Richard von Deidesheim

Richard von Deidesheim (* around 1200 in Deidesheim ; † April 25, 1278 in Wimpfen ) was a German priest. He was dean of the knight monastery in Wimpfen and, as a builder in the renovation of the collegiate church St. Peter, was a pioneer in the introduction of the Gothic architectural style in Germany.

family

Richard von Deidesheim came from the noble family of the Knights of Deidesheim; his parents were called Dietrich and Agnes. The family, which was not too wealthy, later came to Worms territory as feudal bearers . The Electorate Chancellor Dietrich von Deidesheim (around 1305 – around 1360) probably also came from this family. It died out towards the end of the 14th century.

Life

Much of the life of Richard von Deidesheim has been handed down from Burkhard von Hall († 1300), Richard's second successor as dean of the Wimpfen monastery. Richard von Deidesheim received a good school education: he first learned at the school in Deidesheim, then possibly at the cathedral schools in Speyer and Worms . Richard's parents died early; he used his inheritance to complete his theology studies . Afterwards he traveled to Rome to ask the Pope for an entitlement to a benefice in Wimpfen, which the Pope also granted him. In 1254 he joined the Wimpfen monastery and in 1255 he was ordained a priest in Worms by Bishop Richard von Daun .

At first Richard von Deidesheim was one of several canons (canons) of the knight's monastery in Wimpfen, all of whom had to be nobles. His chronicler Burkhard von Hall emphasizes the virtues that distinguished Richard von Deidesheim: his mercy, his willingness to make sacrifices and his piety. As a canon, he resolutely opposed the abuses that prevailed in the monastery at that time; For example, the incomes from the benefices of absent people were divided among themselves and concubines were kept. Richard von Deidesheim managed, despite the resistance of some canons of the monastery, that the moral decline was stopped and a religious renewal could take place in the monastery.

Between 1262 and 1268 Richard von Deidesheim was elected dean and was thus also the deputy provost of the monastery, who was also archdeacon of the diocese of Worms . As Burkhard von Hall wrote, the collegiate church was in serious disrepair at the time . Richard von Deidesheim had the monastery buildings removed and the church rebuilt, with some parts of the Romanesque style being preserved and integrated into the new building, especially the west side of the church.

For the construction of the collegiate church, Dean Richard von Deidesheim had a stonemason come from Paris, who had a lot of experience, and had him design the church based on French models. By commissioning this stonemason, Richard von Deidesheim took a decisive step in introducing the Gothic architectural style into German church architecture. The collegiate church of St. Peter, the new construction of which began on April 19, 1269 and was largely completed by April 19, 1274, is considered one of the first early Gothic churches in Germany and occupies an outstanding position in German art history. The church was the Wormser bishop on April 29, 1274 I. Eberhard consecrated.

Richard von Deidesheim died on April 25, 1278; He probably witnessed the completion of essential construction phases of the new building of the collegiate church, which he was in charge of. He was buried in front of the high altar of the collegiate church. His will is still preserved today and is kept in the Hessian State Archives in Darmstadt .

literature

• Arnold Siben : Richard von Deidesheim . In: Palatinate Museum - Palatinate local history . No. 48 , 1931, pp. 147-151 .
• Viktor Carl: Lexicon of Palatinate personalities . Arwid Hennig Verlag, Edenkoben 1998, ISBN 3-9804668-2-5 , p. 127 .

Remarks

1. ↑ Some sources assume his date of birth was around 1220.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Siben
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Carl
3. ^ Heinrich Hartz : 500 years parish church Deidesheim . Ed .: Catholic Parish Office Deidesheim. Deidesheim 1964, priests and religious professions, p. 42 .