Margaretha Kratz from Scharfenstein
Margaretha Kratz von Scharfenstein (* around 1430; † December 17, 1532 in the Maria Engelport monastery) was a noblewoman from the family of Kratz von Scharfenstein and was superior of the Maria Engelport monastery for 82 years .
Family environment
She was the daughter of Heinrich Kratz von Scharfenstein († 1449) and Irmgard von Metzenhausen († 1458) and great-great-aunt of Bishop Philipp II. Kratz von Scharfenstein and his brother Hugo Kratz von Scharfenstein , a provost of Trier and Speyer . Her older sister Eva married the nobleman Friedrich von Löwenstein zu Randeck († 1463), whose splendid tombstone is preserved in the Protestant parish church in Sobernheim .
Work as Engelporter master and legend formation
In addition to Beatrix von Engelport , who is venerated as blessed, the master Margaretha Cratz von Scharfenstein deserves special mention. She was elected master of Engelport in 1450 and directed the fortunes of the monastery for 82 years. During this time the monastery property had increased by a third and had the monastery complex renovated and partially rebuilt. In addition to an exemplary lifestyle, she is also said to do miracles. In a very special way she took care of the poor from all over the area, and on certain days two to three hundred needy people received food and alms. On Maundy Thursday of the year 1531 (April 6th) there were as many as 525 people who were cared for at the behest of the benevolent Master. This large number of people seeking help is certainly due to the famine in the previous year, because word had probably got around what should have happened in 1530.
The supplies of the monastery were running out, as everywhere in the area, and there was also a threat of famine in Engelport. When the elderly Master was told that grain and fruit would soon be used up, she had all the fruit gathered and did not want to take anything from the poor. In her great trust in God she was convinced that there would be no shortage of the most essential food. Finally she was persuaded to inspect the storage facilities for herself. When she entered the attic with some virgins, it was wonderfully filled with supplies.
Word got around about the excellent way of life and the great willingness to help of the superior. Her special merits were recognized shortly before her death and on July 18, 1532 she was commended by the Electorate of Trier at the Landtag in Trier.
literature
- Alfons Friderichs: Maria Engelport Monastery . Rheinische Kunststättenhefte, volume 3/1976.
- Norbert J. Pies: Master Margaretha Cratz von Scharffenstein. Notes on their origins and their work in Engelport. In: Yearbook 1988 for the Cochem-Zell district, pp. 138-141.
- Norbert J. Pies: v. Scharffenstein, Margaretha Cratz . Short biography in: Friderichs, Alfons (Hrsg.): Personalities of the Cochem-Zell district. Kliomedia. Trier 2004 p. 303.
- Norbert J. Pies and Werner P. Pfeil: On the history of Maria Engelport monastery. Volume III: Series Magistrarum et Priorum. Frechen 1989. ISBN 3-927049-04-2
- Manfred Laufs: The Scharfensteiner family and their branches . In: Kiedricher personalities from seven centuries. Kiedrich 2008 pp. 63-64.
Web links
- Norwegian website about Blessed Margaretha Kratz von Scharfenstein
- English website for the Blessed Margaretha Kratz von Scharfenstein
Individual evidence
- ↑ Website with a photo of the grave slab
- ↑ State Main Archive Koblenz Stock 87 No. 1, 2 and 126.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kratz von Scharfenstein, Margaretha |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Superior of the Maria Engelport monastery |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1430 |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 17, 1532 |
| Place of death | Maria Engelport Monastery |