Meginwarch

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Entry Meginwarchs in a group entry of the Ottonian royal family and their most important helpers from 928/929 in the Reichenau Fraternization Book , Zurich, Central Library, Rh. Hist. 27, p. 63.

Meginwarch , also Meginward or Meginwarc, († July 15, 937), from one of the most distinguished East Franconian aristocratic families, was a count with extensive possessions in Thuringia and belonged to the inner leadership circle under King Heinrich I.

Meginwarch came from a still unknown aristocratic group that was repeatedly equated with the Immedinger . It should have been a gender association equal to the Liudolfingern and the descendants of Widukind . Meginwarch was married to Gerlint († 948), who gave the Fuldaer Totenannalen the honorable surname "Mother of the Poor" (mater pauperum) because of their special merits in commemorating the dead and caring for the poor .

Under King Heinrich I, Meginwarch seems to have been one of the most important greats of the empire. Around the year 928/929 his name can be found in the Reichenau fraternity book in an entry of the royal family, which identifies him as a member of the inner leadership circle under Heinrich I. Around the year 929/930 his name is mentioned in an entry of the royal family in the book of fraternities of the Abbey of St. Gallen , which is now lost . Three of Heinrich's documents mention Meginwarch's extensive possessions and count rights in Thuringia. In addition, Meginwarch could be identified in four other group entries in the Reichenau fraternization book, of which, in view of his top position at the beginning of the naming columns, he very likely arranged three himself.

In striking contrast to the "important role" of Meginwarch under Heinrich I, there is the complete silence of the narrative sources from the time of Heinrich's successor Otto I. Widukind von Corvey , Hrotsvit von Gandersheim , Liudprand von Cremona or the continuator Reginonis not mention a word about him . Johannes Fried has pointed out that Meginwarch's descendants probably revolted against King Otto I and fought against him on the side of his younger brother Heinrich I. Because Meginwarch was the most powerful aristocrat in Thuringia, whose death in 937 put “all of Thuringia” into turmoil and triggered battles for Meginwarch's succession and his goods. In fact, in the group entries in the Reichenau Fraternization Book, initiated by Meginwarch, there is a repeated name sequence Erwin - Meginwarch - Wilhelm, which research has brought into a loose connection with people mentioned by Widukind by Corvey and Thietmar von Merseburg. An Erwin was involved in the assassination attempt on King Otto the Great at Easter 941 as Heinrich's companion . According to contemporaries and the traditional self-image of this Erwin, it must have been a very important Thuringian great. His son Hildeward von Halberstadt was appointed bishop of Halberstadt in 968 against the express will of Otto the Great. The name Wilhelm is reminiscent of Wilhelm I (Weimar) , who had to go into exile after participating in the Liudolfin uprising against King Otto I. Also in connection with this uprising, a great man named Meinwerc, who was killed by an arrow shot in 953, is named. Whether this and the others are Meginwarch's sons is still unclear.

Meginwarchs commemorate three of the most important necrologists of their time with the Fulda death annals, the lists of the dead of Reichenau monastery and the fraternization book of Remiremont . The entries place Meginwarch in the group of those Saxons "who, under the first Saxon king, marked a relationship horizon that extended far beyond the Saxon tribal area."

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literature

  • Gerd Althoff : Amicitiae and Pacta. Alliance, unification, politics and prayer commemoration in the beginning of the 10th century (= Monumenta Germaniae historica. Volume 37). Hahn, Hannover 1992, ISBN 3-7752-5437-4 , pp. 128-141

Remarks

  1. ↑ Diplomata Heinrici I, 33, 34 and 35.
  2. ↑ On the entries Gerd Althoff : Amicitiae and Pacta. Alliance, unification, politics and prayer commemoration in the beginning of the 10th century (= Monumenta Germaniae historica. Volume 37). Hahn, Hannover 1992, ISBN 3-7752-5437-4 , pp. 131-139.
  3. ^ Quote from Gerd Althoff: Amicitiae and Pacta. Alliance, unification, politics and prayer commemoration in the beginning of the 10th century (= Monumenta Germaniae historica. Volume 37). Hahn, Hannover 1992, ISBN 3-7752-5437-4 , p. 141.
  4. ^ Wolfgang Giese : Heinrich I. founder of the Ottonian rule. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2008, ISBN 978-3-534-18204-6 , p. 145.
  5. ↑ Johannes Fried : The way into history. The origins of Germany up to 1024 (= Propylaea history of Germany. Vol. 1). Propylaen, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-549-05811-X , p. 592.
  6. ↑ Gerd Althoff: Amicitiae and Pacta. Alliance, unification, politics and prayer commemoration in the beginning of the 10th century (= Monumenta Germaniae historica. Volume 37). Hahn, Hannover 1992, ISBN 3-7752-5437-4 , p. 132 with further references.
  7. ↑ Widukind II, 31; Thietmar II, 14
  8. ↑ Widukind III, 16
  9. ↑ Widukind III, 28.
  10. ↑ On this assumption Gerd Althoff: Amicitiae and Pacta. Alliance, unification, politics and prayer commemoration in the beginning of the 10th century (= Monumenta Germaniae historica. Volume 37). Hahn, Hannover 1992, ISBN 3-7752-5437-4 , p. 135.
  11. ^ Karl Schmid : Unexplored sources from a time with few sources (II): Who were the 'fratres' of Halberstadt from the time of King Henry I? In: Helmut Maurer, Hans Patze (Ed.): Festschrift for Berent Schwineköper. For his seventieth birthday. Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1982, ISBN 3-7995-7020-9 , pp. 117–140, here p. 133.
personal data
SURNAME Meginwarch
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Meginward, Meginwarc
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Count
DATE OF BIRTH 9th century or 10th century
DATE OF DEATH July 15, 937