Markward of Corvey

Markward von Corvey (also Marquard) († January 18, 1107 ) was Abbot of Corvey from 1082 to 1107 and Bishop of Osnabrück between 1088 and 1093 . He was one of the most influential reform abbots of the imperial monasteries of his time.

Life

Markward came from the reform monastery Münster-Schwarzach , which was based on the Gorzer reform . The opposing king Hermann von Salm appointed him as Abbot of Corvey in 1082. He also granted the abbey immunity, the free choice of the abbot and traditional ten-rights.

Markward was a supporter of the Gregorian reforms . His attitude was supported by the Counts of Northeim as Vögte Corveys. As a reformer, the cathedral chapter of Osnabrück elected him bishop in 1088 . However, the archbishop of Cologne, who was loyal to the emperor , prevented him from being able to assert himself there. Therefore he resigned in 1093. Therefore, the planned relocation of the convent from Kloster Iburg to Corvey failed .

Following the example of the Hirsauer Reform , Markward reshaped the structures of the Corvey convent from 1090 onwards. In contrast to Hirsau, a newly elected abbot should have something like the right to self- invest . Markward also promoted the monastery school and scholarship. So he decreed that every novice should give a book to the monastery library. Annual chronicles were to be drawn up for all of the monasteries belonging to Corvey Abbey.

Markward had the forgotten relics of St. Vitus venerated again. Markward had a Vitus Church built in Goslar and founded a Vitus brotherhood.

At various princely days and synods between 1099 and 1105 it became clear that Markward was the leading figure of the reform monasticism in the Duchy of Saxony . The number of 84 new novices in Markward's term of office speaks for the upswing of Corvey. This corresponded to an increase of three new monks per year. At the same time, the von Corvey brothers carried the reforms advocated by the abbot to a number of other monasteries. Eight former Corvey monks alone became abbots.

He was temporarily driven out by troops of the emperor and vassals of the monastery in 1102. On his return in 1103, he had the damage to the abbey repaired at his own expense. He also provided for the maintenance of the monks and poor relief. The group of reform monasteries around Corvey included Bursfelde , Northeim , Pegau , Vitzenburg , Oldisleben and perhaps Nienburg .

In secular terms, he promoted the development of the city of Höxter .

He was buried in Corvey Abbey.

literature

• Eckhard Freise:  Markward. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 16, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-428-00197-4 , p. 222 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Friedrich W. Ebeling: The German bishops until the end of the sixteenth century. Vol. 1 Leipzig, 1858 pp. 345f.

Web links

• Corvey Monastery in the high medieval reform monasticism

predecessor	Office	successor
Friedrich von Hoya	Abbot of Corvey 1082-1107	Erkenbert von Homburg

predecessor	Office	successor
Benno II.	Bishop of Osnabrück 1088 - 1093	Wicho II.