Reinhard von Weilnau

Coat of arms Reinhard von Weilnau, prince abbot of Fulda 1449–1472

Reinhard von Weilnau (* 1424 ; † 1476 in Thulba (Oberthulba) ) was prince abbot of the Fulda monastery from 1449 to 1472 .

origin

Reinhard came from a branch line of the Counts of Diez . His father was Heinrich IV. Count von Diez-Weilnau (* around 1389), his mother, Margareta von Rodenstein (* around 1405). The Fulda prince abbots Heinrich V. Graf von Weilnau (1288-1313) and Eberhard von Rotenstein (Rodenstein) (1313-1315) came from his family .

Life

In 1449 he was elected Prince Abbot of the Imperial Monastery of Fulda as the successor to Hermann von Buchenau . With a document dated August 1, 1453, Emperor Friedrich III confirmed . Reinhard (von Weilnau), Abbot of Fulda and Arch Chancellor of Empress Leonora , all possessions, rights, income, fiefs and privileges, in particular the court privilege and imperial freedom. Friedrich gave Reinhard the regalia and instructed him to take his oath on Emperor and Empire in the hands of Dietrich Schenk von Erbach , Archbishop and Elector of Mainz , by the coming St. Thomas Day (1453 December 29) .

The dispute that his predecessor had with the landed gentry in the area also affected his tenure. The nobility in the Fulda region made territorial claims. The prince took a hard line; by destroying the houses and castles, he gained peace in the country. In a feud with the Lords of Ebersberg, he conquered the fortress of Ebersburg near Gersfeld in the Rhön .

The Landgrave of Hesse, Heinrich III. , whose father Ludwig I was still on the side of the Fulda prince-bishop Hermann von Buchenaus, occupied the Fulda city of Geisa in 1467 . Since the citizens refused to pay homage to him, he covered the country with fire and plunder. With the help of Count Johann von Henneberg, Prince Abbot Reinhard succeeded in driving the Landgrave away. In 1466 Reinhard completed the construction of the parish church of Fulda, which had begun before 1430 .

On January 3, 1469, Reinhard von Weilnau announced that he had made his uncle, Count Johann II von Henneberg-Schleusingen, captain of the Fulda monastery with the consent of the dean and convent. It had been agreed that Johann should ask the Pope for confirmation as soon as possible at his own expense. As soon as this arrives in Fulda, Johann should renounce everything (worldly), join the order, put on the habit and show obedience to the abbot. He should then be admitted to the Convention. Dean, convent, knight and all others who belong to the monastery should not be restricted in their freedoms and habits. When all of this has happened, the abbey and rule over the monastery are to be transferred to John. Exceptions are the Provostei Thulba (Duw), the winery in Hammelburg, the Giesel Castle (Gisela), 300 guilders from (Romelsgehaugk) [Römershagk?] And the abbot's silverware; Abbot Reinhard should be entitled to these possessions for life. Reinhard is not obliged to anyone, neither the abbot nor the convent. He also renounces any influence or participation, except for the election of the abbot and the dean. Reinhard assures that he will keep all agreements as he has sworn to Johann in hand. Dean Konrad von Lauberbach (Lauwerbach) and the Fulda convent express their approval of the agreements and assure that they will be observed. Then Reinhard von Weilnau retired to Thulba Monastery. In 1472 the chapter of the imperial abbey elected the coadjutor Henneberg as Johann II. Count von Henneberg-Schleusingen to the prince abbot of Fulda.

Former Abbot Reinhard von Weilnau died in Thulba in 1476, was transferred to Fulda and buried there.

Web links

• History of Fulda at pytlik.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg Signature: HStAM \ Urk. 75 \ 961
2. ↑ Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg Signature: HStAM \ Urk. 75 \ 1054
3. ↑ Chronicle of Fulda and its surroundings from 744 up to and including 1838 , Vacha 1839, p. 65.

predecessor	Office	successor
Hermann II of Buchenau	Prince Abbot of Fulda 1449 - 1472	Johann II of Henneberg-Schleusingen