Reinbern

Reinbern († 1013-1015 in Kiev ) became the first bishop in Pomerania in 1000 .

origin

The only tradition about Reinbern is contained in the contemporary chronicle of Thietmar von Merseburg (975-1018).

Reinbern came from Hassegau , which was the southeastern branch of the Duchy of Saxony between Thuringia and the Mark Meissen . He was trained in the sciences, possibly in the Magdeburg Cathedral School.

Kolberg diocese

In the year 1000 Reinbern is mentioned as Bishop of Kolberg and by Emperor Otto III. Subordinate to the newly founded Archdiocese of Gniezno . Apparently Reinbern's diocese was created at the same time. The foundation of the diocese took place within the framework of the so-called act of Gniezno . For the chroniclers Adam von Bremen and Gallus Anonymus , who mentioned the Bomerans / Pomorans for the first time decades later , this was obviously a collective term for the pagans who lived between the Piastic homeland and the Baltic coast. With the Gnesen act, Thietmar von Merseburg, according to Emperor Otto III. the Polish ruler Boleslaw I raised from the tributary to lord. The Polish ecclesiastical province of Gniezno, which underlined the independence of subordinating a diocese to the area on the Baltic Sea coast, supported the Polish claim to rule over this area.

Reinbern was thus the first bishop for areas that were later to be referred to as Pomerania . Since the inhabitants were still pagans, Reinbern had the task of a mission bishop. Thietmar reports that Reinbern succeeded in “germinating” the Christian faith “among a very ignorant people”. To this end, Reinbern destroyed pagan shrines - probably under the protection of Boleslaw. He is also credited with cleansing the Baltic Sea from demons by throwing four stones anointed with holy oil and sprinkling holy water into it.

When the Pomorans around Kolberg managed to shake off the supremacy of the Polish Duke Boleslaw I again, Reinbern had to leave the coastal area. The point in time is unknown, but is likely to be between 1007 and 1013. This ended the Kolberg diocese again.

Diplomatic mission

Reinbern was then appointed to a diplomatic mission by Duke Boleslaw I in 1013. When Boleslaw wanted to marry his daughter, who was not known by name, to Grand Duke Svyatopolk , a son of Grand Duke Vladimir I of Kiev, Reinbern accompanied the bride to Kiev. The marriage was concluded, but then it came to be confused: Svyatopolk got into conflict with his father Vladimir. Thereupon Vladimir had Svyatopolk, his new wife and Reinbern arrested. Reinbern died in this captivity. The exact year of death is unknown; presumably he died between 1013 and 1015.

Appreciation

With the mission of the pagan Pomerania, Reinbern had no or at least no lasting success. Pomerania remained predominantly pagan until Otto von Bamberg introduced Christianity in Pomerania through two mission trips in 1124 and 1128. Reinbern was forgotten in Pomerania.

From a modern Catholic point of view, Helmut Holzapfel saw Reinbern as a “holy life” and a death “which, in a certain sense, can certainly be viewed as martyrdom”.

The Polish Catholic diocese of Koszalin-Kołobrzeg , newly established in 1972, would like to continue the tradition of Reinbern's diocese.

literature

swell

The authoritative bilingual edition of Thietmar von Merseburg's chronicle is:

• Thietmar von Merseburg: Chronicle . In: Selected sources on German history in the Middle Ages. Volume 9. 8th edition. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2002, ISBN 3-534-00173-7

Secondary literature

in order of appearance

• Peter Friedrich Kanngießer : History of Pomerania up to the year 1129 . Volume 1: History of the Pomeranian Conversion to Christianity , Greifswald 1824, p. 297 ff.
• Jürgen Petersohn: The Gnesen act in 1000 and the establishment of the diocese of Salz-Kolberg. On the historical substance of an anniversary. In: Baltic Studies. Volume 87 NF, 2001, ISSN  0067-3099 , pp. 24-35.
• Martin Wehrmann : History of Pomerania . 2nd Edition. Vol. 1. Friedrich Andreas Perthes, Gotha 1919. Reprint: Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1992, ISBN 3-89350-112-6 , p. 51.
• Helmut Holzapfel: Reinbern Pomerania's first bishop . Commission publishing house Echter, Würzburg 1975, ISBN 3-429-00427-6 .