Christian of Oliva

Christian of Prussia, and Christian von lekno or Christian of Oliva (* around 1180, possibly in the Slavic precursor settlement, founded in 1250 Freiwalde in Pomerania, today Chociwel; † December 4, 1245 in Marburg, Hessen ( or possibly in Sulejow, Poland) was the first Bishop of Prussia., the epithet of Prussia ', from lekno ' and ' Oliva ' stir from his major proselytizing area of her or his stay as a monk in the 1209-1210 Oliva Monastery and as abbot in lekno monastery, which later was moved to Wągrowiec ( Wongrowiec ).

Life

As a young Christian came supposedly first in the Cistercian monastery at Kolbatz Neumark in Pomerania one that had been donated by the Szczecin castellan Wartislaw II. 1209-1210 he was assigned as an ordinary monk, which was founded 1185/86 Oliva Monastery in Christian Duchy Pomerellen. From that time he sought the conversion of the pagan Prussians to Christianity.

At the request of Conrad of Masovia, the Pope approved in 1209 a crusade against the Prussians. In this context, the Christian monk worked from 1209 with some success among the Prussians as proselytizers. To 1215 he was abbot of the Cistercian monastery occupied by German lekno at Gniezno. Christian was by Innocent III. 1215 finally appointed to the Lateran Council to the missionary bishop of Prussia, his solid base was apparently the location outside the mission area Oliva Monastery. In the course of the mission, first won the pomerellischen and then the Masovian princes of political influence. Since 1217 this unequal treatment resulted among the tribal groups of the Prussians to violent reactions, which escalated into attacks on masowisches area and occasionally on Kuyavian and Wielkopolska. The Kulmerland had been occupied by the Prussians. To conquer the area again, Christian asked the Pope Honorius III. for approval of a crusade. This authorized the crusade and gave him in 1217 beyond the power of attorney to establish dioceses and cathedrals to be built. With papal approval 1212-1222 and 1223 by Konrad of Mazovia, Leszek Little Poland and Henry were out the Bearded of Silesia with German support two crusades against the Prussians. Although so could the Kulmerland on the right side of the Vistula River and recovered a defense system can be realized, but the raids took no end. Christian took the opportunity of establishing the Diocese of Kulm in 1222. Bishop of Plock, to whose diocese the Kulmerland was expected until then kicked him to this end all his spiritual and temporal rights from same. The Polish Prince, who regarded themselves as the rightful rulers of the country, over 1222 appropriated him a considerable number of localities including the stately rights and in the part that they reserved the right to tithes and half the income. Pope Honorius III. confirmed this donation 1223rd

1224 reached the raids on the neighboring Mazovia region, a new peak. This prompted the Duke Konrad of Masovia to the Teutonic Order to ask for help, who then expanded considerably under Hermann von Salza his position of power. As the negotiations with the Order dragged on, Konrad 1228 founded his own knightly order, the Fratres militiae Christ, according to their base in Dobrin also called Dobrinder brothers. This also consisting predominantly of the Teutonic Order began in 1230 with the help of crusaders to fight the pagans, but had only modest success. 1230 gave Christian his entire territorial possessions in Kulmerland the Teutonic Knights. 1231 Christian bishop of Kulm. Christian intended to continue his missionary work in Sambia, but fell in 1233 for five years in the captivity of the Prussians. 1234 gave Pope Gregory IX. Prussia the Teutonic Order as a possession. The Order was founded in 1228 by Christian Brothers of the Knights of Dobrin became part of the Teutonic Order in the same year.

In his last phase of life Christian wrote in 1237 (which would mean prußischer in captivity ) or had in 1239 a chronicle Altpreußens whose Codex is indeed lost, but fall back to the early chroniclers, so that their former existence is beyond doubt.

After his release in 1238 from prußischer captivity Christian was opposed to the Pope against the Teutonic Order for violation of his rights as a bishop. 1243 informed the papal legate William of Modena, the country between the Vistula and Memel on in the four dioceses of Kulm, Warmia, Pomesania and Sambia. Here, the acquis should be regulated so that by the secular government should the four dioceses fall in total only one-third, while the German Order received allocated two-thirds. Because he considered himself cheated, Christian did not want to acknowledge this power-sharing. When he did not comply with the instructions of Pope Gregory IX. , To choose one of the four bishoprics, he eventually fell out of favor even with the Apostolic See. He eventually retired to the monastery Polish Sulejow, where he died in 1245. He has been instrumental in the Christianization Altpreußens.