Bernhard von Mallinckrodt

Bernhard von Mallinckrodt (also: Bernard of Malinkrot, born November 29, 1591 in Ahlen, † March 7, 1664 at Burg Ottenstein ) was dean in Munster, was excommunicated and died in custody. In the list of books to his extensive library is the first time the term incunabula demonstrated for the early prints up to 1500.

Life and work

Origin

Bernhard von Mallinckrodt came from a Protestant family. He first studied in Osnabrück and Minden, then in Helmstedt, Marburg, and most recently in Cologne. There, he converted to Catholicism on 11 March 1616.

Rise

After a stay in Rome from 1618 to 1622 went from Mallinckrodt to Münster, where he had been meanwhile appointed canon. In 1623 he was promoted to dean. When in 1650 the episcopal see was vacant, Bernhard von Mallinckrodt presented for election, who won his competitor Christoph Bernhard von Galen. From Mallinckrodt appealed against that decision a protest in Rome and the emperor. However, the pope and emperor confirmed the choice of Galen. From Mallinckrodt then refused to recognize the new bishop and was on 6 March 1652 by choir, chapter, Offizium and benefice, the income of his benefice excluded. His repeated filings with the pope and emperor were rejected. Nevertheless, Bernhard von Mallinckrodt continued to pursue his complaint management and was consequently excommunicated on 26 August 1654 the Prince Bishop von Galen.

Unfazed, tried by Mallinckrodt now to win the people to his cause. The announcement of his impending arrest on October 7, 1654 caused some riots, in whose protection he escaped to Cologne.

Case

Mallinckrodt activities had meanwhile led to a conflict between citizenship and Prince-Bishop, after its settlement the dismissal of Mallinckrodt was decided on February 25, 1655. Nevertheless returned from Mallinckrodt in July 1657 to Münster, where he was arrested a short time later by prince-bishop soldiers, was placed at the Castle Ottenstein into custody and remained there until his death in 1664. Shortly before he died, his excommunication was lifted.

Importance

Bernhard von Mallinckrodt was a great learning certifies and immense memory. One rumored, " he was able gantze books where they went lost in the world, by the same Hülffe to replace " although he " almost every day used to spend the evening with a loud Gastereyen ".

From Mallinckrodt had an extensive library, which was in 1720 at public auction in Münster; the catalog pointed to 5355 numbers. In the directory that was created by Mallinckrodt of his books he used in the context of the origin of the ars typographica for its printed up to 1500 books, the Latin word incunabulae, which means the singular crib or diaper. The list of books is considered a first -preserved evidence of the term incunabula as a designation for prints since Gutenberg up to the year 1500 an autobiographical manuscript is -. According to ADB - in Münster.