Severus (Prague)

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Severus (Czech Šebíř ; † December 9, 1067 ) was Bishop of Prague .

Life

Severus is said to have come from a Bohemian noble family. At a young age he was in the service of the ducal court as a chaplain, where Duke Udalrich became aware of him. Later he joined the Benedictine order and became a monk in the Břevnov monastery .

With the support of the Duke, Severus was elected as his successor after the death of Prague Bishop Hizzo . Although the election took place at the beginning of 1030, Severus did not receive the imperial investiture until June 29, 1031, and then the episcopal ordination . The reason for the delay is said to have been a falling out between the duke and the emperor.

After the death of his patron Udalrich in 1037, his son Břetislav I succeeded him in the office of the duke . In 1039 he founded the Sazau monastery , where he called Slavic monks, with whose help the introduction of the Slavic rite should be achieved. Through these efforts, Bishop Severus came into conflict with his Mainz metropolitan , who even threatened him with church punishment.

Břetislav pursued the restoration of Bohemia to its former size and independence from the German Empire . In Břetislav's campaigns in 1038 and 1039 to Poland, Bishop Severus also had to take part. The body of the Bohemian martyr Adalbert , who was buried there, was raised in Gniezno and brought to Prague along with other relics and silver treasures with a ceremonial entry on August 25, 1039. This day was used in the Czech Church until the 20th century as the feast of the transmission of St. Adalbert celebrated.

In atonement for the robbery, Pope Benedict IX demanded . by the duke and the bishop the establishment of a spiritual foundation. The papal demand was fulfilled with the establishment of the collegiate chapter in Altbunzlau , at which a well-attended collegiate school was established.

At the request of Poland, Emperor Heinrich II requested the return of the kidnapped silver treasures. Since Břetislav let the set deadline pass, the emperor attacked Bohemia on August 23, 1040, which, however, was able to defend itself. After the conquest of Prague was imminent on September 8, 1041, Břetislav was forced to make a peace that Bishop Severus is said to have mediated. Since Břetislav is said to have been angry about it anyway, Severus felt threatened. He therefore went to Regensburg with the emperor. There the emperor is said to have brought about a reconciliation between the duke and the bishop in the following year, who then returned to Prague. However, Břetislav did not keep his word and Severus was captured. Only after further intervention by the emperor did he gain freedom.

The successor to Duke Břetislav, who died in 1055, was Spytihněv II. He supported the efforts of the bishop and founded the collegiate chapter in Leitmeritz in 1057 . Three years later he initiated the construction of a new cathedral church in Prague.

In 1063, Bishop Severus was able to get the Pope to establish a new diocese of Olomouc , which essentially comprised the areas of Moravia . An elevation of Prague to the archbishopric was not connected with it.

literature

  • Anton Frind : The History of the Bishops and Archbishops of Prague . Calve University Bookstore, Prague 1873, p. 2024
predecessor Office successor
Hizzo Bishop of Prague
1031-1067
Jaromír-Gebehard