Walther II. (Münsterschwarzach)

Walther II. († February 2, 1354 ) was abbot of the Benedictine monastery in Münsterschwarzach from 1342 to 1354 .

Münsterschwarzach before Walther

Abbot Walther II was already the thirty-fifth abbot to head the monastery in Münsterschwarzach. Although, due to the poor sources of the 13th and 14th centuries, some abbots remained unknown to the monastery chroniclers and could only be proven through more recent research, conclusions can be drawn about the constitution of the monastery in these years. Despite some economic difficulties, the abbey's economic foundations consolidated.

At the beginning of the 14th century there was a split in the convent . The reason for this was the argument between two men about the abbot dignity. The elected prelate Konrad I. Zobel was induced to resign by his chaplain Konrad II, but was later returned to his office. His successor, Johannes I , sold a lot of monastery property, but only financed the expansion of the pilgrimage church in Dimbach , for which Abbot Heinrich then established a provost's office.

Life

Little information is available about the abbot's family and origins. Walther II may have been part of the Frankish Imperial Knights von Egloffstein , who had their headquarters in Franconian Switzerland. The early training of the future abbot also remains largely unclear. Walther was first mentioned in a document from his predecessor Konrad III. from the year 1339. At that time he was prior and thus filled an important office within the monastery community.

Walther II became abbot towards the end of the year 1342. Walther first registered as abbot on February 3, 1344. Under the rule of Prelate Walther, in 1345 the monastery property was separated from the abbey property. Other official acts that have been handed down are the pledging of the Dettelbacher tithe to Eberhard von Hirschhorn and the surrender of the entire monastery property on time, which was handed over to Cunrad Zollner von Hallburg . In return, Cunrad paid the monastery debt.

At that time, the Münsterschwarzach monastery was one of the financially most productive in the entire diocese of Würzburg . Only the cathedral chapter and the founders Haug and Neumünster had to pay more than the 30 pounds of Heller that the Main Abbey had to pay. During Walther's term of office, the church of St. Maria de Rosario in Dimbach was officially elevated to the status of provost, which was confirmed by Bishop Albrecht II of Hohenlohe in 1351.

Abbot Walther II was last mentioned in 1353. At that time he signed the separation of the Prichsenstadt parish from the mother church in Stadelschwarzach , as he had the right of patronage here. According to the monastery chroniclers, Walther II died in 1354, probably on February 2nd. His successor was Walther III. so that, due to the fact that they have the same name, there is no documented dividing line between the two abbots.

coat of arms

The family coat of arms after Scheibler

There is no personal coat of arms for Abbot Walther. However, if he was part of the noble family of the Egloffstein from what is now Upper Franconia , there was a family coat of arms. Description of the family coat of arms: In silver, a right-facing, black bear head with a red tongue; the helmet covers on the right black and silver and on the left black and gold; the coat of arms on the helmet.

literature

• Rainer Kengel: The coat of arms of the abbots of Münsterschwarzach . In: Abtei Münsterschwarzach (Ed.): Abtei Münsterschwarzach. Works from their history . Münsterschwarzach 1938.
• Johannes Mahr: Münsterschwarzach. 1200 years of a Franconian abbey . Münsterschwarzach 2002.
• Leo Trunk: The Abbots of Münsterschwarzach. A comparative overview . In: Pirmin Hugger (Ed.): Magna Gratia. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Münsterschwarzach abbey church 1938–1988 . Münsterschwarzach 1992.
• Heinrich Wagner: The abbots of Megingaudshausen and Münsterschwarzach in the Middle Ages . In: Pirmin Hugger (Ed.): Magna Gratia. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Münsterschwarzach abbey church 1938–1988 . Münsterschwarzach 1992.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ While most representations are based on this year of death, Brusch name 1363 and the so-called Magna Gloria the year 1353. Cf.: Trunk, Leo: The Abbots of Münsterschwarzach . P. 154 f.
2. ↑ Mahr, Johannes: Münsterschwarzach. 1200 years of a Franconian abbey . P. 19.
3. ^ Wagner, Heinrich: The abbots of Münsterschwarzach in the Middle Ages . P. 139.
4. ↑ Kengel, Rainer: The coat of arms of the abbots of Münsterschwarzach . P. 135 f.

predecessor	Office	successor
Conrad III.	Abbot of Münsterschwarzach 1342–1354	Walther III.