Wibald

Wibald of Stavelot and Corvey (* spring 1098 in Lower Lorraine, † July 19, 1158 in Bitola (Macedonia) ) was an influential abbot of the Benedictine order.

From 1115 he was a student in Liege by Rupert of Deutz. In the Benedictine order he joined in 1117. He was elected on 16 November 1131 for the abbot of the imperial abbey of Stavelot and Malmedy and came to political influence. During the Italian campaign of Emperor Lothar III. Wibald 1137 was elected abbot of strategically located on the border of the Norman kingdom Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino mother, had to give in the same year since eased its influence on the monastery after the home of the Emperor to this office but. Wibald remained abbot of Stavelot and Malmedy.

The royal election in 1138 Wibald supported the Hohenstaufen Conrad III. , Who won against the Guelph Henry the Proud. From 1139 Wibald was in the service of Conrad worked as a stylist in the Chancellery and assumed diplomatic duties. 1146 Wibald was the ambassador of the King meets with Pope Eugene III. An extant letter Wibalds book considered today as the most important source of its activities in Conrad's office.

Subsequently Wibald on October 20, 1146 Abbot of Corvey Abbey kingdom, he ordered the new and advanced. Officially, the need to reform the monastery was the reason for his investiture. However, the real reason may have been that Konrad was against Heinrich strengthen in this way his influence in Saxony the lion and create a territorial connection to the Archbishopric of Bremen. The desired Konrad subordination of women monasteries Kemnade and Fischbeck under Corvey prevented Heinrich 1147, however, using the Bishop of Hildesheim and Minden.

1147 took part in the crusade against the Wends Wibald.

He remained an influential person at the court of Conrad III. and designed in 1150 a plan for a marriage of Conrad's son Henry (VI ) with a niece of the Byzantine emperor Manuel, who was never realized by the death of Henry. After Conrad's death ( 1152 ) and the accession of Frederick Barbarossa Wibald retired to Corvey and conducted extensive construction works at the monastery church. Nevertheless, he was occasionally used by Barbarossa as an envoy, especially after Byzantium and still had a significant position held at the court. Thus the selection screen Barbarossa to Pope Eugene III. written by Wibald. On the way back from a diplomatic mission to Byzantium Wibald died in 1158 in Macedonia. His remains were transferred to Stavelot.

The history of ideas is Wibald one hand, in the tradition of Reichsmönchtums, the monarchy and the Church saw as inseparable, but attacked the other hand, especially in the field of Justice on Roman models back. In the latter point, he foreshadowed the great value that the Roman law tradition took under Barbarossa.

In the historiography of Stablo Wibald was long considered " gray eminence " in the court of Conrad III. He was blamed for the alleged dependence of Conrad of the Church. Recent research estimates its influence a little, although his precise scope is still an open research question. But its importance for Barbarossa is increasingly more highly rated, underlining the continuity of the firm work and policy between the two Staufers lately.