Ruthard (Mainz)

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Glass picture of Bishop Ruthard in Mainz Cathedral. The picture essentially corresponds to the seal used by Ruthard
Archbishop of Mainz Ruthard presented Henry V the Sphaira . (Anonymous Imperial Chronicle for Henry V, 1112/1114, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, The Parker Library, Ms. 373, fol.83r)

Ruthard OSB († May 2, 1109 ) was Archbishop of Mainz from 1089 to 1109 . First on the imperial side, he turned to the reform papacy and was instrumental in the overthrow of Henry IV in favor of Henry V.

Early years

He came from a ministerial family of the Archbishops of Mainz, who were based in Thuringia and the Rheingau . A brother Embricho (Embricho II. Von Geisenheim, Graf im Rheingau , 1108 Vizedom ?) And other relatives Wulferich (von Winkel?), Werner and Stephan are named.

He entered the Benedictine order and became abbot of St. Peter's monastery in Erfurt around 1080 .

Working within

At the instigation of Heinrich IV, he was elected Archbishop of Mainz in 1089. He was loyal to the king and reform-oriented and should the antipope Clemens III appointed by the emperor . support. Urban II had banned him for this .

His relationship with the leaders in the cathedral chapter was good. In the spirit of the Hirsau reform , Ruthard founded or promoted various monasteries. In part, this was done by converting older canons . These included the monasteries in Höchst , Comburg , Johannisberg , Marienstein , Bursfelde , Lippoldsberg and Disibodenberg . He made rich gifts to the latter.

Jewish pogrom

Through his office as Archbishop he was also Imperial Arch Chancellor . During his term of office, the Crusaders pogrom in 1096, in which up to a thousand Jews were killed in Mainz ( Magenza ) alone . Ruthard did not take active action against the perpetrators, but later forced the survivors to accept the baptism . In doing so, he turned against Henry IV, who maintained the protection of the Jews. When Ruthard refused to let the baptized return to their old faith and to return their property to them, he lost the favor of the emperor. According to the chronicler Burchard von Ursberg , blood relatives of the archbishop were accused in 1098 as part of an investigation by the emperor into who robbed the murdered Jews. However, these were not admitted to the emperor, nor was it possible for Ruthard to defend them. Ruthard then fled with his relatives to Thuringia, where the aristocratic opposition was strong, in order to bring them to safety.

Opposition to Henry IV.

There he joined Pope Urban II. The antipope Clemens condemned Ruthard, forbade all members of the Mainz church to deal with Ruthard when threatened with anathema , lifted the obligation to obey and ordered the election of a new archbishop. On the other hand, Urban II lifted the ban. There was no election of a new archbishop. From the Thuringian part of his diocese he continued to work as archbishop and was involved in the election of a new bishop of Halberstadt in 1102 .

In 1105 he supported the rebellion of Henry V and was instrumental in the overthrow of Henry IV. He now clearly recognized the pope's claim to primacy over the emperor. As Archbishop of Mainz, he was the first to see himself among the clerical and secular greats. At the meeting of princes on January 5, 1106, it was Ruthard who presented Heinrich V with the imperial insignia . The ordination was carried out by the papal legate .

Relationship to Paschal II.

Although Pope Paschal II had expressly recognized Ruthard and was interested in a good relationship with him, Ruthard still incurred the disapproval of the Pope. So he had against the will of Paschalis Reinhard von Blankenburg for Bishop of Halberstadt ordained, although the Pope had not explicitly confirmed, because he had received his investiture by a layman. The reinstatement of the suffragan bishop Udo von Hildesheim without the consent of a council was also criticized by the papal side. Nor did he appear at a synod in 1107 . The Pope then suspended him. Ruthard accepted this judgment without reservation. This unconditional recognition of the papal legal authority led to the reinstatement of Ruthard.

The fact that he was the first Archbishop of Mainz to use a throne seal speaks for Ruthard's self-confidence.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mainz Document Book 1, No. 395.
  2. ^ Johann Wolf: History of the former stone monastery near Nörten . Rosenbuch, 1800, p. 9 .
predecessor Office successor
Wezilo Archbishop of Mainz
1088–1109 		Adalbert I of Saarbrücken
personal data
SURNAME Ruthard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ruthard of Mainz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Archbishop of Mainz
DATE OF BIRTH 11th century
DATE OF DEATH May 2, 1109