Megingaud from Würzburg

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Copper engraving by the Würzburg court and university engraver Johann Salver (* 1670 in Forchheim; † 1738) from the series with Würzburg prince-bishops
Historicizing coat of arms from the 18th century

Megingaud (* 710 in Franconia ; † 783 in Neustadt am Main ) was the second bishop of Würzburg after Burkard (February 754 - beginning of 769). He belonged to the wealthy East Franconian family of the Mattonen and, according to Lorenz Fries, was Count of Rothenburg ob der Tauber .

Life

Megingaud (also Megingoz or Megingotus) is considered a student of St. Bonifatius and is mentioned in 738 as a monk and deacon in the Hessian monastery Frideslar , which was founded by Bonifatius. There he was entrusted with the spiritual care of the monastery inmates and teaching in the monastery school. There he made the acquaintance of Lullus , who later became the first Archbishop of Mainz , and of Sturmius , the founder of the Fulda Abbey .

In 742 Megingaud was probably installed by Burkard and Bonifatius as abbot in the Rorlach / Rorinlacha monastery cell. Burkard and Boniface had known Megingaud for a long time.

When Burkard abdicated as Bishop of Würzburg in 754, Megingaud was appointed Bishop of Würzburg by King Pippin the Younger (III) and consecrated second Bishop of Würzburg by Boniface. Like his predecessor Burkard, Megingaud took an active part in the affairs of the Frankish Empire and was therefore often out and about at imperial assemblies and synods. In 755 he consecrated the crypt of Neumünster in Würzburg. In 757 he took part (mentioned as Mangaudus) at the Council in Compiègne . In 762 he was mentioned (as Megingaudus) in the donation of the Prüm monastery . In 765 he (mentioned as Megingozus) took part in the Synod of Attigny .

Megingaud was particularly interested in theology and practical pastoral care, as three received letters to Archbishop Lullus of Mainz show. At Megingaud's and Lullus' suggestion, the oldest biography of St. Bonifatius (Vita St. Bonifatii auctore Willibaldo), which was written around 760 by Willibald von Mainz .

In 769 Megingaud renounced his bishopric, retired with some monks to the place Rorlach / Rorinlacha and then founded a new Benedictine monastery at the "new place", today's Neustadt am Main .

His successor in Würzburg, Berowelf , who molested Megingaud until his death, later sent 50 fellow believers and supporters to Neustadt after him, according to Vita Burkardi. The planned missionary work of Charlemagne in Saxony probably played a role. Karl began conquering Saxony in 772 after his brother Karlmann died in December 771. Charlemagne certainly sent the 50 monks from Würzburg to Neustadt because he needed them as missionaries and a training center for them, and one of them was the Neustadt monastery.

May 772: Certificate of Charlemagne to the Neustadt am Main monastery , Abbot Megingaud, with the content: King's protection and immunity (according to Dr. Heinrich Wagner).

September 1st, 774: Consecration of the Nazarius basilica in Lorsch by the Mainz Bishop Lul. Charlemagne attended, stopped on his way from Rome to Fritzlar. In addition to Megingaud, not the then Würzburg Bishop Berowelf, assisted the spiritual elite of the time: Weomad von Trier and the head of the court clergy , Bishop Angilramn von Metz .

August 781: Certificate of Charlemagne to Neustadt Abbey, Abbot Megingaud, with the content: Confirmation of ownership of the Klostermark (after Dr. Heinrich Wagner).

August 22, 781: Consecration of the Carolingian monastery complex with the Abbey Church of Peter and Paul at the "new site" (Nivenstat, Nuovenstatt). In addition to Charlemagne, the bishops Willibald von Eichstätt and Lullus von Mainz are said to have participated.

After his death on 24./26. September 783 (not 796) Megingaud was first buried in Neustadt. His coffin was later brought to the Salvator Cathedral in Würzburg, which later became the Neumünster Church. The sarcophagus, which stood under the staircase of the organ in the 14th century, was transferred to the Kilians crypt in 1711 and is now in the west crypt of the Neumünster Church. It can be assumed that the coffin was made in Neustadt ( Lit .: Herrmann, 1986).

Epitaph

The verse inscription (in distiches ) on the coffin plate of Bishop Megingaud is the oldest surviving monumental inscription in Franconia after Roman times.

Latin text

PRAESVLIS HIC TEGITVR FAMOSI cespite CORPVS
TERRAM TERRA TENET SPIRITVS ASTRA PETIT
MAGINGODVS IN HAC ANTESTIS VARIETY SECVNDUS
EXSTITIT ATQVE PIO PROMPTVS IN OFFICIO
SANCTUS ET HVNC QVONDAM BONIFATIVS ARCIS HONOREM
PERDVXIT SACRO CONSTITVITQVE gradV
Vixit IN HOC MUNDO CASTVS SINE crimine VATES
GAVDENS CVM CHRISTO praemia CARPIT Ovans
obiit EPISCOPVS MAGINGODVS. VI CALENDAR OF OCTOBRIS ..

translation

( Lit .: Herrmann, 1986)

Here the lawn covers the body of the famous prelate ( Prelate = abbot + bishop )
Dust returns to dust, the spirit seeks out star fields.
Megingoz was the second in this lot of the head, ( 2nd abbot in Neustadt am Main , 1st abbot was Burkard )
and in the pious office he worked willingly and gladly.
Did he lead him to the honor of the castle Boniface himself, ( Boniface consecrates Megingaud )
put him in the sacred state at that time.
In this world he lived purely as a prophet, without faults; ( Allusion to Berowelf )
As he rejoices with Christ, he jubilantly reaps the reward.
Bishop Megingoz died on the sixth day before the calendar of October ( = September 26th )

Praise Maingut

From the Bishops of Würzburg , written by Magister Lorenz Fries , secret scribe from 3 Würzburg prince-bishops. From documentary sources around the year 1546 written.

Bishop Mainguet
The noble Fruet (prince)
has no hat at all.
On temporal honor ',
then he looks at,
The worldly splendor pulls
him off with power
from God's teaching'
would like ', that's
why he gave
his status and has
into other hands
and searches Very quickly
His 'old cell'
In it he glaringly
concluded his end.

References

  1. ↑ Document No. 16 in Engelbert Mühlbacher with the participation of Alfons Dopsch , Johann Lechner and Michael Tangl (eds.): Diplomata 4: The documents of Pippins, Karlmanns and Charlemagne (Pippini, Carlomanni, Caroli Magni Diplomata). Hanover 1906, pp. 21-25 ( Monumenta Germaniae Historica , digitized version )
  2. ↑ http://www.kloster-lorsch.de/kloster/ursprung.html ( Memento from August 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive )

literature

Web links

Commons : Megingaud von Würzburg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Burkard Bishop of Würzburg
754–769 		Berowelf
personal data
SURNAME Megingaud from Würzburg
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Megingoz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop, saint
DATE OF BIRTH 710
PLACE OF BIRTH Frankish Empire
DATE OF DEATH 783
Place of death Neustadt am Main