Saint Meinhard

Meinhard von Segeberg (c. 1130-1140; † 14 August or 11-12 October 1196. ) Was the first bishop of Livonia in Uexküll. End of the 14th century, his remains were interred in St. Mary's Cathedral of Riga.

History of the mission in Livonia

Archbishop Adalbert of Bremen -Hamburg had ordered because of his missionary success in Sweden Hiltin, the abbot of the monastery in Thuringia Goseck the homily, Bishop of Livonia with the seat in the Swedish Birka. This first mission attempt for Livonia lasted only from 1062 to 1064 target. Continued this mission was not possible because of the difficulties with the contact on the southern Baltic coast.

The mission of Meinhard

Meinhard was in the Augustinian monastery Segeberg under the influence of Holstein missionary activity Vizelins and his successor Bishop Gerold been brought to the canon. In 1184 he left the monastery Segeberg to the Baltic-Finnic Livs to proselytize. At the commencement of his mission Meinhard was between 50 and 60 years old. After the presentation of the Chronicle of Henry of Latvia, one can assume that Meinhard in principle had a peaceful mission intention. His mission methods were more influenced by the word than by violence. Meinhard built before the end of his arrival in 1184 a wooden church in Üxküll. With the approval of the Grand Duke of Polotsk in 1185 he was also upstream in Üxküll the Dvina of masons and builders from Gotland built the first stone castle of Livonia. The following year, he was also in Holme build a castle. The castles were the Livonians as protection against external attacks, but also changed the local power structure. Only a fifth of the castle in Üxküll was in possession of Meinhard. 1186 Meinhard by the archbishop of Bremen Hartwig II ( 1184-1207 ) was consecrated the first bishop of Livonia, the Archdiocese of Bremen was assumed and was in his office in 1188 by Pope Clement III. confirmed. Soon after, he joined his return to after Üxküll, where he was this time accompanied by the Cistercian Theodoric of Treyden, is often equated with the beginning of the mission of the sword in Livonia. Shortly before the death of Meinhard asked for the Livs a successor. This was an unsuccessful Cistercian abbot Berthold. After his death in battle of the Crusaders at the site of today's Riga therefore already in 1199 by Albert Buxthoeven took over the diocese. Only Albert of Buxthoeven succeeded the Catholic Christianization of Livonia. 1993 Meinhard was canonized by Pope John Paul II.

Source location

The source location to Meinhard is poor. Apart from four documents from the Livonian Urkundenbuch mention or strip Meinhard's work only the Epistola Sedonis, the Chronica of Alberic of Trois Fontaines and the Livonian rhymed chronicle. More precise information on Meinhard's work give only the Chronica Slavorum Arnold of Lübeck and the Chronicon Henrici Livoniae. Although the Chronica Slavorum is in their statements to Meinhard and the Livonian countryside not free from errors, yet act the two chapters of the seventh book, dedicated to Meinhard, less conceptualized and authentic than the descriptions in the Chronicle of Henry of Latvia. Henry Chronicle again especially in their chronology and in their description of the events to be extremely reliable and is the main source for acting Meinhard dar. Since But Henry was a child as Meinhard died, he knew that most likely not personal. The Chronicle of Henry of Latvia shall be considered strong conceptualized, which, inter alia, to expressed as suffering in the description of the life cycle of Meinhard.

Research discussion

There are mainly found opinions that call Meinhard as peaceful missionary. Mention may be made, for example Norbert Angermann, Ralph Tuchtenhagen, Wolfgang Froese, Harald Biezai. Criticism is to be found in this picture, especially in the recent research, as Raoul Zühlke and anti Selart.

Canonization

As " evangeliser of Latvia " was Meinhard von Segeberg canonized by Pope John Paul II on 8 September 1993.

Swell

  • Henry of Latvia: Chronicon Livoniae. In: Leonid Arbuzov and Albert Bauer ( ed.): Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usum scholarum separatim editi 31: Henry Livonian Chronicle ( Heinrici Chronicon Livoniae ). Hannover 1955, pp. 1-7 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae; digitized )
  • Albrici monachi Triumfontium Chronicon, ed. of Scheffer - Boichorst, Paul ( MGH SS 23 ), Hanover, 1874, pp. 631-950
  • Arnoldi Abbatis Lubescensis Chronica, ed. of Lappenberg, John M. (MGH SS ( in folio ) ), Hanover, 1869, pp. 100-250
  • Epistola Sedonis, ed. of Schmeidler, Bernhard ( MGH SS rer. Germ. ), Hanover, 1937, pp. 236-245
  • The Livonian rhymed chronicle, ed. Meyer, Leo, Paderborn, 1876
  • The Lippiflorium. A Westphalian heroic poem from the thirteenth century. Latin and German, together with explanatory notes, Edit. Althof, Herman, Leipzig 1900
  • Liv, Esth and Curländisches Urkundenbuch along with synopses, ed. Bunge, Friedrich Georg, among other things, Reveal and others, 1853/1
Riga Cathedral Adalbert of Hamburg Livonian people Hartwig of Uthlede Berthold of Hanover Georg Dehio Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Neue Deutsche Biographie Integrated Authority File
562164
de