Caritas Pirckheimer

Caritas Pirckheimer ( born March 21, 1467 Eichstätt; † August 19, 1532 in Nuremberg) was abbess of the Poor Clares in Nuremberg. She was a proponent of religion and freedom of conscience, and resisted the forced introduction of the Reformation in their monastery.

The highly educated nun used an exchange of views with numerous humanists, poets, and scholars. She stood among others in lively correspondence with her brother Willibald, Erasmus of Rotterdam, the poet Conrad Celtis and the provost of St. Sixtus Tucher Lorenz. It is also narrated from her a letter to the painter Albrecht Dürer. Unexpected support Caritas received in their struggle for the survival of the monastery of Philipp Melanchthon, a close associates of Martin Luther.

The source location

Because of the source edition of Joseph Pfanner and August counsel today the original texts of the abbess us are freely accessible. They were originally written partly in Early New and partly in Latin.

The edition consists of four volumes:

• Volume 1: The Prayer Book of Caritas Pirckheimer (1961 ),
• Volume 2: The " Memoirs " of Caritas Pirckheimer (1962),
• Volume 3: Letters from, to and through Caritas Pirckheimer (1967) and
• Volume 4: The grave of Caritas Pirckheimer ( 1961).

About twenty years later, Georg Deichstetter gave the first three volumes out in a translated version, which corresponds to our present Neuhochdeutsch.

While there is about the childhood of Caritas to her election as abbess of the Poor Clares little solid information, retain their experiences at the time of the Reformation in Nuremberg can be reconstructed very accurately. In the years 1524-1528 she wrote as a critical observer of all events in the form of a chronicle. Constantin Höfler, who in 1852 published the manuscript, called " Memoirs ".

Caritas Pirckheimer was in close correspondence with the great figures of their time. In the extant letters to the abbess and especially their education is consistently recognized. Important matters like she discussed with her brother Willibald. However, their relationship did not pose any one-sided relationship, as well as Caritas was her brother with good advice aside and discussed with him on theological controversies. Besides Willibald Pirckheimer, the alderman Christoph Scheurl and the convent nurse Kaspar Nützel received especially Sixtus Tucher, the provost of St. Lorenz, numerous letters to the abbess. He used to Caritas a close friendship.

Life

Her childhood

Caritas was born on March 21, 1467 in Eichstätt, the daughter of the lawyer and diplomat John Pirckheimer. Your baptismal name Barbara she received from her eponymous mother, a born Löffelholz. As the oldest of twelve children Barbara Pirckheimer probably grew up in a wealthy, deeply religious Nuremberg patrician families. By their brothers but survived only Willibald and also seven sisters. It is striking that six of them also entered into a Poor Clare or in a Benedictine monastery; only one of them married. Even her father spent his last years as a widower in the Franciscan Franciscan mendicant and was four years before his death in 1497 a priest.

At the age of twelve years came Barbara to her grandfather Hans Pirckheimer to Nuremberg. The second wife of the grandfather, Walburga Pirckheimer, who was herself childless and the unmarried sister of his grandfather, Catherine Pirckheimer, were considered well educated and taught Barbara at home before she attended the convent school. On her upbringing was also her grandfather, a militant councilor involved, which dealt intensively with humanism. In addition, he taught his granddaughter Latin, the former world language.

To further education and the teaching Barbara finally came to the convent school of the Poor Clares. This was not an unusual step, since the four Latin schools Nuremberg recordings only boys. Only two years later, in 1481, Barbara attended superior knowledge of Latin sensation, as she could understand and speak Latin. But her request to join the community of sisters was rejected because she was not yet 16 years old, the then usual minimum age required to enter into a novitiate can. Around the year 1483 was fulfilled Barbara's request. She was admitted as a novice of the convent of Poor Clares and was given the religious name for the garment Caritas ( Latin for " charity ").

Life in the monastery

In Clare Monastery aunts already lived on charity. 1491 started her own sister Clare in the Community and in 1513 followed her nieces and Crescentia Catherine Pirckheimer.

However, Caritas continued to be in close correspondence with Willibald, who was allowed to visit the exam grid from time to time. Not only he, but also his friends, who belonged to the humanist circle, exchanged ideas with her. They included, among others, the councilor Christoph Scheurl, who wrote an ode to the family Pirckheimer. The poet and humanist Conrad Celtis devoted Caritas his publication of the works of Roswitha of Gander home as well as a Latin ode, which he wrote in 1502. Willibald had Caritas get humanist books for the monastery library, among other things, of Erasmus of Rotterdam, who gave her and her sisters the opportunity to participate behind convent walls to the current discussion.

Caritas initially taught the monastic students, ordered the monastery library, and then took over the office of novice mistress until she was elected on December 20, 1503 to the abbess. The task of the abbess comprises on the one hand the concern for the spiritual life in the Convention and on the other hand also. Around the pleasure of his sisters to Caritas ' times fifty to sixty Furthermore, they managed, together with the nurse, the possession of the monastery. They prepared a monastery settlement for the Council and decided on the use of incoming interest payments. A lot of time also took the writing of letters or letter of thanks for donations received to complete.

As abbess Caritas placed great emphasis on a spiritual and religious training of the nuns. All the sisters were teaching Latin. You should understand the language in which they were praying, and in addition have the ability passages in Latin and to study in German. According to the abbess can only occur with the help of a formal education, a profound piety. Through a comprehensive, humanistic education the sisters a dispute with their faith should be allowed.

In addition to the training of the Sisters Caritas prepared the financial situation of the monastery of great concern. Even before the Reformation, the situation had deteriorated dramatically. The reason for this was in line with falling revenues and the enormous increase in spending. High costs caused the expansion of the Klara Church and the subsequent renovation of the monastery buildings. In a letter to the Pope Caritas described in 1505 the threatening situation of the Convention and therefore asked for the approval of an indulgence. In this way, an incentive was also less well-off Nuremberg, who could not make foundations, created to contribute to the maintenance of the monastery. Rome then sent the approval of a discharge letter.

Support received from the Poor Clares foremost Losunger (mayor) Anton Tucher, a brother of Sixtus Tucher, who donated an organ to the Convention in 1517. Musical instruments in churches that time there were extremely rare.

However, the financial situation of the Clare monastery became worse again, as in 1525, the Council decided to bring a Ungelt. That excise duty levied on beer and wine. After the sisters themselves were brewing beer, they got the consequences of the adoption palpable.

In addition to money worries, the Poor Clares grieved the introduction of the Reformation in 1525. All monasteries of Nuremberg should be closed. Due to the dogged resistance Clare monastery could continue first. However, the Council condemned the Convention to extinction, by forbidding the addition of new sisters and monitored compliance with the ban. Before it came to that decision, the sisters had already suffering other deprivations.

The Reformation

With the Nuremberg colloquy from 3 to March 14, 1525, after Nuremberg turned the Lutheran doctrine, began hard times for the Clare monastery. Only five days later, two councilors appeared with the news that there the previous confessors and preachers, who belonged to the Franciscans, was no longer allowed to exercise their offices. With the Barfüßermönchen the Clare monastery for more than 250 years already felt closely connected. Just by the Franciscan nuns had access to the Counter-Reformation writings, Caritas had read as a spiritual need for their sisters to the table and then spread throughout the city. This was all to the Council an eyesore. The Council decided that only allowed to preach Lutheran -minded clergy, so as to convince the sisters of the new doctrine. The abbess counted a total of 111 sermons of Andreas Osiander, with whom she had recently conducted a four-hour discussion.

Caritas fought on behalf of all the sisters, against the Council's decision. She said that there had never been complaints about the Franciscans and their monastic rule provides for to be pastoral care only of religious priests. The councilors put their claims through yet, but the sisters decided to can prescribe a confessor and to dispense with the confession. The abbess appealed to the freedom of conscience and the fact that no one can be forced to confession. Caritas reported it in her " Memoirs " as follows:

Due to the proliferation of the Lutheran doctrine of the nuns had the Holy Mass, dispense the sacrament of penance and the last rites. Nevertheless, the abbess tried to continue the spiritual life.

Dominicus Schleupner, preacher of St. Sebald, proposed to the Council to ask Caritas to leave the city. He disliked the lively correspondence that led them both clergy and with other convents. If it would succeed but the magistrate, to convince them of the new doctrine, not only the Clare Monastery of the Reformation would connect, but also at the same time other convents. Because it was known that many of the surrounding monasteries seeking assistance turned to Caritas and their opinion very appreciated. Therefore, the Council was persistent with his persuasion.

The Council's decision and its consequences

In the Pentecostal week of the year 1525 again issued a decision of the Council to the Nuremberg monasteries, which included the following five demands:

• All sisters should be released from the abbess of her religious vows.
• No nun should be forced against their own or their parents' wishes to stay in the monastery. The monastery was also obliged marriageable sisters pay her dowry.
• Instead of Habits bourgeois clothing should be worn.
• The Council should receive a list of all income, possessions and other valuables of the Convention.
• Finally, the recent, covered with black fabric speech windows should be replaced at the exam grid, so that the visitor could be sure that the conversation of any other person would overheard.

As long as the concerns of the Magistrate concerned worldly things, Caritas was willing to compromise. In spiritual matters, however, she did not hesitate to disagree if necessary. However, Caritas did not fundamentally challenge the obedience to the magistrate.

The abbess discussed first with the position of each sister and asked for their opinion. Then they protested against the abolition of the speech window, she saw this as a gradual opening of the exam, as well as against the repeal of vows. Caritas stressed that the nuns had not yours, but God made ​​a promise.

Only one of the sisters, Anna Black, the Convention voluntarily left. They sympathized with the Reformation thought. There is a receipt on which they certified on 10 March 1528 that she had received back her dowry. By the extinction of the Convention it was the only nun who did this step.

Because of the many places documented abuses in the monasteries, in addition to the moral failings was especially criticized that religious people do not know the Scriptures, transferred to these findings without reservation to all monasteries. Also the Clare monastery fell into disrepute due to this generalization, though were in this Convention so far no violations of the rule known and the Poor Clares had studied the Bible. Caritas struggled against the slanders and threats. Her sisters encouraged her to keep her vows, even if the services disturbed, devastated the cemetery and church windows were smashed.

The situation escalated the day before Corpus Christi 1525, when three nuns were forcibly abducted from their mothers out of the Convention after the daughters were not to move in previous tests to a voluntary leaving the Clare monastery. The Council endorsed the mothers and did not intervene. The women saw themselves in the law and appealed to the obedience, the children were guilty towards their parents. All verbal attacks on the part of the mothers were able daughters with Bible passages to refute. However, Caritas had no other choice than to free up as her, was by force if necessary, threatened the evacuation of the monastery.

After the monastery nurse tried unsuccessfully to convince the Poor Clares of the new doctrine, drew added the magistrate Philipp Melanchthon. This should come in November 1525 in the city to build and dedicate a new high school. On this occasion we arranged a meeting between the close associates of Luther and the abbess of the monastery Klara. However, instead of the hoped-for support Melanchthon, the Council had to listen to serious allegations. The reformer displeased not only the impeachment of the Franciscans, but also the resultant discontinuation of the administration of the sacraments and the forceful abduction of the three sisters. Melanchthon said parents from the right to force a nun to leave the convent. Furthermore, it was not in the sense of Luther, to destroy the monasteries. These clear words finally ensured that the Council refrained to continue using force against the Clare monastery.

The last few years in the monastery

In 1529 Caritas celebrated the 25th anniversary of their ordination to the abbess and the 50th anniversary of their profession. Catherine Pirckheimer, her niece, her father Willibald reported in a letter detail on the course of the festivities. He had her brought a barrel of wine and his silver flatware in the monastery. Also Juliana Geuderin, Caritas ' only married sister, donated trout and sweets for special day. The gifts received by the Convention on the celebration, to show that Caritas maintained close contact with her ​​family.

Caritas hit the dulcimer and old and young sisters danced. This testifies to how strongly felt connected to the Convention and has retained a lively atmosphere within the monastery walls. These made ​​Caritas because of their personality a significant contribution.

Apart from the celebrations it was also reported that the abbess had to deal with health problems. Just one year later, in 1530, died her brother Willibald. Caritas followed him on 19 August 1532. She was 65 years old. The exact cause of death is not known, but there are reports that she suffered from a painful stone disease and gout for some time. Their office was appointed to her own sister Clara. Last Caritas was ' niece Catherine Pirckheimer to the Convention as abbess. The successors tried to continue to fight against the resolutions of the Council; but without success. 1596 finally passed the last of the Poor Clares in Nuremberg. Although Caritas was considered the long-term destruction of Clare monastery not prevent, but they reached at least, that the Convention was maintained until the death of the last of the Poor Clares and was never handed over voluntarily to the Council.

Caritas Pirkheimer was buried in the nuns' cemetery behind the church and her grave was located there in 1959. 1960 Embedded to her remains in the choir of the former monastery church of St. Clare to.