Walther von Vatz

Half-length portrait of Walther von Vatz on the city wall of Strasbourg (created 1210–1213)

Walther von Vatz († January 18, 1213 ) was Bishop of Gurk .

Life

Walther von Vatz came from the Rhaetian family of Barons von Vaz from Obervaz in Graubünden and was wealthy on the eastern shore of Lake Constance. He was first abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Disentis before he was appointed Bishop of Gurk by his close relative, the Archbishop of Salzburg, Eberhard II . His choice was made by Pope Innocent III. first declared invalid, because Eberhard had moved from the Church of Brixen to that of Salzburg without the Pope's permission and was initially not recognized as Archbishop of Salzburg. Walther von Vatz submitted to the papal decision. It wasn't until 1200 that it was reappointed and consecrated. He was also vicar general of Salzburg.

During his reign a dispute broke out again between Gurk and Salzburg over the right of free election of bishops claimed by the cathedral chapter. In 1205 the trial was pending at the Roman Curia . To this end, Gurk forged documents that could not be presented during the dispute of 1180. However, these were not recognized in Rome. In 1208, the decision was made in Anagni that after the death of a Gurk bishop, the Archbishop of Salzburg should appear in Gurk in order to propose a three-person proposal to the cathedral chapter, which should include a candidate from the Gurk diocese and two foreigners. The one chosen by the chapter should be ordained by the archbishop.

A second point of contention was the achievement of imperial immediacy for Gurk, which the bishop presented to the German Emperor Otto IV . In this matter, however, Gurk was again subjected to the suzerainty of Salzburg.

Bishop Walther was also very interested in economic issues and was able to increase the holdings of his diocese considerably through purchases and transactions. He also had the Gurk Cathedral expanded and refurbished.

Bishop Walther von Vatz died on January 18, 1213. His final resting place is not known.

literature

• Jakob Obersteiner: The bishops of Gurk. 1072–1822 (= From research and art , 5, ISSN  0067-0642 ). Verlag des Geschichtsverein für Kärnten, Klagenfurt 1969, pp. 70–76.
• Erwin Gatz (ed.): The bishops of the Holy Roman Empire. 1198 to 1448. A biographical lexicon. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-428-10303-3 .