Einhard

Einhard ( according to its own case Einhart, also Einhardt, in the Romance languages ​​Eginhard, Eginardo etc. with not palatalisiertem g, * 770 the Maingau, † March 14 840 Monastery Blessed City) was a Frankish scholar, art expert and author, one of the most outstanding figures of the Carolingian Renaissance. His most important and best-known work is the Vita Karoli Magni, a biography of Charlemagne. Einhard was the successor of his teacher Alcuin as head of the Palace School of Charlemagne, Louis the Pious Guides and lay abbot of the monastery of St. Peter and St. Bavo in Ghent, St. Servatius in Maastricht, St. Cloud, near Paris, and St. groove wall as well as in Steinbach Michel in the Odenwald and Blessed city. Because of its technical talent, he received in the court school of the name Beseleel, after the builder of the Jewish tabernacle (Ex 35,30 ).

Life and work

Einhard, who came from East Frankish noble family, was first brought up in the monastery of Fulda. As a writer he is deed there is 788-791. 794 he was sent to the court school of Abbot of Fulda Baugulf for further perfecting his education, where he became a pupil of Alcuin and soon the inner circle around Karl was one of the big ones. Einhard managed the construction of numerous buildings of Charlemagne, the bridge at Mainz, the palaces at Aachen and Ingelheim and the Palatine Chapel in Aachen. Also on the court workshops he led the oversight. To what extent he was artistic or artisanal active, is unclear, but he seems to have at least done conceptual work. Do not get is the only in a baroque tracing traditional, so-called Einhardsbogen, a triumphal arch shaped reliquary, which he commissioned after 815 as lay abbot for its abbey in Maastricht. It served as a base for a cross and has stylistic touches with the bronze grids of the Lady Chapel at Aachen. His student Brun Candidus of Fulda was active both as biographer as well as monumental and illuminators. Einhard was the companion of Charlemagne on all his travels, 806 went as his ambassador to Rome, and 813 should have moved his advice Karl, to appoint his son Ludwig to the emperor. Even that familiar Einhard and gave him 817 his son Lothar I. 's counsel. In the struggles of the children against the father Einhard tried to represent the unity of the empire thought to find a peaceful solution to the conflicts. He founded with Michel in the Odenwald an abbey, the Einhardsbasilika in Steinbach, for which he strove in Rome for relics of Saints Marcellinus and Peter Martyr. He moved later to Muhlinheim where they got the name Blessed city during the time of the relics of the abbey. Although he led several large monasteries as abbot according to the custom of the time, he seems to be but never was a clergyman.

836 died his wife Imma, a sister of the Bishop Bernard of Worms.

Of the four still known works of Einhard 's biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Karoli Magni, the most important. This unique biography of Charlemagne Einhard wrote a contemporary based on the ancient imperial biographies Suetonius, without which it was modeled, however, slavishly close to close.

Another important work is the Translatio Marcellini et Petri et Miracula SS, a report of the examination arranged by him transfer of the relics of two saints from Rome to Blessed city with the usual reports for translation miracle stories. Finally, there are the short theological treatise De adoranda cruce and prepared for prayer purposes selection from the Psalms mentioned. Besides, a large collection of letters of Einhard ( total of 71, including 58 with Einhard as the author ) was obtained. Was discussed whether Einhard might be the author of the anonymous traditional Charlemagne epic.

Not involved was Einhard according to recent findings in the drafting of the so-called Annales Fuldenses ( Fulda annals ) and the Annales regni Francorum ( Annals of the Frankish Empire, annals ), which were attributed to him earlier ( " Annales qui dicuntur Einhardi ", " Annales Einhardi " ).

Einhard died on 14 March 840 in Blessed City. His epitaph, in which alone his artistic works and the translation of the holy Marcellinus and Peter, but not his literary works are mentioned as merit, wrote the Fulda abbot Rabanus Maurus. , Which were, however, for connoisseurs a hidden reference to the Vita Karoli by it with verse 7 ( quem Carolus princeps propria Nutrivit in aula ) on Vita Karoli prol. 4 ( nutrimentum videlicet in me impensum et perpetua, POSTQUAM in aula eius conversari coepi, cum ipso ac liberis eius amicitia ) alluded.

Afterlife

In Blessed is the city Einhard Basilica of the former local convent where Einhard resided since 830 as lay abbot, and where he died. There is in the sacristy altar - a large sarcophagus containing the remains of Einhard and his wife Imma; However, the space for regular church attendance is not accessible. Modern scientific investigations at a grave opening in 2005 confirmed that the bones match in the coffin with the survival data Einhard and his wife, so it indeed seems to be the original bones, which had been doubted in the meantime.

With the Einhardsbasilika in Steinbach with Michel in the Odenwald - Louis the Pious, Einhard had given this place in the year 815 - a Carolingian church has been preserved almost in a state of life of the founder. The former assumption Einhard was the progenitor of the counts of Erbach ( Odenwald regent until 1806 ), is incorrect.

In memory of Einhard and his work is awarded by the Foundation to Einhard Blessed city since 1999 every two years Einhard Prize for biographical literature. Previous winners include petrol plant ( 1999), Brian Boyd (2001), Joachim Fest (2003), Irene Heidelberger -Leonard (2005), Eberhard Weis ( 2007), Margot Friedlander (2009), Hugh Barr Nisbet (2011 ) and John CG Roehl ( 2013).

In some cities, the impact area Einhards monuments stand in his honor, as in Blessed City and Eschweiler. In Aachen and Blessed city high schools, for example, named after Einhard and Michel -Steinbach the Einhard - primary school.

A memorial plaque for him was taken in in the Walhalla near Regensburg.

At Einhards person also ties the legend of " Einhard and Imma ", which Einhard in a familial relationship with Karl sets the Great, after he "daughter" Imma had married in a context whose adventurous. It was a long time considered to be true, but attributed by Otto Abel on its historical core.

Works

  • Vita Karoli Magni
  • Translatio Marcellini et Petri et Miracula SS
  • De adoranda cruce

Plant editions and translations

  • Oswald Holder -Egger (ed.): Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usum scholarum separatim editi 25: Vita Karoli Magni Einhardi. Hannover 1911 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae, digitized )
  • Vita Karoli Magni. The Life of the Great translated by Evelyn Firchow Scherabon Charles. Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-15-001996-6 (lat. / Dt. )
  • Translatio Marcellini et Petri et Miracula SS. In: Georg Waitz, William Watt Bach et al (eds): Scriptores ( in folio ) 15.1: Supplementa tomorum I- XII, pars III. Supplementum tomi XIII pars I. Hannover 1887, pp. 238-264 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae, digitized )
  • Epistolae ( Quart ) 5: Epistolae Karolini aevi (III). Edited by Ernst Dümmler, Karl Hampe et al Berlin 1898, pp. 105-145 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae, digitized )
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