Ludolf von Holte

Ludolf von Holte († June 1247 ) had been Bishop of Münster from 1226 .

family

He came from the Osnabrück noble family von Holte with the ancestral seat Holter Burg . The father was Wilhelm Edelherr von Holte . The mother's name is not known. His brother Hermann was Provost of Merseburg and Abbot of Corvey . Adolf became the father's successor. Wilhelm was provost in Münster and Osnabrück. Wigbold was initially married and later went to the monastery. His former wife became abbess of Bersenbrück . Their sons were Wilhelm (Bishop of Münster) and Wigbold (Archbishop of Cologne). Ludolf's sister Jutta was an abbess in Nottuln .

Beginnings of rule

Ludolf was canon in Münster from 1212 . Later he was provost in Friesland . After Bishop Dietrich III. von Isenberg had been suspended because of his involvement in the murder of Engelbert I of Cologne , Ludolf was elected bishop by the cathedral chapter .

His term of office began immediately with fighting against the rebellious Frisians . Their aim was to prevent the enforcement of the Münster jurisdiction. The dispute was sparked in particular by the atonement for a murdered priest. Although Ludolf himself traveled to Friesland, he was unsuccessful in this conflict. Calming came when Ludolf punished arbitrariness of his officials and thus achieved a better relationship with the population.

In the Westphalian region, Ludolf took action against the murderers of the Archbishop of Cologne and their supporters. In 1231, Ludolf concluded an alliance with Count Dietrich von Kleve .

Foreign policy

On the orders of the Pope, he fought in 1234 together with the Archbishop of Bremen Gebhard II zur Lippe in a crusade against the Stedinger farmers , who were accused of trying to reintroduce pagan cults. Ludolf followed this reluctantly, because the farmers were not interested in pagan cults, but rather had economic complaints against the Archbishop of Bremen.

In 1237 Ludolf acted on behalf of the Pope as a mediator between the city of Bremen and the archbishop and the cathedral chapter.

The relationship with the Archbishop of Cologne Konrad von Hochstaden was initially tense, but later it improved. He supported this in his feud against the Count of Jülich and ordained him in 1239 as a priest and bishop. In the archbishop's new feud with Jülich, Ludolf was on the count's side. In 1243 Ludolf gave all of the properties of the diocese across the Rhine to Heinrich von Limburg as a fief .

In 1246 Ludolf also allied himself with the nobleman Bernhard zur Lippe . This was directed against all possible enemies, with the exception of the Archbishop of Cologne.

Ludolf hardly played a role in imperial politics.

Internal politics

Inside the diocese, Ludolf broke the power of Meinhövel in 1242 and thus strengthened the position of the bishops. To secure his position, he had Wolbeck Castle built near the capital . Ludolf Beckum , Warendorf , Telgte and Ahlen also granted city rights. On January 7, 1247, he allowed the construction of a branch church in Snedwinkele , from which the Neuenkirchen community emerged. Ludolf also preferred ministerials , which he thought were more reliable than dynastic nobles. The episcopal officials such as Drosten , chamberlain or cupbearers were forbidden to sell their offices without the consent of the sovereign.

With the Bishop of Osnabrück Engelbert I von Isenberg , Ludolf concluded an alliance in 1245 that was to be renewed every five years. The content was that the cities of Münster and Osnabrück were not allowed to accept any servants of the bishops without their express consent. The two cities then formed an alliance, which other cities joined.

Promotion of spiritual life

Grave of Bishop Ludolf von Holte in the chancel of the cathedral in Münster / Westphalia, Germany

The bishop tried to intensify the spiritual life through the diocesan synods that were documented under him for the first time. He is also said to have introduced the cult of St. Catherine in the diocese. To celebrate the victory over the Meinhövel and its allies, he donated the Victoria sancti Pauli festival , which was celebrated into the 18th century.

Ludolf promoted the monastery system by supporting the establishment of the Marienborn Cistercian monastery . He endowed this with rights and possessions. He also supported the establishment of the Groß-Burlo monastery . Also Marienfeld Abbey was promoted. In addition, he left the Teutonic Order in Munster grounds for the installation of the Kommende Munster . The fact that Ludolf gave the Freckenhorst Abbey the Augustinian rule in 1240 shows his interest in reforming the women's convents.

Ludolf was buried in the cathedral in Münster near the primary altar in front of the choir. The grave was damaged in the 18th century.

literature

• Wilhelm Kohl:  Ludolf von Holte. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 15, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-428-00196-6 , p. 298 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Wilhelm Kohl: The dioceses of the church province Cologne. The diocese of Münster 7.3: The diocese. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2003 ( Germania sacra new series: Historical-statistical description of the Church of the Old Kingdom, Vol 37.3) ISBN 978-3-11-017592-9 p. 296ff. Partial digitization

predecessor	Office	successor
Dietrich III.	Bishop of Munster 1226–1247	Otto II.