Rödelsee | 1416/ 1418 -1427 | also Hans Rotelshe , resignation 1427, † May 25th |
| 22nd | Jacob | gen. 1434-1439 | |
| 23. | Johannes Eckart | 1443-1447 / 1448 | also Johann Eckardi , † June 11, 1448 |
| 24. | Jacob II Heschen | 1448-1462 | also Jacob , † July 3, 1462 |
| 25th | Georg Kümmel | 1462-1486 | also Georg, Jörg, Jörgen , † July 18, 1486 |
| 26th | Christophorus Steffer | 1486-1507 | also Christoph, Cristofferus, Cristoffel , † October 13, 1507 |
| 27. | Georg Schuhmann | 1507-1510 | * in Würzburg , also Georg Schumann , † February 14, 1510 |
| 28. | Johannes Streuber | 1510-1519 | * in Würzburg, also Johann , † August 7, 1519 |
| 29 | Kaspar Gotthard | 1519-1526 | * in Würzburg, † September 1, 1526 |
| 30th | Leonhard Walz | 1526-1529 | * in Lauda , † May 1, 1529 |
| 31. | Georg Hoffmann | 1529-1540 | † January 22, 1540 |
| 32. | Thomas Neidlein | 1540-1556 | * in (Groß-) Langheim , † December 23, 1556 |
| 33. | Georg Bazer | 1556-1563 | * in Windsheim , also Georgius Botzer , † February 22, 1563 |
| 34. | Sebastian Stumpf | 1563-1571 | † September 20, 1571 |
| 35. | Johannes Herbrich | 1571-1607 | * in Lauda, also Johann Herberich , † May 9, 1607 |
| 36. | Nikolaus Reinstein | 1607-1614 | also Nicolaus , election June 2, 1607 , † September 29, 1614 |
| 37. | Leonhard Frank | 1614-1648 | * in Klebsheim an der Jagst, election October 26, 1614, † September 21, 1648 in Oberzell |
| 38. | Gottfried Bishop | 1648-1688 | * around 1619 in Sommerach , election October 26, 1648, † September 22, 1688 |
| 39. | Lorenz Hetzer | 1688-1692 | * around 1628 in Volkach , also Lorenz Hezer, election November 4, 1688, † September 11, 1692 |
| 40. | Gottfried Hammerich | 1692-1710 | * around 1630 in Dittwar , election October 9, 1692, † March 15, 1710 |
| 41. | Sigmund Hauck | 1710-1738 | * 1669 in Neustadt an der Saale , also Siegmund Hauck , election April 7, 1710, † August 18, 1738 |
| 42. | Georg Fasel | 1738-1747 | * April 5, 1675 in Würzburg, election September 11, 1738, † September 12, 1747 |
| 43. | Oswald Loschert | 1747-1785 | * December 21, 1704 in Rothenfels , election October 3, 1747, † August 27, 1785 in Oberzell |
| 44. | Christoph Kroh | 1785-1803 | * June 8, 1735 in Würzburg, election September 27, 1785, dissolution of the monastery through secularization, † May 31, 1812 in Würzburg |
literature
- Helmut Flachenecker , Stefan Petersen: Personnel lists for upper and lower cell. In: Helmut Flachenecker, Wolfgang Weiß (ed.): Oberzell - From the Premonstratensian Monastery (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.
