City partnership Le Mans – Paderborn

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The twinning between the French city of Le Mans and Paderborn in Germany is considered one of the oldest, if not the oldest, twinning in Europe . It emerged from a Catholic " eternal love brotherhood " between the two Franconian bishops in 836. The religious connection with political effects lasted over the centuries. Secularly , the partnership was confirmed by the cities on June 3, 1967.

Le Mans coat of arms
Paderborn coat of arms
City partnership Le Mans – Paderborn (DF)
Paderborn
Paderborn
Le Mans
Le Mans
Location of Le Mans and Paderborn

The "eternal love brotherhood" from 836

In 815 the Saxon Badurad became bishop of Paderborn on the suggestion of his imperial friend Ludwig the Pious . With the Saxon Aldrich , another friend, advisor and confidante of Ludwig the Pious became Bishop of Le Mans in 822. Aldrich was a former cathedral student in the Aachen royal palace and was then a priest and director of the cathedral school in the palace of Metz .

At the synod of Aachen in 836, which dealt with the lifestyle of bishops, clerics and the king, Badurad and Aldrich met. In addition to supporting the synod of the emperor, the main concern of both was strengthening their Christian faith in their native Saxony. The Saxons were still not considered to be religious, as they had been forcibly converted to Christianity by Charlemagne . While a cult of St. Julianus has been documented in Le Mans since the seventh century (through a basilica built on his grave), the Saxon Paderborn diocese did not yet have its own veneration of saints . (The bones of St. Julian were, however, only transferred to the cathedral of Le Mans in the middle of the ninth century - either in 835 or 845.)

In Aachen, Badurad decided in association with Aldrich to appoint Saint Liborius as the patron saint of the Saxon city. Liborius von Le Mans was the fourth bishop of Le Mans and thus an indirect successor to Julianus von Le Mans . In 397, after 49 years in office as bishop, he died in the presence of Martin von Tours . The official order was finally made by the emperor himself: “Sciendum quoque, quod reverendissimus imperator fieri praecepit, cuius quicumque potestati resistit, Dei nimirum ordinationi resistit.” (In German: “You must also know that the most illustrious Emperor Ludwig gave the order that this happens. Whoever defies his authority is defying the ordinance of God. ")

By transferring the bishop's relics to Paderborn, the altar of the bishopric could be consecrated. This imperial plan was implemented in May 836. At Le Mans, which was Translatio of the relics in a ritual procession made. On May 1, 836, the bones of the saint were brought to the basilica of the west Franconian city. The subsequent procession led via Yvré-l'Évêque , Saint-Mars-la-Brière to the east. The convoy paused, in all likelihood in the chapel of Saint-Médard. Other occupied places of the procession are Chartres , Saint-Denis and Bavay . The likely further route ran via Tongeren , Jülich , Cologne , Dortmund , Soest and Salzkotten . The procession arrived in Paderborn on May 28, 836. Bishop Badurad provided a specially built two-story crypt to hold the bones . An armrest of the Liborius still remained in Le Mans.

In the Cathedral of Le Mans, both sides took the vow of a “fraternitas caritatis perpetua”, an “eternal brotherhood of love” between Paderborn and Le Mans. In the early Middle Ages, fraternities between monasteries and bishoprics were common, but usually not over such a long distance. The fraternization gained special importance through the subsequent longevity over centuries.

Religious and political continuation of the covenant

middle Ages

The sources are initially silent for over 200 years on the partnership between the two bishoprics. However, Manceller documents from the early 13th century suggest that the close relationship was maintained. In 1204, for example, the cathedral chapter of Le Mans reacted to rumors that the diocese of Paderborn was ready to transfer the relics back. In the same year Paderborn calmed Le Mans down. The sources confirm the friendship covenant several times as obvious. Mutual visits are also documented. In 1243 canon Sweder von Störmede brought relics of St. Julian to Paderborn.

Early modern age

Henri II d'Orléans, engraving by Matthäus Merian

At the end of the Thirty Years War , many of the German ecclesiastical territories remained in the hands of Protestant rulers, including the Principality of Paderborn . In 1647 the cathedral chapter of Paderborn appealed in a ten-point plan to the head of the French delegation in the peace negotiations Henri II. D'Orléans-Longueville that the bishopric should remain Catholic. At the same time, the Paderborn authorities brought the chapter of Le Mans to ask the only nine-year-old King Louis XIV and his mother, the regent Anna of Austria , for intercession. In the meantime, the Landgraviate of Hessen-Kassel viewed the Duchy of Paderborn as possible spoils of war. At Christmas 1647, the Bishop of Le Mans Emmeric-Marc de La Ferté (1637–1648) confirmed in a letter to the prince-bishopric that royal protection would be guaranteed. Hessen-Kassel had to stop its expansionist ambitions. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 stipulated that the Paderborn Monastery should never again fall into Protestant hands.

The prince-bishopric responded with the following letter of thanks to the Mancellers: «manceaux, nous vous devons une reconnaissance éternelle parce que c'est grâce à vous si nous avons gardé notre foi catholique après le traité de Westphalie signé à Münster en 1648»

In a new diplomatic thrust from Hesse-Kassel, the ruling French minister, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, recalled in a short letter in 1656 that the King of France guaranteed the diocese Paderborn on the basis of his alliance with Le Mans.

State Secretary Choiseul

In the 18th century, during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) , the bishopric was occupied and claimed primarily by the Electorate of Braunschweig-Lüneburg ("Kurhannover"). French troops also occupied the principality several times. In 1762 an agreement was reached that the prince-bishop's seat , which had become vacant, should initially not be occupied, while the mainly English- Electoral Hanover troops of Duke Ferdinand von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel held the city of Paderborn. Diplomatic relations with the brotherhood of the two cities were also very active during this period. A dozen letters between King Louis XV. and his Foreign Minister Étienne-François de Choiseul reflect this. The royal security promise for Paderborn guaranteed by Louis XIV must continue to apply. Above all, a new prince-bishop must be elected. With the Treaty of Paris (1763) was Wilhelm Anton von der Asseburg be elected as the new bishop.

In the course of the French Revolution , the French clergy is expropriated, which Pope Pius VI. is convicted. As a result , many French people, including the high clergy, emigrated abroad with considerable assets. The Principality of Paderborn became a land of exile. Several hundred French fled to the small territory, including priests and the vicar general of Le Mans. In November 1794 alone, 72 refugees lived on the cathedral freedom. The Bishop of Mans Gaspard François Jouffroy Gonssans fled to Paderborn via England. His remains were never transferred to Le Mans. He died in the city in 1799. He is buried in Paderborn Cathedral. Another nine priests remained in Paderborn until their death.

Modern times

In 1802/03 the prince-bishopric finally lost its independence to Prussia . After a short interim period in the Kingdom of Westphalia , the Principality of Paderborn was repeatedly annexed to Protestant Prussia in 1813 . During the time of political and denominational upheaval, the bishopric was in poor condition, as the Paderborn region had become a Prussian provincial region with Protestant authorities. Contacts and travel between the two friendly cities were severely restricted. For the 1000th anniversary in 1836, the cathedral chapter of Le Mans, despite the invitation of the Paderborn clergy, was unable to take part in the Liborifest , which still takes place today to commemorate the transfer of the relics of the saint. However, 1850 pilgrimage visits by Mancellern in Paderborn are documented.

The Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Freusberg and Bishop Charles Fillion maintained a lively correspondence in the late 19th century. In 1867, the Paderborn bishop asked his counterpart for financial support for the restoration of the cathedral. But the diocese in Le Mans was also in great financial difficulties.

Maurice Orange (1868–1916): Battle of Le Mans , painting before 1914.

During the Battle of Le Mans in 1871, a Prussian military priest from Paderborn asked for help to heal the wounded. The chaplain celebrated mass a few days later in Manceller's Cathedral of St. Julien. Bishop Fillion sent a letter to his “Prussian” counterpart that the city should not be occupied. The responsible commander Friedrich Karl von Prussia replied negatively to the request. During the Kulturkampf , Bishop Konrad Martin of Paderborn was forced into exile. During this time he also visits Le Mans with a meeting with the entire cathedral chapter in the cathedral. In the meantime, he found refuge in the Abbey of Solesmes south of the Sarthe in 1877.

The nationalism of the turn of the century did not stop at relations between cities. The connections broke off as far as possible. A contemplated invitation to Libori in 1896 was not implemented due to the political situation. After all, there was correspondence with prisoners of war even during the First World War . Official visits did not take place again until 1920 when Bishop Karl Joseph Schulte moved to Cologne and when Paderborn was elevated to archbishopric in 1930. Three years after the National Socialists came to power in 1936, two representatives of the Manceller cathedral chapter arrived in Paderborn. Return visits will follow. During the Nazi era, of all times, there was a lively exchange between the priesthood and the clergy. Relationships continued to have an impact in the immediate post-war period, for example when a prisoner-of-war camp was relocated.

The modern city partnership

An official city partnership in the modern sense emerged between the two cities as part of European integration . In the course of the Élysée Treaty between Germany and France , community partnerships were promoted on a large scale. After long hesitation on the French side, the town twinning in Le Mans became official on June 3, 1967, after the first attempts were made in 1961. Signed bilingual agreement between the mayors was Jacques Maury and Christoph Tölle . Two army flags of the two cities were exchanged. In order to underline the religious origins of the partnership, a common mass was celebrated in Manceller Cathedral on Sunday . The European dimension was amended by Europe Day and a Europe Train manifested. Almost all grammar schools and secondary schools subsequently found a partner school in Paderborn and Le Mans . More than fifty civil society associations and the local newspapers are "sisterly". The universities in Paderborn and Le Mans also maintain close contacts.

The Manceller-Paderborn partnership is now deliberately placed in a historical context, as it is "one of the oldest international agreements and at the same time established the first official twinning of two European cities."

See also

Web links

bibliography

  • Barbara Stambolis : Libori . Waxmann, Münster 1996, ISBN 3-89325-433-1 ( Google Books ).
  • Jean Lelièvre, Maurice Balavoine: Le Mans-Paderborn 836-1994: Une amitié séculaire-un sillage de lumière. Le Mans 1994, OCLC 464312443 . (French).
  • Thierry Trimoreau (sous la direction de): François-Gaspard de Jouffroy-Gonsans, un évêque du Mans face à la Révolution. ITF éditeurs, Le Mans 2010, ISBN 978-2-917900-16-1 . (French)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 50 years of twinning: A look back in moving pictures
  2. ^ Synod in Aachen 836. Retrieved January 5, 2013 .
  3. ↑ a b Entry "Julianus von Le Mans" in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints .
  4. ↑ Quoted from Gereon Fritz: Liborius and the friendship of two unequal brothers. 1200 years of caring togetherness and the otherness of the French sister church. (PDF; 164 kB) Archdiocese of Paderborn , October 25, 2008, accessed on January 5, 2013 . P. 2, note 5.
  5. ↑ Barbara Stambolis: Libori . Waxmann, Münster 1996, ISBN 3-89325-433-1 , p. 18, note 21 ( online at: books.google.de ).
  6. ↑ Gereon Fritz: Liborius and the friendship of two unequal brothers. 1200 years of caring togetherness and the otherness of the French sister church. (PDF; 164 kB) Archdiocese of Paderborn , October 25, 2008, accessed on January 5, 2013 . P. 4.
  7. ↑ The early modern period . Social stability and political change. In: Frank Göttmann (Ed.): Paderborn. History of the city in its region . tape 2 . Schöningh , Paderborn 1999, ISBN 3-506-75690-7 . P. 287.
  8. ↑ Cf. Barbara Stambolis: Libori . Waxmann, Münster 1996, ISBN 3-89325-433-1 ( online at: books.google.de ).
  9. ↑ Cf. Gereon Fritz: Liborius and the friendship of two unequal brothers. 1200 years of caring togetherness and the otherness of the French sister church. (PDF; 164 kB) Archdiocese of Paderborn , October 25, 2008, accessed on January 5, 2013 . P. 4.
  10. ↑ Gereon Fritz: Liborius and the friendship of two unequal brothers. 1200 years of caring togetherness and the otherness of the French sister church. (PDF; 164 kB) Archdiocese of Paderborn , October 25, 2008, accessed on January 5, 2013 . P. 5.
  11. ↑ With ARTE, choose the most popular Franco-German city partnership. (No longer available online.) Arte , archived from the original on January 22, 2013 ; Retrieved January 6, 2013 .